There are 34 distinct places in the park, each with its own name: These are the islands and peninsulas that comprise Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Each of these places has a natural environment, combined with an overlay of cultural features, that give it its character. The natural environment is described in "
Natural Features & Ecosystems."
Structures have been built on many islands. On most of the larger islands, people have changed the land over time. Some sites are valued because of long use by people; others for the evidence of past use that they hold. The places in the cultural environment of the Boston Harbor islands are described in the sections linked above:
"Island Facts" presents the size, location, managing agency, facilities, natural history, historical sketch...and more for each island in the park.
