Great Places to Ride in the Boston Area

This partially paved trail is family-friendly and runs the length of the Battle Road Unit of Minute Man National Historical Park. It passes by many historical buildings. Accessibility: There is one designated accessible space in the paved parking lot off of Lexington Road at the west end of the trail. It is van-accessible with a striped access aisle. The trail surface is pavement (with partial edge barriers), gravel, or a natural surface, and typically at least 4 feet wide. The estimated grade is mostly gentle (5% or less) except for moderately steep (5-8%) sections at about 1.0 miles uphill and 4.4 miles uphill when going eastbound. Hikers using wheelchairs/mobility equipment or strollers may need assistance in the steeper sections or to avoid them for safety. All-terrain tires or motorized equipment may be needed for the surface type and grade. There are benches and picnic tables along the route for resting. According to the park website, there are wheelchair-accessible bathrooms in the park and the Minute Man and North Bridge Visitor Centers are wheelchair-accessible.

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a 11.6 mile heavily trafficked point-to-point trail located near Lowell, Massachusetts that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking, running, nature trips, and road biking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Charles River Reservation Full Bike Loop is a 27.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Cambridge, Massachusetts that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail.

Danvers Rail Trail is a 7.1 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Hathorne, Massachusetts that features a great forest setting and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking, running, and road biking. Dogs are also able to use this trail.

Mary Cummings Park is a 210-acre public park in Woburn and Burlington, Massachusetts located at Babylon and Whispering Hills. The former farm and estate became a park managed by the City of Boston's Park Department in 1930.

Wayland to Weston Station is a 4.5 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Wayland, Massachusetts that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and road biking and is best used from March until December. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a historical route through the opening salvos of the American Revolution. The rail-trail roughly traces Paul Revere’s midnight ride in April 1775 to warn local militias about advancing British troops. Today, it connects a rapid transit station in Cambridge with Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford.

The Mystic River Greenway is part of the Mystic Greenways trail system, which also includes the Wellington Greenway and the Malden River Greenway. When completed, the trail will connect the Charlestown Waterfront to Arlington and Cambridge. There are also plans to build a bridge over the Mystic River at Draw Seven Park, connecting the trail to the Malden River Greenway.

The Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality experience.

The Northern Strand Trail starts as a paved trail in Everett, is briefly gravel in Revere, and is now freshly paved from Saugus to Lynn. The trail in Lynn begins as one trail from the Saugus Line, following an abandoned railroad line, but then splits near Market Basket into separate trails. One will continue as a separated on-road bike lane from Market Basket running along South Common Street into downtown Lynn. The other, The Community Path of Lynn, will continue along the abandoned railroad bed to Bennett St. A fully paved and accessible “all ages and abilities” path going all the way to Nahant Beach should be complete by 2024.

The Southwest Corridor Park (Pierre Lallement Bike Path) knits together neighborhoods in southern Boston from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain. Popular as a route for commuters as well as casual walkers, runners, and cyclists, the 52-acre linear park passes skyscrapers, established residential areas, and community gardens.

The Reformatory Branch Trail connects the historical towns of Bedford and Concord along a nearly 4-mile dirt path through wildlife refuges that ends a short distance from the North Bridge, the location of “the shot heard round the world”, where the patriot militia stood down British soldiers in 1775.

Nashua River Rail Trail (from Ayer to Nashua) is a 12.2 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Ayer, Massachusetts that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway may not be very long, but it's jam-packed with attractions. Along the paved pathway, you can access five parks, be wowed by public art, stop to smell the flowers in trailside gardens, ride a carousel, and visit historical landmarks like the Paul Revere House. There's even a zipline rising 220 feet above the trail!

The Tri-Community Greenway follows the route of the Boston and Lowell Railroad and its Stoneham Branch, originally built to serve Stoneham’s shoe factories and provide passenger service. The trail begins at Wedgemere station, which serves a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail line.

The Upper Falls Greenway is a short rail-trail that cuts through the charming village of Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the same former rail corridor as the developing Bay Colony Rail Trail farther southwest, and long-term plans call for the eventual extension of the Upper Falls Greenway over the Charles River to meet that trail in Needham.