Castle Rock

"I wanted to take advantage of the relatively warm temperatures but wasn’t up for a particularly long hike, so we settled on Breakheart. Overcast day but otherwise pleasant weather. Some freeze-thaw cycles have hit Massachusetts, so the once powdery snow has developed a crust. That also meant we saw plenty of snow fleas. We wore microspikes for the entire hike but really only needed them on some of the steeper downhill sections. After returning from Eagle Rock we tested the ice on Pearce Lake and decided to walk across to cut off about a third of a mile of the Fern Trail. " — JCalautti • Feb 17, 2026

"Again, the original plan was to hike the Rock Circuit Trail in Middlesex Fells. Once again, the primary parking lot for that path was closed (this time because it was being repaved) and all the secondary lots were full. Therefore, we pivoted to Breakheart Reservation, and luckily the lot on Hemlock Road had plenty of available spots. It was a very hot day, with the heat index approaching 100 degrees, so we took the hike slow and only explored about half of the Reservation. The Eagle Rock Trail was closed, so that reduced our expected elevation gain even further. The haze limited some of the visibility, but we could still see the Boston skyline and some of the hills to the north." — JCalautti • Jul 6, 2025

"A hike in the Breakheart Reservation on the Wakefield side before heading over to Hopothocary Ales to pick up a MA Brew and View. Neat views from the summits of both peaks. We could see the Boston skyline on the horizon. " — newenglandwarrior • Apr 13, 2024