Great Blue Hill
Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet (194 m) located within the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Randolph and Canton, Massachusetts, about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Boston. It is the highest point in Norfolk County and the Greater Boston area.
| Great Blue Hill | |
|---|---|
View of Great Blue Hill from neighbouring Signal Hill | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 635 ft (193.5 m) |
| Prominence | 483 ft (147 m) |
| Coordinates | 42°12′43″N 71°06′56″W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Norfolk County, Massachusetts |
| Parent range | Blue Hills |
| Topo map | USGS Norwood |
The modern name for the hill was given by early English colonists who, while sailing along the coastline, noticed the bluish hue of the exposed granite faces when viewed from a distance (due to Riebeckite). The Blue Hills' eastern slopes face the ocean and lie within Quincy. The area once attracted quarrying for its "blue granite".
Great Blue Hill was a point of reference for the Indians, and the local tribe were known as the "people at the large hill" (Massachuseuck). The English called them the Massachusetts, which ultimately became the name of the state.