Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

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Overview

. . . where you can walk a Civil War-era fort, view historic lighthouses, explore tide pools, hike lush trails, camp under the stars, or relax while fishing, picnicking, or swimming—all within reach of downtown Boston. Youth programs, visitor services, research, wildlife management, and more are coordinated on the park's 34 islands and peninsulas by the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Live Music
  • Boating
  • Camping
  • Backcountry Camping
  • Canoe or Kayak Camping
  • Fishing
  • Saltwater Fishing
  • Food
  • Dining
  • Picnicking
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hiking
  • Living History
  • Paddling
  • Kayaking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Boston Harbor Islands: Boston Harbor Islands is a Partnership park. Operating hours and seasons vary. Visit bostonharborislands.org to plan your trip.

Getting there

There are many ways to enjoy Boston Harbor Islands and many ways to get there. For more information on how to get to the park by ferry, car, or private boat, please visit www.bostonharborislands.org.

Visitor centers

  • Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center
  • Georges Island Visitor Center
  • Spectacle Island Visitor Center
  • Peddocks Island Visitor Center

Weather

The Boston Harbor Islands have a humid maritime climate characterized by slightly cooler temperatures than the mainland, so dress in layers. Typical summer conditions feature air temperatures approximately 5-10 degrees cooler than the mainland, winds of 0-15 knots and waves of 1-3 feet.

Phone: 6178193587

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

A big arched door opens to the parade ground of Fort Warren.
Fort Warren on Georges Island · Arlan Fonseca
Group of children sit on a bench on a drumlin hill on Spectacle Island overlooking Boston Harbor
Spectacle Island · NPS Photo
view from Spectacle Island overlooking the water with a public ferry and a sailboat
Public Ferry on Boston Harbor · NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
a white lighthouse and other buildings on Little Brewster Island at sunset. City in the distance.
Boston Light · NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
A lighthouse lens to the left, and to the right is a window looking out over a rocky shoreline.
Fresnel Lens of Boston Light · NPS Photo/ K. Woods
Beach on Peddocks Island, with a white chapel and forested area in the background.
Peddocks Island · Arlan Fonseca

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