Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.It lies between the city of Boston and Massachusetts Bay, situated on more than 30 islands in the harbor, and is famous for its historic forts, scenic views, and outdoor recreational activities.
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Location Map, Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Related Maps and Info
Top Attractions Inside Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
- Fort Warren (George’s Island) – Historic Civil War-era fort offering guided tours and scenic harbor views.
- Spectacle Island – Popular island with beaches, hiking trails, and picnic areas.
- Thompson Island – Natural landscapes with walking trails, wildlife habitats, and educational programs.
- Lovells Island – Secluded beaches and hiking areas perfect for camping and birdwatching.
- Glover’s Island – Small island offering serene views and quiet exploration opportunities.
- Visitor Center & Ferry Access – Gateway for transportation, information, and exhibits about the islands’ history and ecology.
- Recreational Activities – Kayaking, swimming, hiking, and picnicking across multiple islands.
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Facts
| Official Name | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
| Location | Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, USA |
| Latitude & Longitude | 42.3522° N, 70.9540° W (approx. visitor center) |
| Total Area | 34 islands, ~2,700 acres (1,093 hectares) total land and water areas |
| Established | 1996 |
| Managed By | National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and other local agencies |
| Region / Concept | Urban national recreation area – natural and historic island landscapes, recreational activities, cultural heritage |
| Main Features | Historic forts, lighthouses, salt marshes, beaches, hiking trails, picnic areas, boating, wildlife habitats |
| Wildlife | Seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, fish, marine life, small mammals, native plants |
| Visitor Activities | Hiking, boating, kayaking, picnicking, camping, wildlife viewing, swimming, historical tours, ranger programs |
| Popular Islands | Georges Island, Spectacle Island, Peddocks Island, Lovells Island, Thompson Island |
| Accessibility | Ferry service from Boston, car access to some mainland points, walking trails on islands; some islands wheelchair accessible |
| Nearby Towns | Boston, Quincy, Hull, Hingham, Winthrop, Massachusetts |
| Entry / Fees | Entrance free; ferry and some activity fees apply |
| Best Time to Visit | May–October (warmer months, peak ferry service, open facilities) |
| Annual Visitors | Approx. 1 million visitors |
| Nearby Airport | Logan International Airport (BOS) – 5 miles (8 km) |
| Transportation | Ferries, private boats, biking, walking; limited on-island parking |
| Time Zone | Eastern Time (ET) — UTC−5 Standard / UTC−4 Daylight Saving |
| Currency | United States Dollar (USD, $) |
| Official Website | https://www.bostonharborislands.org |
| Famous For | Historic forts and lighthouses, scenic harbor views, urban island recreation, wildlife and natural habitats |
| UNESCO / National Status | Designated a U.S. National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service |
Distances from Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area to Nearby Landmarks
- Long Wharf – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Faneuil Hall – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Boston Common – 7 km (4.3 mi)
- New England Aquarium – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- USS Constitution Museum – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Castle Island – 10 km (6 mi)
- South Boston Waterfront – 8 km (5 mi)
- Logan Airport – 12 km (7.5 mi)
- Harborwalk – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Charlestown Navy Yard – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Institute of Contemporary Art – 7 km (4.3 mi)
- North End – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Boston Harborwalk Cruise Terminal – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- Fort Independence – 10 km (6 mi)
- Thompson Island – 5 km (3 mi)
- Spectacle Island – 7 km (4.3 mi)
- Georges Island – 6 km (3.7 mi)
- World Trade Center – 7 km (4.3 mi)
- Fan Pier – 7 km (4.3 mi)
Top Places to Visit in the U.S.
- Where is Acadia National Park
- Where is Amelia Island
- Where is Arches National Park
- Where is Bald Head Island
- Where is Big Bend National Park
- Where is Big Sur
- Where is Bryce Canyon National Park
- Where is Cannon Beach
- Where is Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Where is Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Where is Destin City
- Where is Ellis Island
- Where is Florida Keys
- Where is Freedom Trail In Boston
- Where is Glacier National Park
- Where is Golden Gate Bridge
- Where is Grand Canyon National Park
- Where is Grand Teton National Park
- Where is Haleakala National Park
- Where is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Where is Huntington Beach
- Where is Independence Hall
- Where is Kauai Island
- Where is Kennedy Space Center
- Where is Key West
- Where is Laguna Beach
- Where is Las Vegas Strip
- Where is Mammoth Cave National Park
- Where is Maui Island
- Where is Miami Beach
- Where is Monterey Bay
- Where is Mount Rainier National Park
- Where is Mount Vernon
- Where is Naples Beach
- Where is Niagara Falls
- Where is Olympic National Park
- Where is Redwood National And State Parks
- Where is Rocky Mountain National Park
- Where is San Antonio Missions
- Where is San Antonio River Walk
- Where is Sanibel Island
- Where is Sequoia National Park
- Where is St Augustine Beach
- Where is St Louis Arch
- Where is St. Pete Beach
- Where is Statue Of Liberty
- Where is Taos Pueblo
- Where is Times Square
- Where is Waikiki Beach
- Where is Walt Disney World Resort
- Where is White Sands National Park
- Where is Yellowstone National Park
- Where is Yosemite National Park
- Where is Zion National Park
- Where is Great Salt Lake
- Where is Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Where is Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community
- Where is Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Where is Green Lakes State Park
- Where is Griffith Observatory
- Where is Griffith Park
- Where is Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Where is Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Where is Gulf Shores Beach
- Where is Haleakalā National Park
- Where is Haleiwa Beach Park
- Where is Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Where is Hampton Beach
- Where is Hana Highway
- Where is Harriman State Park
- Where is Acadia Beach
- Where is Acadia National Park
- Where is Adirondack Park
- Where is Alcatraz Island
- Where is American Museum of Natural History
- Where is Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge
- Where is Angel Island State Park
- Where is Antelope Canyon
- Where is Antelope Canyon (Upper/Lower)
- Where is Antelope Island State Park
- Where is Antietam National Battlefield
- Where is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- Where is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
- Where is Aspen
- Where is Assateague State Park
- Where is Babcock State Park
- Where is Badlands National Park
- Where is Badwater Basin (Death Valley)
- Where is Bahia Honda State Park
- Where is Balboa Park
- Where is Bandelier National Monument
- Where is Baxter State Park
- Where is Bear Lake State Park
- Where is Bear Mountain State Park
- Where is Bellagio Hotel & Casino
- Where is Big Bend Ranch Scenic Drive
- Where is Big Cypress National Preserve
- Where is Big Sur
- Where is Big Sur Coastline
- Where is Big Sur (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park)
- Where is Biltmore Estate
- Where is Biscayne National Park
- Where is Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
- Where is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Where is Block Island Beaches
- Where is Blue Ridge Parkway
- Where is Bodie State Historic Park
- Where is Bonneville Salt Flats
- Where is Brooklyn Bridge
- Where is Bryce Point
- Where is Buffalo National River
- Where is Burney Falls (McArthur–Burney Falls SP)
- Where is Caddo Lake State Park
- Where is Cadillac Ranch
- Where is Canyon de Chelly National Monument
- Where is Canyonlands National Park
- Where is Cape Cod National Seashore
- Where is Cape Cod National Seashore
- Where is Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Where is Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Where is Cape Henlopen State Park
- Where is Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area
- Where is Cape May Beach
- Where is Capitol Reef National Park
- Where is Carlsbad Beach
- Where is Carlsbad Caverns
- Where is Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Where is Catalina Island
- Where is Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Where is Channel Islands National Park
- Where is Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
- Where is Chiricahua National Monument
- Where is Chugach State Park
- Where is Clearwater Beach
- "N/A
- Where is Cloudland Canyon State Park
- Where is Cocoa Beach
- Where is Colonial Williamsburg
- Where is Coney Island Beach
- Where is Copper River Delta
- Where is Coronado Beach
- Where is Crater Lake National Park
- Where is Crater of Diamonds State Park
- Where is Crystal Cove State Park
- Where is Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
- Where is Cumberland Island National Seashore
- Where is Cumberland Mountain State Park
- Where is Custer State Park
- Where is Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Where is Daytona Beach
- Where is Dead Horse Point State Park
- Where is Death Valley National Park
- Where is Deception Pass State Park
- Where is Denali Highway
- Where is Denali National Park & Preserve
- Where is Devil’s Lake State Park
- Where is Devils Postpile National Monument
- Where is Devils Tower National Monument
- Where is Dinosaur National Monument
- Where is Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
- Where is Donner Memorial State Park
- Where is Dry Tortugas National Park
- Where is Ecola State Park
- Where is Eklutna Lake
- Where is Emerald Bay State Park
- Where is Emerald Isle Beach
- Where is Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
- Where is Exit Glacier (Kenai Fjords NP)
- Where is Fenway Park
- Where is Fire Island National Seashore
- Where is First Landing State Park
- Where is Fort Clinch State Park
- Where is Fort De Soto Park
- Where is Fort Jefferson
- Where is Fort Macon State Park
- Where is Fort Mountain State Park
- Where is Fort Sumter National Monument
- Where is Fountains of Bellagio
- Where is Franconia Notch State Park
- Where is Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
- Where is Galveston Island
- Where is Garden Key
- Where is Garden of the Gods
- Where is Gates of the Arctic National Park
- Where is Gateway Arch
- Where is Gateway National Recreation Area
- Where is Gettysburg National Military Park
- Where is Glacier Bay Boat Tour
- Where is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Where is Golden Gate Park
- Where is Goose Island State Park
- Where is Graceland
- Where is Grand Central Terminal
- Where is Grand Teton National Park
- Where is Great Basin National Park
- Where is Great Falls Park (Potomac)
- Where is Jekyll Island Beach
- Where is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Where is Jones Beach State Park
- Where is Joshua Tree National Park
- Where is Joshua Tree Village
- Where is Kaena Point State Park
- Where is Kalalau Trail Napali Coast
- Where is Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
- Where is Katmai Brooks Falls
- Where is Katmai National Park & Preserve
- Where is Kenai Fjords National Park
- Where is Kenai River
- Where is Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
- Where is Kiawah Beachwalker Park
- Where is Kilauea Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Where is Kings Canyon National Park
- Where is Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
- Where is Kobuk Valley National Park
- Where is Kodiak Island
- Where is Laguna Beach
- Where is La Jolla Cove
- Where is Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
- Where is Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Where is Lake Powell
- Where is Lake Shasta Caverns
- Where is Lake Tahoe State Park
- Where is Lake Tahoe
- Where is Lake Winnipesaukee
- Where is La Push Beach
- Where is Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Where is Letchworth State Park
- Where is Liberty Bell Center
- Where is Lincoln Memorial
- Where is Lost Dutchman State Park
- Where is Mackinac Bridge
- Where is Mackinac Island
- Where is Magic Kingdom Park (Disney)
- Where is Makena State Park
- Where is Malibu Beach
- Where is Malibu Creek State Park
- Where is Malibu Lagoon State Beach
- Where is Mall of America
- Where is Mammoth Cave National Park
- Where is Mammoth Lakes Basin
- Where is Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
- Where is Martha's Vineyard Beaches
- Where is Matanuska Glacier
- Where is Mauna Kea Summit
- Where is Mendenhall Glacier
- Where is Mesa Arch (Canyonlands)
- Where is Mesa Arch (Canyonlands NP)
- Where is Mesa Verde National Park
- Where is Millennium Park
- Where is Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
- Where is Montauk Point State Park
- Where is Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Where is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
- Where is Moosehead Lake
- Where is Mount Desert Island
- Where is Mount Evans Scenic Byway
- Where is Mount Hood National Forest
- Where is Mount Katahdin
- Where is Mount Lassen Peak Trail
- Where is Mount Mitchell State Park
- Where is Mount Monadnock State Park
- Where is Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad (Heritage)
- Where is Mount Rushmore Cave (Rushmore Cave)
- Where is Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Where is Mount Spokane State Park
- Where is Mount St. Helens
- Where is Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Where is Mount Tamalpais State Park
- Where is Mount Washington
- Where is Mount Whitney
- Where is Mount Whitney Trail
- Where is Muir Woods National Monument
- Where is Multnomah Falls
- Where is Myrtle Beach
- Where is Nantucket Beaches
- Where is Napa Valley (Wine Country)
- Where is National Gallery of Art
- Where is National Mall
- Where is National Portrait Gallery
- Where is National September 11 Memorial & Museum
- Where is National WWII Museum
- Where is Natural Bridge State Resort Park
- Where is Natural Tunnel State Park
- Where is Navy Pier
- Where is Newport Beach
- Where is North Cascades National Park
- Where is Ocean City Beach
- Where is Ocean Shores & Washington Coast
- Where is Ogunquit Beach
- Where is Ohiopyle State Park
- Where is Old Orchard Beach
- Where is Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
- Where is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
- Where is Outer Banks Beach Access
- Where is Outer Banks
- Where is Outer Banks National Seashore
- Where is Padre Island National Seashore
- Where is Painted Hills
- Where is Palace of Fine Arts
- Where is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
- Where is Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- Where is Palouse Falls State Park
- Where is Pearl Harbor National Memorial
- Where is Pebble Beach
- Where is Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
- Where is Pensacola Beach
- Where is Petrified Forest National Park
- Where is Petrified Forest Painted Desert
- Where is Pfeiffer Beach
- Where is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Where is Pikes Peak Manitou Springs
- Where is Pike Place Market
- Where is Pinnacles National Park
- Where is Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
- Where is Point Reyes National Seashore
- Where is Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- Where is Presque Isle State Park
- Where is Prince William Sound
- Where is Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
- Where is Rangeley Lake State Park
- Where is Red River Gorge / Natural Bridge State Resort Park
- Where is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- Where is Redwood National & State Parks
- Where is Rehoboth Beach
- Where is Rialto Beach
- Where is Rockaway Beach
- Where is Rock City Gardens
- Where is Rockefeller Center
- Where is Rockefeller Center Rink
- Where is Roswell UFO Museum
- Where is Ruby Beach
- Where is Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
- Where is Saguaro National Park
- Where is Sand Dunes State Park
- Where is San Diego Zoo
- Where is Sandy Hook Beach
- Where is San Juan Islands
- Where is Santa Barbara Mission
- Where is Santa Fe Plaza
- Where is Santa Monica Pier
- Where is Santa Monica State Beach
- Where is Sedona (Red Rock Country)
- Where is Sedona Red Rocks
- Where is Sedona
- Where is Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
- Where is Sequoia National Park
- Where is Kenai Fjords National Park
- Where is Hocking Hills State Park
- Where is Hollywood Sign
- Where is Hoover Dam
- Where is Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge
- Where is Horseshoe Bend
- Where is Hot Springs National Park
- Where is Hubbard Glacier
- Where is Huntington Beach State Park
- Where is Independence National Historical Park
- Where is Indiana Dunes National Park
- Isle Royale National Park
- Isle Royale National Park
- Where is Silver Falls State Park
- Where is Skagway Historic District
- Where is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Where is Smith Mountain Lake State Park
- Where is Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Where is Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Where is Sonoma County
- Where is Sonoma Wine Country
- Where is South Beach
- Where is South Padre Island
- Where is Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
- Where is St. Augustine Historic District / Castillo de San Marcos
- Where is Stone Mountain Park
- Where is Tahoe National Forest
- Where is Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
- Where is Taos Pueblo
- Where is The Alamo
- Where is The Alamo
- Where is The Art Institute of Chicago
- Where is The Breakers (Newport mansions)
- Where is The Broad (Los Angeles contemporary art museum)
- Where is The Chrysler Building (exterior)
- Where is The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Where is The Detroit Institute of Arts
- Where is The Exploratorium
- Where is The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
- Where is The Franklin Institute
- Where is The Getty Center
- Where is The Henry Ford (Greenfield Village & Museum)
- Where is The Henry W. Coe State Park
- Where is The High Line
- Where is The J. Paul Getty Villa
- Where is The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
- Where is The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Where is The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Where is The National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian)
- Where is The National Arboretum
- Where is The National Cathedral (Washington)
- Where is The National Civil Rights Museum (Lorraine Motel)
- Where is The National September 11 Memorial (separate listing)
- Where is The National WWII Memorial (DC)
- Where is The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Where is Newseum
- Where is Theodore Roosevelt Island
- Where is Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Where is The Oregon Coast Trail & Cannon Beach
- Where is The Presidio
- Where is The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Where is The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
- Where is The Seattle Aquarium
- Where is The Strand Historic District
- Where is The USS Midway Museum
- Where is The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Where is The Wave
- Where is The Wave Organ
- Where is The White House
- Where is Tongass National Forest
- Where is Top of the Rock
- Where is Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
- Where is Turkey Run State Park
- Where is Turnagain Arm
- Where is Tybee Island Beach
- Where is United States Capitol
- Where is Universal Studios Hollywood
- Where is Vail
- Where is Virginia Beach
- Where is Volcanoes National Park
- Where is Voyageurs National Park
- Where is Wahclella Falls
- Where is Waimea Canyon State Park
- Where is Waipio Valley Lookout
- Where is Watkins Glen State Park
- Where is White Mountain National Forest
- Where is White Sands Missile Range Museum
- Where is White Sands National Park
- Where is Wind Cave National Park
- Where is Wrangell–St. Elias National Park
- Where is Wrangell–St. Elias Range
- Where is Wrightsville Beach
- Where is Sequoia National Park
- Where is Shenandoah National Park
- Where is Shenandoah River State Park
- Where is Shoshone Falls
- Where is Shoshone Falls
- Where is Siesta Key Beach
- Where is Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
- Where is Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive
- Where is Cades Cove (Great Smoky Mountains NP)
- Where is Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Where is Castillo de San Marcos
- Where is Cathedral Rock
- Where is Charleston Waterfront Park
- Where is Chimney Rock State Park
- Where is Columbia River Gorge
- Where is Craters of the Moon National Monument
- Where is Crissy Field
- Where is Crystal River Archaeological State Park
- Where is Devil's Den State Park
- Where is Devils Tower Trail Loop
- Where is Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
- Where is Everglades Airboat Tour
- Where is Faneuil Hall
- Where is Fort Clatsop (Lewis & Clark NP)
- Where is Fort Jefferson (Dry Tortugas NP)
- Where is Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Where is Fort McHenry National Monument
- Where is Fort Pulaski National Monument
- Where is Fort Ticonderoga
- Where is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
- Where is Glacier Bay National Park
- Where is Glacier Point (Yosemite)
- Where is Great River Road
- Where is Great Smoky Mountains Scenic Drive
- Where is Haleakala Crater
- Where is Helen Bavarian Village
- Where is Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Where is Joshua Tree Scenic Drive
- Where is Kancamagus Scenic Byway
- Where is Kenai Fjords Glacier Cruise
- Where is Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
- Where is Lake Placid Olympic Sites
- Where is Lake Tahoe Scenic Drive
- Where is Mammoth Hot Springs (Yellowstone)
- Where is Mesa Verde Cliff Palace
- Where is Mission San Xavier del Bac
- Where is Monticello
- Where is Mount Rainier Paradise Area
- Where is Mount Shasta
- Where is Mystic Aquarium
- Where is Mystic Seaport Museum
- Where is Nantucket Island
- Where is Natural Bridges National Monument
- Where is New River Gorge National Park
- Where is Niagara Falls State Park
- Where is Ozark National Scenic Riverways
- Where is Pearl Harbor National Memorial
- Where is Pebble Beach 17-Mile Drive
- Where is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Where is Pisgah National Forest
- Where is Portland Head Light
- Where is Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum
- Where is Sanibel Island
- Where is San Juan National Historic Site
- Where is Savannah Historic District
- Where is Shenandoah Caverns
- Where is Theodore Roosevelt Island
- Where is Valley of Fire State Park
- Where is Vicksburg National Military Park
- Where is Waianapanapa State Park
- Where is Central Park
- Where is Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
- Where is Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Where is Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom)
- Where is Bunker Hill Monument
- Where is Acadia Scenic Loop
- Where is Alamo Mission
- Where is Angels Landing
- Where is Assateague Island National Seashore
- Where is Badwater Basin
- Where is Balboa Island
- Where is Big Island Volcanoes National Park
- Where is Big Sur Bixby Bridge
- Where is Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area