A few weeks ago, somebody from my neighborhood Facebook group asked fellow Jamaica Plain residents about which playgrounds remained illuminated after dark. Her perspective: it’s 5pm on a Wednesday night, the kids still have some Gremlin energy to burn off, and there’s a swing set just a few blocks away. Unfortunately, in Boston and New England, most of our municipal recreation facilities shut down as soon as the sun sets, with minimal after-hours lighting during the winter months. It feels like something out of a Hawthorne novel—the implication that with darkness comes the impetus to scurry back indoors, away from the unseen evils of the night.
I believe that I speak for most of us when I say to hell with that, dogs. TO HELL.
Nighttime might not be the most intuitive window for playing outside, but with a little preparation, precaution, and bravery, getting into the field after dark is one of the most enlivening and strangely nourishing things you can do for the next few months. And that’s why this week, as we stare into the gaping black maw of January, February, and March of 2024, it’s time to talk about the overlooked and ethereal art of Night Hiking.