Saturday Morning Skyline Hike

Difficulty: Difficult/ Moderate

Appropriate for: Anyone! (No dogs)

Leader: Sean Ahern

About Sean: Sean is a lifelong resident of the communities near to the Fells and is a lover of the outdoors. He's been visiting the Fells since he was a little kid and credits the Fells with keeping him sane during the pandemic. During the working week, Sean is an attorney for legal aid and a law school instructor. He likes to travel, explore new music, and is learning (very slowly) to play guitar.

About the hike: This hike will begin around Bellevue Pond. We will go up Quarry Road and join the Skyline Trail at the D6-2 intersection, and then proceed north to follow the trail as it circuits the reservoirs. We will eventually veer off at the C2-2 intersection to take the Bear Hill Trail and then will stop for lunch and a break at Bear Hill Tower.

After stopping for a break, we will take Bear Hill Trail back to the Skyline Trail (joining it again at C2-2). From there, we will proceed to follow the Skyline Trail south the whole way to Wright's Tower. At Wright's Tower, we will stop for fifteen minutes for the photo opportunity. After that, we will head down the short remainder of the skyline trail to the D6-2 intersection and take Quarry Rd to the trailhead.

The total duration of the hike will be about 4.5 hours. About 3.75 hours of hiking/walking will be involved. The first portion of the hike to the lunch spot at Bear Hill Tower will take about 2.5 hours, the next leg to Wright's Tower will take about 2 hours, and the walk down to the trailhead will take another 15 minutes. The hike will be moderate intensity throughout and will cover about 7 miles total. The hike is suitable for almost anyone who can sustain a moderate level of physical activity for several hours.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE PORTIONS OF THE HIKE THAT WILL BE STRENUOUS AND INVOLVE STEEP CLIMBS UP ROCKY TERRAIN. THESE PORTIONS ARE SHORT IN DURATION AND CAN BE TAKEN AT A SLOW PACE. WE WILL NOT LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND. BUT NEVERTHELESS PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SOME STRENUOUS MOMENTS ON THIS ROUTE.

Folks can park either at the lot directly next to Bellevue Pond or at the other lot a little more north on South Border Rd (near the intersection of Jeremiah Circle) and then walk five minutes to the pond.

We will wait until about 9:15am for folks to arrive. we will try to start the hike by 9:20am at the absolute latest, after doing short introductions. We should arrive back before 2pm, but this time is subject to change based on the pace of the group.

Steady rain or stormy wind cancels.

Contact: [email protected] with questions

Dogs: While we love experiencing the outdoors with our dogs, this program is not suitable for dogs. We ask that you please leave your furry friends home while attending this program.

Check out our calendar for dog-friendly events!

Please note: Emails from Eventbrite may end up in your spam folder. Please check your spam folder if you have registered for the waitlist to ensure that you are receiving the email notifications. We also suggest removing Eventbrite from your spam sender list.

Host or Publisher Friends of the Fells