SOUTH BAY HARBOR TRAIL:

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Last Updated:       2008                            

Length:                 South Bay Harbor Trail; 2 miles                            

Difficulty:             Easy. Flat, paved trail.

Directions:

This is primarily a connector trail between the Southwest Corridor Greenway from Ruggles Street T-Station to the Boston HarboWalk at Fort Point Channel Walk. See;  Southwest Corridor Greenway  or  Boston HarborWalk; JKF Letterbox  for directions from these trails. You may access this trail from the Ruggles Station along the Boston subways Orange Line. For more information about taking your bike on the subway visit; MBTA-BIKE .

The South Bay Harbor Trail is a path and recreation area that connects diverse Boston neighborhoods ­Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, South Boston, and Fort Point Channel ­ to each other and to the expanding amenities of Boston Harbor. The South Bay Harbor Trail  provides an important link in the larger transportation network by connecting  the Southwest Corridor Greenway from Ruggles Street T-Station to the Fort Point Channel Walk (part of the Boston HarborWalk). Note; The South Bay Harbor Trail includes the Melnea Cass Bike Path, which is sometimes referred to separately. I refer to the South Bay Harbor Trail as running from Ruggles Station (along the Southwest Corridor Greenway) to the start of the Fort Point Channel Walk (part of the Boston HarborWalk). Other sites include the channel walk as part of this trail or refer to the Melnea Cass Bike Path as a separate path. For more information visit;  SOUTH BAY TRAIL .

Starting from the Ruggles Street T-Station; The Southwest Corridor Greenway passes along the east side of this station, next to a parking garage and comes to Melnea Cass Blvd. Cross this Blvd. and take a right along the start of the trail as it travels alongside the Melnea Cass Blvd. This section has some rough spots as it splits for bikes and pedestrians (sidewalk). There are green bike route signs indicating the trail. The trail crosses Washington Street at a ½ mile. Look left to spot the Jim Rice Fields at Ramsey Park and then the blue Boston Water & Sewer building with the large atrium. After crossing Albany Street, the trail briefly reverts to sidewalk, but soon brings you to a brand new split paved section with bike racks located along some eateries. This brings you to Mass Ave at 1 mile, where a cross-light takes you safely across. The trail again reverts to sidewalk as you continue alongside Melnea Cass Blvd. At 1.4 miles you approach the on/off ramps to I-93. Bear left along Frontage Road which then brings you to Albany Ave at 1.7 miles. Turn right and at the cross-light, pass beneath the interstate, using a second cross-light. Turn left and use a third cross-light over West 4th Street to follow the trail as it travels underneath the interstate along a wide cement sidewalk. This brings you to the Broadway Bridge at 2 miles, where you need to turn left to access a cross-light. This brings you to an extension of the Fort Point Channel Walk, part of the HarborWalk. 

You'll see a blue HarborWalk sign here with "Fort Point" on it. A small South Bay Park section goes along the channel here, but you need to cross over the Broadway Bridge for the HarborWalk. The bridge takes you first over the channel and then the rail yards for South Station Transportation Center. Take you’re first left after crossing the bridge and this will take you to Dorchester Ave and the entrance to Gillette headquarters at 2.4 miles.

Note; Straight takes you over the channel to a loop trail through Rolling Bridge Park, which contains benches, signboards and a big red painted arm of the Old Colony Railroad Bridge that formerly occupied the site. Plans call for the trail to continue along this side of the channel, but as of now, a gate blocks access by the USPS facility.

Instead, you need to take a right across the road and then a left past the guard house. This brings you to the southern side of the Fort Point Channel Walk. The trail travels alongside the channel until you come to the old Boston Wharf Company building at 2.9 miles. This building sits directly alongside the channel, but provides a corridor for you to pass through.

Note; If you are biking, you may wish to detour the next two sections which include stairs. Turn right and travel between the two brick buildings to Necco Street. Turn left and then left again along Melcher Street. This will bring you to Summer Street, where another left brings you to where the corridor exits the building via a set of stairs next to a sign that reads "Neighborhood Health Plan". Be sure to check out all the old brick buildings in this area. They all seem to have a different color brick and great moldings. Summer Street crosses over the channel, where you can access the South T-Station. Across Summer Street is the Channel Building, where stairs lead down to the walkway. Again, if biking you may wish to detour around this short section by turning right up Summer Street and then left along A Street which brings you to another left down Congress Street. This street also crosses over the channel.

Cross over Congress Street to a boardwalk that runs along the channel and takes you past the Children's Museum of Boston. Picnic tables and benches are located here. You then pass underneath Northern Ave, where the trail turns right and passes by the "Barking Crab", a great seafood stop. Take your next left, which will bring you to Old Northern Ave. Another left brings you to the Old Northern Ave Bridge, which is now a pedestrian bridge across the channel to downtown Boston and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The HarborWalk continues to the right along Fan Pier and the Moakley Courthouse as it travels along the Inner Harbor.  See;  Boston HarborWalk  for further directions and information.

HH

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