Mystic River and Alewife Brook paths
Photo: Karl Alexander

Mystic River and Alewife Brook paths

Paths along Alewife Brook and the Mystic River that link Alewife station with Medford Square and Assembly Row. People use them to ride or walk between the Minuteman Bikeway, the Red Line and the Orange Line, with river views much of the way.

Length
6.5 mi
river path
Surface
Mostly paved
Get on at
8 places
on the map

From Alewife station to Draw Seven Park

Parking at 2 of the 8 places to get on · See where

2 notices: Path through Blessing of the Bay Park closed to build the Shore Drive Greenway, a new 12-foot shared-use path, blessing of the Bay Park, Shore Drive, Somerville
Ride it as a roam Directions to Alewife station

Where to get on

Numbers match the list; P has parking.

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For Ride with GPS, Strava, Komoot or a bike computer.

  1. Alewife station, south end of the Alewife Brook Greenway

    The Minuteman Bikeway and the Fitchburg Cutoff Path meet here.

    Alewife (Red Line), about 0.2 mi.
    No parking at the reservation. DCR points drivers to the Alewife MBTA station lot.
    Directions

  2. Massachusetts Avenue crossing

    Cambridge and Arlington line.

    Route 77 bus on Mass Ave, about 0.1 mi.
    Directions

  3. Broadway crossing, near Dilboy Field

    Somerville side.

    Route 87 bus on Broadway. Routes 87, 88 and 89 at Clarendon Hill Busway, about 0.1 mi.
    Directions

  4. Mystic Valley Parkway, north end of the Alewife Brook Greenway

    Here Alewife Brook meets the Mystic River. There is a gap in the off-road path along Route 16 between here and Medford Square.

    Routes 80, 94 and 101 bus at Boston Ave and Mystic Valley Pkwy, about 0.2 mi.
    Directions

  5. Medford Square, Clippership Connector

    Paved path and boardwalk, opened in 2025, linking Medford Square to Riverbend Park.

    Routes 94, 95, 96 and 101 bus at Clippership Dr. Route 134 bus on Riverside Ave.
    Directions

  6. Torbert Macdonald Park, Medford

    Wellington Underpass construction under Route 28 is next to the park. Follow detour signs.

    Wellington (Orange Line), about 0.6 mi.
    Directions

  7. Shore Drive at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, Somerville

    The path through Blessing of the Bay Park is closed until spring 2027.

    Route 95 bus on Mystic Ave at Shore Dr, about 0.2 mi.
    DCR says the Blessing of the Bay Park parking lot stays open during construction.
    Directions

  8. Draw Seven Park, Somerville

    East end. The park closed for renovation in April 2025; Somerville planned to reopen it in spring 2026.

    Assembly (Orange Line), about 0.1 mi.
    Directions

Getting there

By transit
Alewife (Red Line) is at the south end. Assembly and Wellington (Orange Line) are near the east end. Buses 77 (Mass Ave), 87 (Broadway), 80 and 94 (Boston Ave) and the Medford Square buses (94, 95, 96, 101, 134) stop near the path.
Bike share

Near Alewife station, right now

  • Thorndike Field at Minuteman Bikeway3 min walk · 1 bike
  • Alewife MBTA at Steel Place4 min walk · 17 bikes

Near Draw Seven Park, right now

  • Assembly Square T3 min walk · 15 bikes
  • Encore4 min walk · 2 bikes
Parking
There is no parking at the Alewife Brook Reservation; DCR points drivers to the Alewife MBTA station lot.
More

The Blessing of the Bay Park lot in Somerville stays open during construction.

A roam on this trail

A roam is a self-guided route with stops along the way. The free Shift app checks you in at each stop, and you unlock a badge at the end.

The whole trail

Mystic River Greenway (Alewife to Medford)

Two rivers, two T stations, and 300 years of history between them

6.7 mi 41 minIn the Shift app

Get Shift, free. Follow a roam with turn-by-turn directions to each stop, and see closures on your trails before you go.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Keep going

The Mystic River and Alewife Brook paths join other paths and protected bike lanes. Pick a direction to see it on the map.

This trail Where you can keep going Other bike paths

About the Mystic River and Alewife Brook paths

Surface
Mostly paved. The Alewife Brook Greenway is part asphalt, part packed stone dust, with a wooden boardwalk near the Mystic River end. The Mystic River paths in Medford and Somerville are mostly paved, with a boardwalk on the Clippership Connector.
Rules
DCR lists the Alewife Brook Reservation as open sunrise to sunset and dog-friendly. DCR lists the Mystic River State Reservation as open dawn to dusk, year-round. DCR allows Class 1 e-bikes on paved DCR paths 8 feet wide or more. Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes are allowed only where cars are allowed or in DCR bike lanes.
Who looks after it
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Alewife Brook Reservation and Mystic River State Reservation
Also called
Mystic River paths, Alewife Brook Greenway, Alewife Greenway, Mystic River Reservation paths, Mystic Greenways, Clippership Connector

Notices

Work and changes along the trail, with the way around where there is one.

  • Path through Blessing of the Bay Park closed to build the Shore Drive Greenway, a new 12-foot shared-use path

    Blessing of the Bay Park, Shore Drive, Somerville

    The path should reopen in spring 2027, and the whole project should finish in summer 2027. There is no posted detour. The rest of the park and its parking lot stay open. During construction, bikes share the travel lane.

    Source

  • Wellington Underpass construction, a new boardwalk path under Route 28

    Mystic River at Route 28 (Fellsway), Medford, near Torbert Macdonald Park and Wellington station

    Expected to finish in spring 2028. Detour signs keep people on foot and bike moving along Route 28 and over the pedestrian bridge to Macdonald Park.

    Source

More about the trail

Where these facts come fromChecked Oct 19, 2026