EMERALD NECKLACE GREENWAY:

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Planted:                NO LETTERBOX PLANTED AT THIS TIME                          

Length:                 Charles River Bikeway to Franklin Park entrance; 5.7 miles                          

Difficulty:             Easy. Flat, paved trail.

Directions:

You can access this trail from the north via the Charles River Bikeway or from the south via the Southwest Corridor Greenway as well as Franklin Park and Arnold Arboretum. See links for directions;   Charles River Bikeway Letterbox  ,  Southwest Corridor Greenway Letterbox  ,   Franklin Park Letterbox  ,   Arnold Arboretum Letterbox  . There are some small parking lots located in Olmstead Park along Pond Ave. You may also access this trail from the subways Orange Line via the Forest Hills Station. See; MBTA . Bikes are allowed on the Orange , Blue and Red Lines all day on weekends. For more information about taking your bike on the subway visit;  MBTA-BIKE  .

Completed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1895, the 6 mile long Emerald Necklace was the first linear park to be constructed in this country. The Emerald Necklace is comprised of a series of parklands and vehicular parkways, which are linked by the wetland resources of the Muddy River . The five major parts of the system include the Back Bay Fens, Muddy River Improvement, Jamaica Park , Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park , and their connecting parkways (Fenway, Riverway, Jamaicaway and Arborway). The Emerald Necklace is the only remaining intact linear park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. , America ’s first landscape architect. As such, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Green and open spaces, rivers and ponds, and a wealth and diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers, wildlife habitat, riparian life, bridges and other structures make up this urban jewel. It took civic visionary Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903) almost twenty years (1878-1896) to create the six parks now known as the Emerald Necklace. The Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmsted Park , Jamaica Park, Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park stretch five miles from the Charles River to Dorchester and make up over 1,000 acres of parkland. For more information visit;  EMERALD NECKLACE .

Starting from the Charles River Bike Path; take the ramp up to the top of the Mass Ave Bridge and head left into Boston . Sidewalks are available. Turn right down Beacon Street and pass below the Ipswich Street overpass. Turn left along Charlesgate West and follow it as it takes you up a ramp to Ipswich Street . Cross over I-90 and the rail line and you’ll come to a split in the road. Use the cross-walk to get to the stone bridge abutment overlooking the Muddy River below. This is about a ½ mile trip. Paved trails follow the Muddy River south on both sides from here through Back Bay Fens Park. I chose the western path, which is to your right as you look down on the river, as there is more to see along the way. Pass by a brown sign that reads “ Emerald Necklace-Back Bay Fens-1879”. These signs appear every time you enter a different portion of the greenway. You immediately encounter the community gardens, with trails meandering throughout them; however, they all bring you back to the main trail which runs alongside Park Drive . You come to your first road crossing, Agassiz Road , at 0.8 miles. Like most of the road crossings, a bridge traverses the river, allowing you access to the opposite side of the greenway. I continued along Park Drive . Next, I turned left away from Park Drive , so I could check out a Veterans Memorial. This then took me past a pedestrian bridge that crossed the river at 1 mile. I followed the trail right past the Rose Garden, which brought me to Clemente Field.  Wide open ball fields and basketball courts occupy this area. The trail splits, with another pedestrian bridge crossing the river. I followed the trail behind the bleachers, which took me around the ball field and back alongside Park Drive . Another road crossing, whose bridge takes you over to Fenway (the road that travels the eastern side of the greenway). I continued along Park Drive , where the river is briefly diverted underground. The trail then crosses Brookline Ave at 1.7 miles, where the river is again diverted under a large open medium. Continue along Park Drive , which you need to cross to access the sidewalk, as there is not really a trail through the medium. Here the trail and river turn left.

Note; You have two choices. You may head up Park Drive and access the paved trail on the left before you cross over the rail line or do what I did and access the stone-dust trail that runs alongside Riverway, across the medium. At the entrance is another Emerald Necklace sign reading “Riverway-1890”.

I preferred this side of the river because it brings you to an old stone stairway and stone pavilion along the left. A pedestrian bridge on your right will then take you over the river to the paved trail, where the rail line runs alongside behind an embankment. Whichever side of the river you decide to continue on, you’ll next pass under a stone arched bridge for Longwood Ave at 2 ¼ miles. When you reach Netherlands Road , if you’re on the stone-dust trail, you’ll want to cross over to the paved trail, as it’s just a dirt path alongside Riverway. The next major road crossing is Brookline Ave at 3 miles. However, you’ll need to turn right, using the cross-walk, to access a cross-light that will take you over this busy road. Turn right when you reach the other side. The next road crossing takes you on a dirt trail, alongside River Road . This non-paved section is very brief as it ends at Washington Street . Again, there is no cross-walk here to continue the trail across this very busy road, so you need to detour to the right to access a cross-light. After you’ve continued along the other side, the trail then crosses over the entrance to Jamaicaway.

Note; Again the trail splits with the left branch taking you alongside Jamaicaway and the right branch heading alongside Pond Ave. I continued alongside Pond Ave.

The trail divides; left for pedestrians and right for bikes. An Emerald Necklace sign here reads “Olmstead Park-1891”. A small parking lot is available here. The wide, paved trail runs alongside Leverett Pond and passes by old stone bridges and walls. You’ll pass by another small parking lot at 4 miles where the split trails combine as you head uphill to Perkins Street . Across this street is an entrance to Jamaica Pond. However, the 1 ½ mile trail that encircles the pond does not allow bikes. Instead, you need to turn left and travel along Perkins Street (a wide sidewalk or bike lane is available) to Jamaicaway, where you then head right. An Emerald Necklace sign here reads “Jamaica Pond-1892”. Jamaica Pond, Boston ’s largest freshwater pond, is over 50 feet deep and is fed by natural springs. Again the trail splits with a pedestrian path heading right down towards the pond and a bike trail left that takes you alongside Jamaicaway. You come to the Jamaica Pond Boat House at 4.3 miles, with an adjoining band stand overlooking the pond. Built in 1910, the Boat House contains a restroom, refreshments and information. The two trails briefly combine and then split with the pedestrian path heading right along the pond and the bike trail heading left. Cross over Prince Street and head left around the rotary. A sign in the medium will read “Arborway”. Continue south along Arborway, where there is a wide shoulder for bikes (the sidewalk here is so-so). There are green signs for Arnold Arboretum along the route. Spy a house on your right that looks like a Tudor castle at 4.8 miles. Arborway consists of a two lane road in the middle and one-way streets running along either side. You come to another rotary. There are cross-walks that will lead you around the rotary and back alongside Arborway. Just follow the green Arnold Arboretum signs. The sidewalk here is nice and wide. You come to the Emerald Necklace-Arborway Gate-1872 entrance to Arnold Arboretum at 5.1 miles. See;  Arnold Arboretum Letterbox  for clues and directions. Continuing past this gate, the sidewalk follows alongside a stone wall separating you from the arboretum. Next you come to the Forest Hills Gate entrance and follow alongside a large stone wall as the Arborway becomes an elevated road. This brings you down to South Street at 5 ¼ miles. Across the street is the Forest Hills T-Station. Right takes you to the Washington Street Gate entrance (See; Southwest Corridor Greenway Letterbox) or cross the street and head left over two sets of old track to the Forest Hills T-Station map board. From the map board, a cross-walk takes you left to the start of the Southwest Corridor Greenway. See;  Southwest Corridor Greenway Letterbox for clues and directions. Turn right and travel along the sidewalk, crossing over Washington Street , where you’ll come to a green Southwest Corridor Park sign. The elevated highway is now on your right as you follow this trail to Forest Hills Street at 5.7 miles. A rotary is on your right. You can enter Franklin Park from two directions. You can turn left down Forest Hills Street and enter the park from a paved trail that comes down from the right or you can cross over Forest Hills Street and turn left at the park entrance. See; Franklin Park Letterbox  for clues and directions.

HH

CLICK HERE FOR EMERALD NECKLACE GREENWAY MAP

CLICK HERE FOR BOSTON BIKE MAP 

BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE

WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER

BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING

HOME PAGE