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Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway

Description | Ratings

Trail description: This prposed trail will wend it way through the "emerald necklace" of greenspaces in the western Boston region. About 150 miles of the estimated 200-mile circuit are completed. A few sections of the trail do not permit cycling. Many parts of the proposed trail are currently on roads.
Access fee: Some parks may require the purchase of a pass
Towns along the trail: The circuit passes through 21 towns
Web site: Bay Circuit Alliance | Borderland State Park
Trail map: Maps of the individual greenspaces can be purchased from the organizations that operate them. A description of the route is on the BCA website.
Trail surface: Varies
Designated activities: Bicycling (on certain sections), walking
Facilities on the trail:
Lodging: Boston has many hotels and other accommodations
Camping:
Bike shops: Boston has several bike stores
Weather forecast: Boston
Tourism info: Greater Boston Tourism Council | Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
Points of interest: Borderland State Park is a former estate covering 1,700 acres and 20 miles of trails.
Getting to the trail: The circuit can be accessed at many different parks and public lands.
Map of local region: Boston

Rate this section of trail

Number of ratings: 1
Average rating: 4.00  

Trail name: Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway
Times biking the trail: Several
Date of last visit: Sept, 2004
Sections that I biked: The whole thing
My favourite sections of the trail: Sherborn, Carlisle, Harld Rafton reservation, Deer Jump, along the Merrimac
Best time to go: July, August September
Trail marking: Poor
Trail maintenance: Poor
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: This is very hard biking. Not technical but full of mental anguish and hassles. it'll make you a man.
What I disliked: Its not a trail, Its short chunks of woods separated by long chunks of street.
Comments: Beaver Dams, washouts, food? What food, Bring yer own. poorly maintained and hardly visible. Easy to get lost major backtracking. Your lost without highly modified and studied maps. this will never be a trail. Great scenery along the way, if you don't die of frustration.
There are numerous gaps in the trail. Navigation is difficult without many versions of additional map sources besides the ones that the BSA can sell you. Many beaver dams wipe out large sections of the trail.
Many instances of vandalism of the "white hatch marks" and trail signage, especially in the Medfiled Walpole section--a sign of a lack of local support. On the north shore, getting through Lowell is torture. The killer is the large portion of the trail that is on road. Many miles of this trail are missing. How fun is it to walk down a state highway or into a private cul-de-sac?
My best suggestion is to visit the local state park system which this trail tries, and fails to connect. It is called the "outer Emerald necklace" but my experience is that it is a bunch of scattered beads without anything connecting them. Yes the "Jewels" are beautiful and genuinely hidden. You will meet almost no one on this trail and you can feel like you are in the wild at places like Trout brook reservation or the reservations in Acton, Bedford and Carlisle.
What worried me every time I was out there is that the markers are too far apart to be useful to those on foot. I think it is the cruelest thing to encourage people to use this place but leave open the very certain possibility that some will get lost and take the wrong path. The markings are absolutely terrible for long stretches of this trail.
Submitted by: G. Lamb
from: Holliston, MA
Date submitted: Sept 20, 2004