Managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it covers parts of Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham.

[4] In 1893, the Metropolitan Parks Commission purchased the lands of Blue Hills Reservation as one of the state's first areas dedicated to public recreation.

[5] The ecology of the Blue Hills is diverse and includes marshes, swamps, upland and bottomland forests, meadows, and an Atlantic white cedar bog.

The Blue Hills Trailside Museum, which is operated by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, offers indoor and outdoor animal exhibits.

Other recreational opportunities include non-motorized boating, camping, fishing, picnicking, playing fields, ice skating, interpretive programs, and a children's playground is accessible from the Hillside St entrance to Houghton's Pond.