One of the most accessible islands from downtown, Georges Island is often the most visited. Spanning just over 39 acres in size, this island is home to Fort Warren, built in 1847 and utilized as a Confederate prison during WWII. George's is open to the public May through October and is utilized primarily by school groups and tourists. Picnics and beach use are prevalent on this island, although a strict carry on and carry of trash policy is enforced. Halloween fun: Take a spooky tour of haunted Fort Warren, meet the Big Nazo Puppet Creatures who will be strolling the park, and keep you eyes open for the Lady in Black. Boats will leave from Long Wharf at 11:15am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, and Hingham Shipyard at 11:30am, 12:45pm. Ferry tickets are $10 per person, children under age 3 are free

Spectacle Island is an island in Boston Harbor, situated some 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore of downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The island has a varied history, and today is a public park, forming part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. It is served throughout the year by ferries from Boston, and on weekends and summer weekdays by a shuttle boat to and from the other surrounding islands.[1][2] The island was initially composed of two small drumlins connected by a spit, with an approximate size of 49 acres. The name is believed to derive from its then-resemblance to a pair of spectacles.[3] However, dumping of trash and dirt, together with subsequent landscaping, have resulted in a significantly larger island with a permanent size of 85 acres, plus an intertidal zone of a further 28 acres. The island is now composed of two artificial earth mounds, terraced with retaining walls, roads and newly planted vegetation. With a height above sea level of 157 feet (48 m), Spectacle Island is now one of the highest points on Boston Harbor. [1]Article from Wikipedia^[1].

Bumpkin Island, also known as Round Island, Bomkin Island, Bumkin Island or Ward's Island, is an island in the Hingham Bay area of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The island has a permanent size of 30 acres (120,000 m²), plus an intertidal zone of a further 31 acres (130,000 m²), and is composed of a central drumlin with an elevation of 70 feet (21 m) above sea level, surrounded by a rock-strewn shoreline. A sand spit, exposed at low tide, connects the eastern end of the island to Sunset Point in Hull.[1] [1]Article from Wikipedia^[2]. At weekends and summer weekdays Bumpkin Island is served by a shuttle boat to and from Georges Island, connecting there with ferries to Boston and Quincy.[2]

Looking for an overnight camp site chock full of picnic areas, wooded trails and stunning access to the water and nature? You're in luck. This 54-acre Boston Harbor Island hidden gem is a wildlife haven and boasts edible berries and grapes as well as a landscape that almost doubles in size to 101 acres at low tide. Camping enthusiasts who want to "rough it" for the weekend admire the island's array of vegetation (Grape Island was farmed and grazed for 300 years, up until the 1940s) and is great place to share space with wildlife (from foxes to heron) and to see irregular pieces of land left over by a long-gone glacier. Click HERE for a detailed map of Grape Island.

Lovells Island, or Lovell's Island, is a 48 acre island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, in the United States state of Massachusetts. The island is situated close to Georges Island and some 7 miles (11 km) offshore of downtown Boston. It is named after Captain William Lovell, who was an early settler of nearby Dorchester. The island is known as the site of several shipwrecks, including the 74-gun French warship Magnifique in 1782.[1] Lovells Island was used by Native Americans for fishing, gardening and trading. Later uses included harvesting the island's timber, as a fishing station, as a residence for the keepers of Boston Light, and as a rabbit run. Once the home of two navigation lights, the island was a buoy tending station in the early 1900s and was fortified before and during World War I, with remains of Fort Standish still visible.[1] Much of the vegetation on the islands results from an attempt in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps to reestablish a natural forest on the island, although this was largely cleared when the fort was reactivated during World War II. Left to recover after the war, the island's plant life now includes remnant patches of stands of poplar, pine and spruce, together with successional species such as Staghorn Sumac, Black Cherry, Chokecherry, Apple, and Gray Birch. Common shrubs include Bayberry, Beach Plum, Raspberry, Virginia Rose and Saltspray Rose.[2] Today Lovells Island is a popular camping island, with picnic areas and walking trails through its dunes and woods, together with a non-supervised swimming beach. At weekends and summer weekdays it is served by a shuttle boat to and from Georges Island, connecting there with ferries to Boston and Quincy.[1][3] [1]Article from Wikipedia^[3].

Peddocks Island is one of the islands in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The island is located at 42° 17' 32.6" North longitude and 70° 56' 21.6" West latitude. The area of the island is 210.4 acres (0.851 km²). The island is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The island is home to the now-defunct Fort Andrews on its eastern end, and a group of privately-owned cottages on its western end. Ferry service between Peddocks and Georges Island is provided on a seasonal basis. Principally used for farming since the early 1600s, Peddocks Island has also served for military purposes. During the American Revolutionary War, over 600 patriot militia were stationed on the island. In 1904, Fort Andrews was built on the island and was an active harbor defense fort until the end of World War II. 26 of the original buildings of Fort Andrews still stand, although most are in decrepit shape and are closed to the public. In 2008 it was used for filming a scene in the Martin Scorsese film Ashecliffe starring Leonardo DiCaprio. [1]Article from Wikipedia^[4].

Thompson Island is an island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, some 4 miles offshore from downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The island is managed by the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, a non-profit educational organization. The island is open to visitors on summer Saturdays; otherwise access is by arrangement only.[1] The island has a permanent size of 170 acres (0.69 km²), and the highest point is a drumlin which reaches a height of 78 feet above sea level. The rest of the island comprises low rolling hills and a saltmarsh. The island has a mixed vegetation, including hardwood tree stands, remnant pear and apple orchards, ornamental trees and shrubs, open meadows, sumac groves, saltmarsh grasses, and lawns, including a soccer field.[1] In 1626 (four years before the Puritans arrived in Boston) David Thompson established a trading post to trade with the Neponset Indians on the island that now bears his name. Thompson was a Scot who had been superintending the settlement of Sir Ferdinando Gorges in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For the next two centuries, Thompson Island was leased to several different families for farming. In 1833, the Boston Asylum for Indigent Boys was moved to the island, and in 1835 it merged with the Boston Farm School Society to become the Boston Farm and Trade School. In 1956 the name was changed again to Thompson Academy. Thompson Academy continued the tradition of shelter and guidance to boys("Boys with a problem, but not problem boys"). In 1971 a fire destroyed the Main School Building. The school continued to operate for another four years closing in 1975. The Willauer School, an expeditionary learning Outward Bound school operated from 1994 to 2006. The island is currently owned by the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center and operates Outward Bound programs that brings more than 5,000 students and 3,000 adults a year to the island. Thompson Island Outward Bound supports its mission through donations and profits from Thompson Island Conference Center (event business running corporate outings and social events) and Outward Bound Professional (adult teambuilding to create positive lasting change in the workplace).[1] [1]Article from Wikipedia^[5].