From a modest, 188-foot summit, the views of Great Blue Hill and the Boston city skyline in the distance are undeniably soaring. To get there, you’ll travel a short, easy ascent up a former cart path.

Bring binoculars on your journey: hawks ride thermal drafts between the Blue Hills and the Neponset River, while songbirds find shelter in the woods and wet areas. Along the way, pause to consider the ancient history of the landscape: as the last glacier retreated, paleo-Americans who settled the Neponset River Valley used Signal Hill as a seasonal home.

The AllTrails website has a map and description of a hike at Signal Hill Reservation.