Top Ten Things to Do on the Boston Harbor Islands

The ferry service to the Boston Harbor Islands will begin again for 2008 on Saturday, May 3. This urban oasis provides an endless number of recreational opportunities, historical sites, and natural wonders just minutes away from downtown. While each island offers its own unique opportunity for discovery, the following highlights are the very best things to do and see on your island adventures:

1. Scale to the top of Boston Light. Take a guided tour of the oldest light station in the country and climb the seventy-six spiral steps and two short ladders to come face-to-face with the lighthouse’s giant Fresnel lens.

2. Take a dip. Grab your bathing suit, towel, and suntan lotion and head to the sand and surf at Spectacle Island’s new lifeguarded beach.

3. Wander Fort Warren’s dark passages. Explore the spooky tunnels of this historic fort that once held Confederate prisoners during the Civil War.

4. Pitch a tent. Camp out on the islands and catch unforgettable sunrises and sunsets in the shadows of the city skyline. Spend the night on Grape Island for the most bucolic setting.

5. Grab a paddle. Beginning kayakers can spend the afternoon exploring the Hingham Harbor islands, while experienced kayakers can brave the outer harbor to visit the Brewsters.

6. See Boston in a new light. The Boston skyline looks spectacular from the ferry and the islands, but there’s no better view of the city and harbor than from Spectacle Island’s north drumlin.

7. Scale Thompson Island’s ropes and climbing walls. Participate in one of Outward Bound’s programs and challenge your limitations by conquering the ropes course and climbing towers.

8. Pack a lunch. There are a plethora of fantastic spots to picnic on the Boston Harbor Islands, but the picnic areas on Bumpkin and Great Brewster Islands offer unparalleled vistas.

9. Brush up on your fish tales. Fish populations are rebounding along with the harbor’s water quality. Striped bass, bluefish, flounder, and cod are among the fish that are biting.

10. Follow your feathered friends. Grab a pair of binoculars and try to spot some of the more than 100 species of birds that frequent the Boston Harbor Islands.

For more information on the Boston Harbor Islands, pick up a copy of my new book, Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands, published by Union Park Press. It will be available in bookstores in June and is available for preorder from Amazon and BN.com.