Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City's Hidden Shores

Thanks to the Big Dig and the incredible cleanup of the harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands are experiencing unprecedented visitation, finally assuming their rightful place as Boston's backyard.

Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands is an indispensable guide to help you plan your island adventures. Explore the military installations that protected Boston during wartime---including Fort Warren, home of Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. Visit Boston Light on Little Brewster, the nation's oldest lighthouse site. Kayak into the coves where pirates and bootleggers once hid. Wander the woodlands and meadows that were the seasonal camps of Native Americans and the sites of Revolutionary skirmishes. Sail to the outer islands, a spectacular ocean wilderness that is home to the park's only colony of breeding seals. Find the best year-round fishing spots and discover why the islands are a birder's paradise. Dive amid century-old shipwrecks or climb to the top of Spectacle Island for an altogether different view of the Boston skyline. Take in a jazz concert, an antique baseball game, or simply hop from one island to the next to experience the stunning natural beauty of this most storied national park.

Whether it's hiking, camping, a trip through history, or a simple getaway to spend a day at the beach, a visit to the harbor islands offers an outdoor experience wholly unique to the geography and heritage of Boston.

Christopher Klein has written for numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, National Geographic Traveler, American Heritage, and New England Travel + Life. He lives in Waltham, Massachusetts.