Belle Isle Marsh

I love taking my pups here to run around sans leash. Everyone is really nice and good about giving the «my dog is friendly, is yours?» Hand wave /​ok sign. I have never seen any hook ups or even thought this was a hook up place (if you read through reviews… one person believes otherwise)
Perfect place near the city to get some fresh air–

This place, based on location, ambiance, etc, deserves 5 stars. It’s beautiful, with a look out, beaches, marshes, and picnicking area.
But about half an hour into my visit, I realized… it’s a gay hook up spot. I first spotted a condom when I first got there, and didn’t think much about it. Then I realized, the single men sitting on benches alone… and walking past the same spot numerous times, then following each other, but then speaking to each other… oh.
This is an issue since families come here to play and hang out, and shouldn’t have to risk running into anyone having sex.
I’d love to see some security here during the day to prevent this from happening.

Katherine I.‘s review from 2009 is truly awkward, let’s get that out of the way first.
Let’s also point out caesar s’s clearly misplaced review.
Alright, we had a much milder experience, enjoying the views on a less busy day. The reservation is cool but smaller than you’d think when approaching. Make sure you pile on the bug spray, it is a marsh of course.

This place used to be the best definately went downhill since the makeover ordered a side of clams 21 dollars cash only and i got mabe 15 clams tops with a small side of tarta sauce wont be going back clams wete tasteless

We must have been here when the landing paths were in our favor because we saw, but never heard any planes overhead.
A beautiful, serene place. Nothing spectacular, but a strong sense of nature having its way amid winding paths with multi-​colored vegetation, and waterways that reflect the wide-​open sky. Only a hazy skyline of Boston, off in the distance. It’s clean and feels safe, in the daytime anyway.

Reminds me of England (those pastry high lands stuff). Very quiet place with an awesome country vibe. yet you can still see the Boston skyline… and the endless planes to logan right over your head. It’s really fun to take in some fresh air on the border of sea and river!

We took our little puppy to Belle Isle last week and we LOVED it. We have walked around there a few times to enjoy the beautiful view that makes us feel as if we are far from the city.
Dog owners rejoice! this place is MUCh better than dog parks. Free parking, AMAZING clean, open space, with nice, responsible people involved in playing with their furry friends. We spent around 1.5 hour there, met 10 dogs or so, and had the grandest time.
:)
I almost don’t want to tell people about this place…

What a nice surprise! I have lived in the area all my life and never walked around in here until today (near Suffolk Downs T stop). So pretty. Yes, the planes are very loud (and seem to fly very low), and you can hear the train going by in the background, but it does make you feel like your far away. I definitely recommend a walk through here one day. Small, but really nice.

The park is a nice diversion from the cars and sights of street life. If you want a place to walk or view wild life this is a nice place to check out. I can also see the potential of this place for kyacking. However, as you enter the parking lot there tend to be a lot of idling vehicles with middle aged men peering at your every move especially if you are guy which is a little creepy. As I walked into the paved foot path to the bridge and lookout tower I noticed a lot of dirt foot paths leading into the brush. My dog went nuts barking and got off his leash. I chased him in there and caught him pretty quickly. As I put his leash back there were sounds of moaning. Not more than 20 feet away from me down through the brush were two naked men obviously engaging in a sexual activity. You can figure out that this is obviously a gay sex playground. While I don’t have a problem with gays I do have a problem with where they choose to do their perverted activities. Obviously a public reservation is not the place because on any given day there are a number of children around. Since I have been there a few times with my dog (watch out for ticks) there is always a white Toyota minivan with a guy watching your everymore. Who ever you are get a hotel room. There are the rest of us that don’t want to hear or see your homosexual activities. GET A HOTEL ROOM for that.

I went walking the dog here a couple times, and it makes for a very nice walk. They have a nice observation tower that overlooks the marshes. I bet it would be a nice place to take a kayak or canoe. I think its awesome that this is a nice place to get off the city streets without leaving town. The only negatives I have experienced are the planes flying low overhead, and the fact that I witnesses some public sex on one of the park benches –that was a little awkward.

I went kayaking here on a Sunday evening in September — great place and great sunsets … but a bit noisy when the planes fly over. Went all around the marshes and then went «under the bridge» and out by the airport. Quite interesting. Lots of Snowy Egrets and Ospreys and a Cormorant. Rented a kayak from Belle Isle Kayak Adventures right in the Belle Isle Boat Yard (behind the Dunkin Donuts on Main St).

This reservation is in East Boston? This is truly a natural wonder, among such a settled area. It was a good way to spend an hour walking around, checking out the trails. They are numbered but its fun to pick some random paths and go at your own pace or bring a picnic and throw a frisbee around.
There is a tall watchtower on the north side that provides great views of Boston and Winthrop.
There are areas around to bike or launch a kayak. The marsh was so clean and shallow that I actually took off my flip flops and got my feet wet to cool off. There are many picnic tables and benches along the way.
The only thing that was distracting were the planes landing frequently very low and loud, besides that its nothing but peaceful.
Go check it out! Free parking!

The wildflowers are peaking which makes right now a great time to visit this unique Boston park for a walk or a picnic. The city takes very good care of this park which I’m told used to be the site of a drive-​in theater. I always use the Bennington St. entrance but I believe there is a Saratoga St. access as well (though I’ve never used it). Lots of bird watching. I’ve seen a hawk, owls, osprey? Other wildlife includes skunks and coyotes (don’t let your dog go off in the reeds; plenty of better play areas available). There is an observation tower with nice views, a bird watching boardwalk, and a gravel path about ½ mile around which encompasses most of the walkable park. The park is mostly made up of intricately linked marshy waterways where I have seen the park department run canoe tours on occasion; I don’t know if just launching your kayak is o.k. but it would be a great place for it. Negatives include ticks (which have abated but are still around until winter), airplanes overhead, not the most diligent group of doggie poop picker-​uppers and an occasional unsavory element although the park is well policed.

This is a neat little area in the East Boston/​Winthrop area. It’s a salt marsh with great paths and views. Excellent for an afternoon walk in the summer. It seems to have two locations where to visit on the North and South parts of it. I went to the North side, which has a free parking lot. I locked my bike to one of the posts and ran around it. The observation tower that Jocelyn mentions is fantastic and gives you great views of the Marsh and the city. I bumped into a lady who mentioned she even saw jellyfish there. If you’re into bird watching, this is a great choice.

Love this place… the last remaining salt marsh in Boston with awesome views of marshes, the skyline, and planes going overhead. Lots of little paths, bridges, and an awesome observation tower with a cute weathervane on the top (in the shape of a fish). There are also some guided walks given talking about the saltmarsh ecology and prior uses of the marsh.
Great place to go and wander for an afternoon, watching the planes and various birds who use the marsh as a stop over spot go by.
Dog friendly and mostly stroller and possibly even wheelchair friendly because the paths are smooth and packed.