The AMC Boston Chapter Local Walks Committee leads day hikes and nature walks year-round in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. They range in length from 3 to 20 miles over terrain which ranges from smooth and flat to rocky and hilly. A typical hike is 5 to 8 miles in length along woodland trails over rolling terrain with some hills and takes 4 to 5 hours, including lunch. The pace is usually moderate, allowing participants to socialize as they walk. Some of our hikes are hilly enough to be useful as conditioning hikes for the more rugged trails in the White Mountains or elsewhere.

To see the kinds of activities we do, go to the listing of recent walks. Our hikes are announced in the Backcountry section of the monthly members' magazine, AMC Outdoors. To find out how to join the AMC, go to www.outdoors.org/join.

The Hiking Areas page is a compilation of over one hundred of the larger areas for day hikes out of Boston plus information on obtaining trail maps. The Photo Gallery pages contain a growing collection of photos of trail scenes from those areas and from recent walks. The Easy Walks page has a list of nearby places where there is a scenic, level walk that is easy to follow. The Nature Walks page is about what to expect from an AMC nature walk, what to bring, and where to go on your own nature and bird walks.

The Local Walks Authors page is about the Weston conservation lands guidebook written by AMC Local Walks leader Elmer Jones and the guidebook to plants commonly seen on walks written by AMC Local Walks leader Hilary Hopkins.

Leadership opportunities: AMC members with an aptitude for leading group hikes and knowledge of a local hiking area are encouraged to contact the Local Walks chairman listed in AMC Outdoors magazine at the beginning of the Boston chapter activities.

Website contributions: send corrections, additions, and photos to hike2008@rwinters.com. You can also direct any questions to this address. - Robert Winters, Local Walks webmaster

Upcoming Local Walks ($1 for non-members...but, please, become a member!):

Sat, May 10. Fowl Meadow, Milton. Bird walk, 3 mi., 7-10:30am. Learn to bird. See common & rare species at height of spring migration. Bring binocs & bird book. From Rte. 93/128 exit 2B, take Rte. 138 N 1.7 mi., L on Neponset Valley Pkwy. 0.5 mi. to small lot at Brush Hill Rd. Joint w/FBH. L Steve Olanoff.

Sat, May 10. Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain. Scenic, mod. 6-mi. walk w/many stops to view plants & trees in bloom. 10am-2pm. Bring lunch. Meet at Admin. Bldg. Park on Arborway or take T to Forest Hills, walk 0.6 mi. No reg. Storm cancels. L Marc Hurwitz.

Sat, May 10. Middlesex Fells, Stoneham. 6.5-mi. hike on mix of hilly trails, 10:30am, w/lunch at Wright's Pond. Bring lunch, water & sturdy footgear. Meet at Stone Zoo lot. From Rte. 93S exit 35 or Rte. 93N exit 34, follow signs to Stone Zoo. No reg. Storm cancels. L Dan Pratt.

Sun, May 11. Whitney & Thayer Woods, Cohasset. Brisk 7-mi. hike incl. holly grove, Ode's Den & lunch on Turkey Hill w/scenic views, 9:30am. Bring lunch, water, sturdy boots. Meet at Trustees of Res. pkg. lot on W side of Rte. 3A, 2 mi. S of jct. w/Rte. 228. No reg. Storm cancels. L Beth Mosias.

Sun, May 11. Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon. Scenic 5-mi. hike, 12:30pm. Wear sturdy boots. Bring water & snack for stop at L's house after hike. Meet southbound side of Sharon RR sta. off Rte. 27, 0.2 mi. NW of Sharon Ctr. No reg. L Loretta O'Brien.

Tues, May 13. Charles River, Boston. Leisurely 4-mi. after-work riverside walk including Boston Common & Public Gardens, 6:30-8:30pm. Meet along wall near entr. to Park St. T sta. No reg. Storm cancels. L Marc Hurwitz.

Sat, May 17. Warner Trail Sections 3 & 4, Wrentham. Mostly level 15-mi. hike S from Sharon to High Rock in Foxboro, incl. Moose Hill & views, 9am-5pm. Bring lunch & water. From Rte. 95 exit 9 in Sharon take Rte. 1 S 5.7 mi. (0.9 mi. past Rte. 140), turn R on Myrtle St. to Crocker Pond Cons. pkg. lot in Wrentham. No reg. Ls Jim Goyea, Lou Carreras.

Sat, May 17. Middlesex Fells, Medford. 5-6 mi. mod. hike on rocky terrain, 9:30am. Bring snacks, water, hiking boots. Meet at DCR Flynn Rink on Woodland Rd. From Rte. 93 exit 33 in Medford, take Fellsway West (Rte. 28) N 0.5 mi., R on Elm St. 0.5 mi., L at rotary to rink on L. Bus 99 from Wellington T sta. Heavy rain cancels. L Nick Palky.

Sun, May 18. Breakheart Reservation, Saugus. L's choice. Approx. 5-mi. hike, 10am-2pm. Bring lunch, water. Meet at Northeast Metro School. From Rte. 1 in Saugus, take Main St. exit W 2.5 mi. (becomes Farm St.), R on Hemlock St. to end. From Rte. 128/95 exit 39 in Wakefield, take North Ave. E 2.5 mi. (becomes Nahant St.), R on Farm St., L on Hemlock St. to end. Rain cancels. L Nelson Caraballo.

Thurs, May 22. Slide Program, "India, Delhi, Chaos, Taj Mahal, Sacred Ganges." Presented by Judith Praznik. 12:30pm, Cabot Aud., 5 Joy St., Boston. Brown-bag lunch 11:30-12:15. Info: Local Walks Comm. (617-266-7136).