MINUTEMAN BIKEWAY LETTERBOX:
LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted:
May 25, 2002
Length:
Minuteman Bikeway; 10.5 miles.
Bedford to Letterbox; 3 ¼ miles.
Lexington
to Letterbox; ¾ mile.
Drive-by; ¼ mile.
Difficulty:
Easy. Flat, paved surface.
Directions:
To start in
Bedford
; From I-95, take exit 31B to Routes 4 & 225 (
Bedford Street
) northwest for 1.9 miles. Turn left down
Loomis Street
and follow to the intersection of
South Road
. On your left is where the trail begins along Bedford Depot Park. Cross over
South Road
to
Railroad Ave
and you’ll find the parking lot on your left behind the bike shop.
To start in
Lexington
; From I-95, take exit 31A to Routes 4 & 225 (
Bedford Street
) southeast for 1.7 miles. Turn left (after
Meriam Street
) at
Depot Square
and park in the municipal parking lot located straight ahead. Trail runs
parallel to the lot. For a Drive-by; before you reach Lexington
Green, turn left down
Camellia Pl
(next to the Lexington Fire Dept.) and park in the lot at the end. The trail is
through an opening in the fence. Turn left and see clues.
To start at Thorndike Field; From
I-95, take exit 29 to Route 2 east to Alewife. Take the exit for Routes 3
& 16 northeast. Turn left onto
Massachusetts Ave.
at the next intersection and continue for a ½ mile. Turn left on
Lake Street
and left on
Margaret Street
. The parking lot is located at the end of the road, next to the trail.
To start from Alewife T-Station; Take
Boston
's Red-Line to access this station. See; MBTA
for more information. For information about taking your bike on the subway. See;
MBTA/BIKES . From I-95,
take exit 29 to Route 2 east to Alewife. Take the exit for Alewife Station
Access Road and park at the T Station's parking garage.
The Minuteman Bikeway follows the
former route of a railroad line between
North Cambridge
and
Bedford
. Built in 1846 and extended in 1874, the rail line was finally discontinued in
1981. The bikeway was then constructed between 1991 and 1993. The 12 foot wide,
paved surface is divided by a yellow line for its entire length. Road crossings
are well marked with signs and crosswalks. For more information visit;
BEDFORD DEPOT
PARK or MINUTEMAN
BIKEWAY .
Starting
in
Bedford
, be sure to check out the old Bedford Depot Freight House, if it’s
open. It has information on the history of the railroad and also sells some
refreshments. Next to the Depot is an old Boston & Maine Railroad
passenger car. Across the street is a bike shop. Also from this point, you can
access the Bedford
Narrow Gauge Spur Letterbox. From
Bedford
, the trail has a slight uphill grade to
Lexington
and then a slight downhill grade to
Arlington
. As you start out you will immediately pass by the former Bedford Railroad
Depot to your left. After a ¼ mile, note the two old Whistle stop
markers with the yellow wood attached to them. After a few road crossings you
will pass beneath some power lines and come to a large swamp. Two miles takes
you over I-95 via an old railroad trestle. After 3 ¼ miles, spot a
grassy area on your left with a long granite bench suspended between two rocks.
Another rock has a memorial dedicated to Albert Lester. To the left is a small
path through the woods. Go up the path to a sign that reads "
Lexington
Conservation
Land
" and look to your left (This sign has
been reported as missing, only a post left).
You’ll see three large Maple trees in a row. Behind the third tree, under some
logs is the Minuteman Bikeway Letterbox. This is close to the bike trail,
so please be discreet. Continuing along the trail, at the 4 mile mark you will
enter
Lexington
Center
and pass by a
Visitors
Center
and the old Lexington Depot. The Depot is currently undergoing some
restoration and plans call for converting the old "ticket windows" for
use selling drinks and snacks to trail users. A parking lot is located here.
Note;
You can take a quick detour here to check out the historic sights, such as Lexington
Common, the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War. There
are also shops and restaurants. The
Visitors
Center
has restrooms and a very large Cooper Beech tree out front. You can also access
the Battle Road Trail from here by taking
Mass. Ave west
. See; Battle
Road Trail Letterbox .
Continuing
along the trail, at the 6 mile mark you hit the
Arlington
town line. The trail is all newly paved from here to Alewife. There is a
trailside bike shop/snack bar at 8 miles. After 9 miles you reach
Arlington
Center
, where the trail takes a detour through town via two crosswalks. The railroad
used to cross the street at this point and they have preserved some of the old
tracks in a small park. Shops and restaurants here as well. From the end of the
trail, turn right up
Mystic Street
and cross over
Mass Ave
via the cross-walk. Turn left and cross the street again, following alongside
Mass Ave. Keep an eye to your right to spot where the paved trail picks up again
near some park benches. There is a large sign over the trail entrance. Another
½ mile will bring you past Spy Pond on your right. You then come to
Thorndike Field after about 10 miles and a parking lot. Another ½ mile will
bring you to the Alewife T Station, a stop on the commuter rail line into
Boston
. There is a green sign showing the various bike routes and mileages from this
point.
Alewife
T Station, a stop on the commuter rail line into
Boston
is a hub for four trails that radiate from it, as well as, another proposed
future trail. From the northwest, the Minuteman Trail terminates here.
Head south for the Fresh Pond Trail. See; Fresh
Pond Letterbox and a future spur from Fresh Pond that
will connect to the Charles River Bikeway called the Watertown Branch
Rail Trail. See; Watertown
Branch Rail Trail .West takes you along the Fitchburg Cutoff,
a short trail that is part of the larger Mass Central Rail Trail and
still a work in progress. See; Fitchburg
Cutoff . East takes you along the Red Line Linear Path which
turns into the Somerville Community Path, both of which are part of the
larger Mass Central Rail Trail. See;
Somerville Community Path . A proposed trail heading northeast called
the Alewife Brook Trail would connect to the
Mystic
River
and the Mystic River Paths. See; Mystic
River Paths .
HH
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MINUTEMAN LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
JULY 19, 2009
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
CLICK HERE
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING
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