One of my favorite pastimes is hiking. Over the years, I have learned that you don't necessarily need to travel to a remote location to find a beautiful scenic trail. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has so many beautiful places to hike and many of these are located close to (or within) the city of Boston. The Rock Circuit Trail Loop is one of the state's best hiking trails. It can be found only ten miles from Boston in the city of Melrose.

The Rock Circuit Trail Loop is one of several hikes that you can take within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. This particular trail is 2.9 miles long and runs between Woodland Road and Fellsway East.

It is considered a generally easy trail. However, it can be made more challenging if you decide to extend it by exploring intersecting paths.

The trail offers hikers beautiful views of the Middlesex Fells Reservoir and nearby bodies of water. It reaches an elevation of 282 feet.

The trail can be completed in a little over an hour.

As you reach various overlooks, you will also be able to see some gorgeous city views.

The trail is marked, but it can be easy to get off course and onto a more difficult trail. I highly recommend bringing a trail map with you.

This trail is one of the best hikes to walk during the fall months when the leaves begin to change colors.

The Rock Circuit Trail Loop is a great place to bird-watch. You will also be able to see some interesting plants, mushrooms, and flowers along the way.

Have you hiked the Rock Circuit Trail or any of the other Middlesex Fells Reservation trails? Please tell us about your experience. For more information about the trails, please visit the Middlesex Fells Reservation website. There are also many other top-rated trails to hike including Beaver Brook Falls in Belmont and Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. If you want to take great photos of your hike, a durable GoPro camera is the way to go. You can find the GoPro Max Camera at REI.