Event Details
If you have trouble registering for this event, click here.
Hike in the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, MA. The hike will follow well marked trails around wetlands and ponds. This will be a ~4-mile, ~2.5-hour hike in a forested area dominated by large pines and oaks around marshes, lakes and the Saugus River. There are numerous scenic stopping points along the hike with views of the lakes.
Breakheart Reservation encompasses 700 acres of pine and oak forest along the Saugus River and surrounding two large ponds. The ponds were created in the 1890s by damming the spring fed marshes. Overflow from the ponds drains into the Saugus River. We can expect to see a variety of forest and water birdlife. We will offer the option along the way to climb a rocky peak (about two hundred feet above the main trail) to get scenic views of the region. On a clear day, the Boston skyline as well as Wachusett Mt to the west are visible from some park hilltops.
The expected start-to-end duration is ~2.5 hours depending on weather and ground-surface conditions. The final trail will be selected closer to the hiking date, adapted to hike-day weather and trail-surface conditions. Weather permitting we will take a lunch break towards the end of the hike.

For more information about the Breakheart Reservation visit: https://www.mass.gov/doc/breakheart-trail-map/download
How to get there from MIT
You can find the entrance of the park (see above map), by using the following address in Google Maps: 177 Forest St, Saugus, MA.
Depending on time of the day, your GPS will probably guide you through one of the following two routes.

Parking and Meeting Point
We will meet at the Visitor Center (see earlier park map) on Saturday, November 16, ready for a 10 am start. The Visitor Center has restrooms. Parking near the Visitor Center and its access road is free but often sparce because many hikers use its very popular Pine Tops Road walking trail. There is a DCR ice rink along the entrance road and it is permissible to park there as well. Please plan to arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 to ensure that you find parking before the 10 AM start.
What to Bring/Use
• Camera - Bring your camera or your smartphone, and binoculars
• Water & Lunch - The walk will be leisurely
• Bring a picnic lunch
• Dress comfortably for walking in cold winter weather. Wear water-resistant hiking boots or aggressive sole snickers
Event attendees must acknowledge and understand that: (i) they are not required to participate in this event; and (ii) any participation is voluntary and at their sole risk.
Primary Contact:
Tony Galaitsis: Galaitsis@verizon.net
Retired Physicist. PhD in Physics from MIT, mountain hiking aficionado, avid traveler, and amateur photographer.

Secondary Contact:
Witold Biedrzycki: witold_alumni@proton.me
PhD in Mathematics from MIT; has hiked extensively around many mountains, including Rockies and Alps.

NOTE: Please do not register for this event more than once. If you are unsure if you have successfully registered for this event, please contact communications@mitcob.org instead of registering again. If you are an MIT alumnus, or otherwise have an account in this system, please be sure to log in before registering since this will connect your registration to your account.
Contact
galaitsis@verizon.net
Learn More
2024-11-16 15:00:00
2024-11-16 18:00:00
UTC
Monthly MITCOB Hike – Breakheart Reservation
If you have trouble registering for this event, click here.
Hike in the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, MA. The hike will follow well marked trails around wetlands and ponds. This will be a ~4-mile, ~2.5-hour hike in a forested area dominated by large pines and oaks around marshes, lakes and the Saugus River. There are numerous scenic stopping points along the hike with views of the lakes.
Breakheart Reservation encompasses 700 acres of pine and oak forest along the Saugus River and surrounding two large ponds. The ponds were created in the 1890s by damming the spring fed marshes. Overflow from the ponds drains into the Saugus River. We can expect to see a variety of forest and water birdlife. We will offer the option along the way to climb a rocky peak (about two hundred feet above the main trail) to get scenic views of the region. On a clear day, the Boston skyline as well as Wachusett Mt to the west are visible from some park hilltops.
The expected start-to-end duration is ~2.5 hours depending on weather and ground-surface conditions. The final trail will be selected closer to the hiking date, adapted to hike-day weather and trail-surface conditions. Weather permitting we will take a lunch break towards the end of the hike.
For more information about the Breakheart Reservation visit: https://www.mass.gov/doc/breakheart-trail-map/download
How to get there from MIT
You can find the entrance of the park (see above map), by using the following address in Google Maps: 177 Forest St, Saugus, MA.
Depending on time of the day, your GPS will probably guide you through one of the following two routes.
Parking and Meeting Point
We will meet at the Visitor Center (see earlier park map) on Saturday, November 16, ready for a 10 am start. The Visitor Center has restrooms. Parking near the Visitor Center and its access road is free but often sparce because many hikers use its very popular Pine Tops Road walking trail. There is a DCR ice rink along the entrance road and it is permissible to park there as well. Please plan to arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 to ensure that you find parking before the 10 AM start.
What to Bring/Use
• Camera - Bring your camera or your smartphone, and binoculars• Water & Lunch - The walk will be leisurely• Bring a picnic lunch• Dress comfortably for walking in cold winter weather. Wear water-resistant hiking boots or aggressive sole snickers
Event attendees must acknowledge and understand that: (i) they are not required to participate in this event; and (ii) any participation is voluntary and at their sole risk.
Primary Contact: Tony Galaitsis: Galaitsis@verizon.netRetired Physicist. PhD in Physics from MIT, mountain hiking aficionado, avid traveler, and amateur photographer.
Secondary Contact: Witold Biedrzycki: witold_alumni@proton.me PhD in Mathematics from MIT; has hiked extensively around many mountains, including Rockies and Alps.
NOTE: Please do not register for this event more than once. If you are unsure if you have successfully registered for this event, please contact communications@mitcob.org instead of registering again. If you are an MIT alumnus, or otherwise have an account in this system, please be sure to log in before registering since this will connect your registration to your account.
Club of Boston
galaitsis@verizon.net