The Charles River Reservation: Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path

The Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path is an 18-mile loop from the Charles River Dam (Eastern point) to Watertown Square (western point) in the Charles River Reservation.  Despite the term "bicycle path," the path is as well-used by runners and walkers as it is by cyclists.

I will be breaking this up by sections as I walk it:

BU Bridge to Charles River Dam, Northern Shore.  This is a great walk.  It can get a bit crowded at times, as we are walking through a pretty major metropolitan area, but for a walk that includes people watching and fantastic views of Boston, this is the way to go.

More Info:

Map of the Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path

Mass DCR: Charles River Reservation

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Borderland State Park

I visited this place yesterday, March 8, 2012, and I am definitely a fan.  It was a great place to escape to from the city for a quiet walk in the woods.  It took me less than an hour to get there from Boston in light traffic, and the parking fee is a mere $2.  There is a Visitor Center at the Main Parking lot which is stocked with maps and has restrooms.

Borderland State Park boasts over 20 miles of hiking trails, including a section of the Bay Circuit Trail.  There is a Heart Healthy Trail, which is a 1.5 mile section of the 3-mile long Pond Loop Trail.  This Pond Loop Trail is flat and easy, comprised mainly of old unpaved farm roads.  Off-shooting from this main trail is a larger network of trails, where I spent most of my 3 hours and 3 minutes in the woods.  I completed 5.3 miles of trails, pausing to have a sandwich on a rock overlooking a pond about a mile in to my walk, although there was plenty of picnic area available at the main parking area.  I also lingered quite a bit with my camera, and plan to return to the park at a later date after some green appears to get some better shots of the quarry and the Ridge Trail. I found all of the trails to be extremely well-maintained, and in places where they were not well-marked, they were well-loved enough that it wasn't a problem.  There was an emergency exit to nearby homes off of the Quarry Loop Trail.  The terrain was hilly and rocky but not difficult, and I felt as though I was constantly on the verge of discovering a vista which never actually presented itself.

It should be noted that this place is loved by mountain bikers, and at least one trail is a designated biking trail.  There's also a lot of other attractions at this park, like an old mansion, disc golf, and fishing.

More Info:

 Mass DCR: Borderland State Park

Friends of Borderland State Park

Yelp Review of Borderland State Park

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Pope John Paul II Park

This was maybe the least exciting park ever.  There are some facilities that are nice: a playground, athletic field, and the walking path is paved.  It was not difficult to get in some steps here, as the path branches out to join the Neponset Trail, and well as the entire Harborwalk.  I do plan to come back through on a pass through this section of the Harborwalk.  Accessible via public transportation: I took the Red Line to Fields Corner and then hopped on the #202 bus.

View Massachusetts Heart Healthy Trails in a larger map

Chestnut Hill Reservoir

 

I visited this place on 2/22/12, and I am eager to go back.  It is easily accessible on the MBTA via the Green Line B to Reservoir or the Green Line C to Cleveland Circle.  The trail, which is not paved but extremely well-maintained, is a 1.5 mile loop around Chestnut Hill Reservoir and is one of Massachusetts Heart Healthy Trails.    

It is a well- visited park, the level of difficulty is Easy.  Nice view of Boston, and the old pump stations surrounding the reservoir provide a nice visual backdrop to the walk. 

More Info:

 Mass.gov Department of Conservation and Recreation: Chestnut Hill Reservoir.

Brighton Allston Historical Society 

Yelp Review- contains mainy photos. 

View Massachusetts Heart Healthy Trails in a larger map

Cutler Park

 

Great walk today.  The photo has been instagrammed, but it captures the almost creepy aura of the day: it was so cloudy that I thought it could rain at any moment, but there was never a single drop.

It was my first visit to Cutler Park in Needham/ Dedham.  Started at the North end of the park on the Kendrick Pond Loop (a Healthy Heart Trail) and then at .7 miles in to the loop, I veered off to the Blue Heron Trail.  Took that out for about a mile and a half and then headed back to complete the Kendrick Pond Loop.

         Total Mileage: 4.33 miles/ 10,710 steps/ Duration: 1hr., 51 min./ Pace: 25:40 per mile.


Would love to go back and complete the Blue Heron Trail, which at times required some light, easy hiking.  I'm not entirely sure how long the trail actually is.


 The trails were not paved but extremely well-maintained.  The Heart Healthy Trail is the Kendrick Pond Loop at the North End of the Park. 1.25 miles. Easy. Lots of workers from nearby business parks around. The Blue Heron Trail was also very nice and well-maintained. Well-marked. There was still enough local foot traffic to feel not alone, but there was some great quality escape from everything time.

The downloadable map from the DCR website: sort of helpful in orienting myself, but the number markers for path intersections seemed to be off or wrong or inaccurate.   The iPhone gave me an accurate pinspot of my location, and the Blue Heron trail was marked on the Google Map.  It should also be noted that there is a description on the park in Appalachian Mountain Club's book Massachusetts Trail Guide.


More info:

Mass.gov Department of Conservation and Recreation: Cutler Park

Newton Conservators: Cutler Park

View Massachusetts Heart Healthy Trails in a larger map