Boston Harbor Islands: Which Island, Which Ferry, and When to Go

Short answer: for a first trip, take the ferry from Long Wharf to Spectacle Island. It's the closest island, the ride is about 30 minutes, and the view of the skyline from the top of the drumlin is the whole point. Pick Georges Island if you want a Civil War fort to wander through, and Peddocks if you want woods, quiet or a yurt for the night. Just know the public ferry season is almost over: the last day of 2026 service is Monday, Oct. 12, and Spectacle tickets are $5 on Oct. 10 and 11.

Below: what each island is actually like, which dock you leave from, what the ferry costs, how camping works, and what is (and mostly isn't) open once the boats stop running.

How the Harbor Islands work

Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park covers 34 islands and peninsulas, per the National Park Service. Admission is free. The catch is that you have to get there, and the ferry is not free. The park's FAQ says your National Park pass and MassParks pass don't cover ferry tickets, so don't wave them at the ticket window.

In 2026, public ferries serve three islands: Spectacle and Georges from Boston, and Peddocks from Hingham. A fourth, Cathleen Stone Island (the former Thompson Island), had its own weekend boat from South Boston, but that season is already over. Everything else is either closed, limited, or reachable only by private boat.

Which island should you pick?

Spectacle Island: the easy, scenic one

Spectacle is 114 acres, about 4 miles from downtown, and the island most people mean when they say "we went to the Harbor Islands." You get trails, a beach, a visitor center, restrooms, drinking water and a view from the top of North Drumlin that makes the Boston skyline look like a postcard someone else paid for. According to the park's Spectacle page, it's also the only park island with a 1.5-mile perimeter trail that meets ADA guidelines, with wide, low-grade gravel paths.

Who it's for: first-timers, families, anyone with a stroller, and anyone who wants to be back in town for dinner. The ride from Long Wharf is about 30 minutes.

Georges Island and Fort Warren: the history one

Georges is smaller at 53 acres, but it has Fort Warren, a granite fort that started construction in 1833 and took nearly two decades to finish. By the time it was done it was nearly obsolete, so it became a training ground for Union soldiers during the Civil War, per the park's Georges page. You can walk the outside on paved paths and poke around inside, where there are narrow passages, thresholds and steep stone stairs.

Georges ferry service was suspended for water main repairs, and the state announced ferry service would return for 2026 starting May 15. The catch for fall planners: the posted 2026 schedule has Georges boats in spring and summer only. The fall timetable lists Spectacle and Peddocks, not Georges. If Fort Warren is your thing, circle late May through Labor Day next year.

The ride from Long Wharf is about 45 minutes. In summer, boats also ran to Georges from Hingham.

Peddocks Island: the big, quiet one

Peddocks is 210 acres, one of the largest islands in the park, and it feels like it. There are wooded trails, beaches, Fort Andrews (built at the start of the 1900s), a restored WWII-era chapel, and wildlife including deer and turkeys, per the park's Peddocks page. A few private residents still live on the island, so be a decent neighbor.

Peddocks is also where all the camping is in 2026. More on that below. The ferry leaves from Hingham and takes roughly 35 minutes. There is no direct boat from Boston.

Cathleen Stone Island (formerly Thompson)

Thompson Island now goes by Cathleen Stone Island. It's 170 acres of salt marsh, meadow and beach, and it's privately owned by an Outward Bound education center, with public access protected by a conservation restriction. The public ferry ran on most Saturdays and Sundays from May through September, leaving South Boston at 9 a.m. and returning at 1 p.m., with $20 round-trip adult tickets and free rides for kids 15 and under. The island's public access page says the 2026 season has ended. Put it on next summer's list.

Lovells, Grape and Bumpkin

Lovells used to be the beach-and-camping favorite. Right now the park's Lovells page says it's closed for facility maintenance, and the camping page says there's no camping on Bumpkin, Grape or Lovells this year.

Islands you can't visit

Long, Gallops, Moon, Little Brewster and The Graves are closed to the public, per the park's access and hours page. Several others, including Rainsford, Snake and the outer Brewsters, have limited access during bird-breeding season from April through August.

The ferry: where, when and how much

From Boston (Long Wharf)

Boats to Spectacle and Georges leave from Long Wharf North, 66 Long Wharf, next to Christopher Columbus Park. The closest T stop is Aquarium on the Blue Line. State and Haymarket also work. The park asks you to show up at least 20 minutes before departure, and the boats leave on time. They will not hold the ferry because you were finishing a coffee. If you want to walk the area first, our Wharf District walk starts beside the same wharf.

From Hingham

Peddocks boats leave from Hingham Shipyard, 28 Shipyard Drive. The park says parking there is free for island visitors who buy a ferry ticket. No car? The park's camping page points out that you can reach Hingham Shipyard by MBTA ferry from Boston, or by the 220 bus from Quincy Center on the Red Line.

What about Quincy?

There's no public island ferry from Quincy in 2026. Quincy folks have two decent options: take the 220 bus to Hingham Shipyard for the Peddocks boat, or skip the boat and visit one of the park's mainland sites. The park lists four mainland parks (Worlds End, Webb Memorial, Nut Island and Deer Island) that you can reach by car, bike or on foot. Nut Island is in Quincy.

2026 season dates

From the official ferry schedule:

• Spring: May 15 to June 14
• Summer: June 15 to Sept. 7
• Fall: Sept. 10 to Oct. 12

As of Oct. 8, here's what's left. Spectacle boats run Fridays through Sundays through Oct. 11, plus Monday, Oct. 12 (Indigenous Peoples' Day), the last day of the season. The fall schedule shows Long Wharf departures at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with boats back from the island at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Peddocks boats run Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 11, plus Oct. 12, leaving Hingham at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m., with the last boat off the island at 3:15 p.m.

Fares

The fare table on the park's schedule page is still labeled with last year's numbers, so treat these as a guide and confirm at checkout: $24.95 adults, $17.95 children, $22.95 seniors, $22.95 students and military, free for kids under 3, and a 5-ride pass for $100. Tickets are round trip and not timed, so you can take any ferry back. The park suggests budgeting at least four hours for the visit, ferry included.

How to pay less

• $5 weekend: the park's free and discounted access page says Spectacle tickets are $5 on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. Online reservations are open, and in-person tickets are first come, first served.
• Library passes: participating Boston-area libraries offer 50% off ferry tickets for up to four people.

For more ways to do the city on the cheap, see our free things to do in Boston guide. A Spectacle sunset trip also makes a solid entry on our cheap date night list, as long as you catch the return boat.

Camping on Peddocks

Peddocks is the only island with camping in 2026. The season runs June 17 to Oct. 12. Sites are open Wednesday through Saturday nights in summer, then Thursday through Saturday nights in fall, per the park's camping page.

• Tent sites hold up to 4 adults, or 2 adults and their dependent kids. Group sites hold up to 30.
• Yurts sleep up to 6 and have bunk beds and electricity. Electricity is for yurt campers only.
• Booking: reserve the site on ReserveAmerica first, up to four months ahead, then book the Hingham ferry right away, because ferry capacity is limited.
• Check-in is 1 to 7 p.m. Check-out is 11 a.m.
• Facilities: composting toilets and picnic tables at the sites. Running water and flush toilets are at the visitor center near the dock, about a 10-minute walk from most sites.
• Rules: no pets, fireworks, alcohol or amplified sound at the campgrounds. Beach fires must be below the high tide line and under three feet wide. No outside firewood.
• Bring everything, including your tent, charcoal and a trash bag. There's no store for the thing you forgot.

Campers get free overnight parking at Hingham Shipyard. Pick up a parking pass at the camping office.

What's open in fall and the off-season

Fall is a great time to go while it lasts: thinner crowds, better light. The islands run cooler than the mainland, so bring a layer. Ferries run rain or shine, though the park says they're occasionally canceled for rough seas.

After Oct. 12, public ferries stop until mid-May. According to the park's access page, most islands are still open dawn to dusk year-round, but you'd need your own boat, and there are no visitor centers, restrooms or drinking water outside ferry season. The park's FAQ also says off-season camping is possible with an off-season permit and your own transportation.

For the rest of us, the off-season move is the mainland parks. Worlds End in Hingham charges a small entrance fee, per the NPS fees page. Or stay on dry land and look at the islands from shore. Our South Boston walk runs from Broadway to Dorchester Heights, and the harbor views cost exactly zero dollars.

Food and what to bring

The park's food page says ZaZ, a Caribbean fusion spot, is the 2026 food concessioner on Spectacle and Georges, and the ferries to those islands sell light snacks and drinks. Luke's Lobster runs a shack at the park's Welcome Center on the Greenway, a short walk from Long Wharf, with posted hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Our tip: pack a picnic anyway. Island food stands keep their own hours, and late-season plans have a way of meeting closed windows. If you want a cheap lunch before the boat, our cheap eats in Boston list has a few picks a short walk from the wharf.

The packing list:

• Layers and a windbreaker, even in October.
• Water and snacks.
• Sunscreen and bug spray.
• A trash bag. The islands are carry-in, carry-out, and there are trash cans back at Long Wharf.

Leave the dog home. Pets aren't allowed on the ferry-served islands, though service dogs are. Leashed pets are fine at the four mainland sites.

A simple day plan

1. Grab coffee and walk to Long Wharf North by 10 a.m.
2. Take the 10:30 a.m. boat to Spectacle.
3. Walk up North Drumlin first, while you still have energy. Then do the perimeter loop.
4. Picnic on the beach side.
5. Catch the 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. boat back. Don't miss the last one.
6. Walk into the North End for a cannoli and pick a side in the Mike's vs. Modern fight.

Want more escapes once the island boats stop? Try our day trips from Boston by train, or browse things to do this week.

FAQ

Which Boston Harbor Island is best for a first visit?

Spectacle Island. It's the shortest ride from Long Wharf (about 30 minutes), it has a visitor center, restrooms, easy trails and the best skyline view in the park, and it's the only island with an ADA-compliant perimeter trail.

How much is the Boston Harbor Islands ferry?

The park's posted fares are $24.95 for adults, $17.95 for children, $22.95 for seniors, students and military, and free for kids under 3. Tickets are round trip. On Oct. 10 and 11, 2026, Spectacle tickets are $5.

When does the Harbor Islands ferry stop for the season?

Public ferry service ends Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. Boats return in mid-May. The 2026 season started May 15.

Can you camp on the Boston Harbor Islands?

Yes, but only on Peddocks Island in 2026. Book a tent site or yurt on ReserveAmerica, then book the ferry from Hingham. Camping isn't offered on Lovells, Grape or Bumpkin this year.

Can you visit the islands in winter?

Only by private boat. Most islands stay open dawn to dusk, but there's no public ferry and no services from mid-October to mid-May. The mainland sites, like Worlds End and Nut Island, are reachable by car, bike or on foot.

Sources

• Boston Harbor Islands: Ferry schedule and fares
• Boston Harbor Islands: Free and discounted access
• Boston Harbor Islands: Camping
• Boston Harbor Islands: Access and hours
• Boston Harbor Islands: FAQs
• Boston Harbor Islands: Food and drink
• Boston Harbor Islands: Spectacle Island
• Boston Harbor Islands: Georges Island
• Boston Harbor Islands: Peddocks Island
• Boston Harbor Islands: Lovells Island
• Cathleen Stone Island: Public access
• Mass.gov: Ferry service returns to Georges Island for 2026
• National Park Service: Plan your visit
• National Park Service: Fees and passes
• ReserveAmerica: Boston Harbor Islands camping

Prices, hours and schedules change. Tap through to the official source before you go, and if we got something wrong, tell us. We log every fix on our corrections page.