This is one of those surreal city places that transports you instantly from the modern urban world to a nice slice of nature. Access to the Hammond Pond Reservation is from a parking lot next to the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center, but once you’re in the reservation you’ll feel far away from the shoppers.

The pond, while quite large, is not much deeper than 4 feet at its deepest point. The trail around the pond is a magnet for families and dog walkers. The outcroppings of Roxbury Puddingstone are irresistible to rock climbers and are just feet away from the parking lot. Serious climbers bring all the requisite gear, but kids will find plenty of places to climb around. Puddingstone, used in many nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century buildings in Boston, happens to be the official rock of Massachusetts.

Remember: Keep your dog on a leash and clean up after it.

For families pushing strollers or looking for less shade and more sun, the Chestnut Hill Reservation (Trip 20) is minutes away.

Restaurants are along MA 9, as well as in the mall.