Boston Bike Paths to Explore!
Cyclists have had a complicated relationship with riding in Boston. Depending on where in the city/what town you live, there are places that will have a bike score of 99 like parts of Cambridge and Brookline, while there are parts that are dangerous especially for novice riders.
But don’t despair, the city and surrounding towns have recently been investing heavily in better infrastructure for cyclists. While we wait to see these developments turn into reality, there are dedicated bikeways to enjoy a leisurely ride through town. Check out our list below!
Arnold Arboretum
Enjoy a scenic ride gazing at the best nature has to offer! Arnold Arboretum, which is located in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, offers riders a 4.5-mile loop around North America’s oldest public arboretum.
Cyclists will have front row access to more than 1.3 million specimens belonging to the arboretum’s collection of trees, shrubs, and vines while on their bikes. This much nature in the city? Yes please!
Minuteman Bikeway
Next up is the Minuteman Bikeway. This 11-mile dedicated trail is a perfect ride for serious and amateur riders alike! The Minuteman Bikeway is a secluded trail that stretches from Arlington all the way up to Lexington. The bike path runs along an inactive railroad corridor. Just how cool is that?!
The commuter bikeway is collectively managed by the towns of Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge. As a result, resident cyclists and pedestrians are provided easy access to travel to subway and bus lines.
Southwest Corridor Park
For riders located south of the river, we have the Southwest Corridor Park. This park stretches for 4.1 miles from Back Bay all the way down to Forest Hills. This popular biking path connects the South End, Back Bay, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. During the summer, plenty of riders and commuters enjoy riding along this trail to and from the city.
Leisure riders can enjoy the various activity centers along the Southwest Corridor Park. This includes a couple of spray pools, several basketball and tennis courts, amphitheaters, hockey rinks and jogging paths. They can even extend the ride to the Arborway and the Emerald necklace easily.
Jamaicaway Bike Path
Another trail southern cyclists can enjoy is the Jamaicaway Bike Path. This 9-mile trail stretches from the southern end of Jamaica Pond to Leverett Pond. Enjoy taking a scenic route through Olmsted Park between these two ponds!
Additionally, this bike path is part of the bigger Emerald Necklace Bike Path. This bigger trail connects the Public Garden to Back Bay Fens, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park. This bike path is for serious cyclists who don’t mind biking on the street!
Charles River Bike Path
And to round out our list, we have the Charles River Bike Path (of course)! This 23-mile path will surely give you a new appreciation of the Charles. Stretching from the Museum of Science in Boston, this bike path crosses both sides of the river as far west as Waltham. With this path, you’ll be able to enjoy not just the scenic river views, but also a number of architecturally interesting bridges in Cambridge, Harvard and MIT, various green spaces, and many many more to list down!
Cut the ride short or extend through Waltham, there are several trailheads that can take you to different towns on the western suburbs of Boston. There are also several shorter unpaved trails that run parallel this route for those looking for a challenge!
Read more on Trailink: Charles River Bike Path
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