Hikers on the proposed link between the Bay Circuit Tail and the Charles River Greenway take a break along the Charles River at St. Stephens Priory in Dover
The term networking has recently taken on broader significance for those interested in preserving and promoting recreational open space. On Sunday, October 19, Wellesley Trails, together with Natick Trails and the Bay Circuit Alliance, co-sponsored a 16-mile trek introducing a proposed link between two of the most important trail networks in eastern Massachusetts – the Charles River Greenway and the Bay Circuit Trail.
The connector starts at Cordingly Dam near Charles River Park at the Wellesley-Newton line. It then runs through Needham, Natick, Dover, and Medfield, where it meets the Bay Circuit Trail near Medfield State Hospital. Along most of its route the planned Charles River Link strings together woods and conservation lands, following foot and bridal paths and touching the Charles River at five scenic points.
Sunday’s event was the culmination of a well-coordinated year-long effort among local open space conservation and trails groups, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners. Despite soggy weather, the trek drew 45 enthusiastic hikers from 15 towns stretching from Andover to Hingham.
The Bay Circuit Trail connects parks, woodlands, and waterways through 50 towns along a broad arc reaching from Plum Island to Kingston on the south shore. Over 150 miles of the 200-mile greenbelt are completed. The Charles River Greenway follows the Charles River from Boston out to the western suburbs. The Division of Urban Parks and Recreation (formerly the MDC) is working on a Greenway extension along the upper basin of the Charles to Wellesley.
Published in Wellesley Townsman: 11/20/03
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