Explore the Mystic Link Trail Network Through Boston Communities
A new trail network is connecting Massachusetts communities through experiential recreation. The Mystic Link Trail — which runs between Andover and Boston through North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, and…
Photo: Mystic Link Trail/Facebook
A new trail network is connecting Massachusetts communities through experiential recreation.
The Mystic Link Trail — which runs between Andover and Boston through North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, and Winchester — unites green spaces that are culturally, historically, or recreationally significant.
According to a Woburn Daily Times report, the trail is a spur of the 230-mile Bay Circuit Trail that curves around the city of Boston from Newburyport to Duxbury. A section of the Mystic Link Trail, the Mystic River Greenway, gives residents and visitors an accessible, safe route for biking, rollerblading, and walking from Winchester to Boston.
In its report, the Daily Times noted that the Mystic Greenways Initiative connects 25 miles of paths. These connections support the hundreds of acres of parklands and build bonds among thousands of community members from the Mystic Lakes to the Boston Harbor.
“Nature and green spaces should be accessible to everyone,” according to a statement by the Mystic River Watershed Association. “In reality, however, we know there are disparities in how nature's benefits are accessed and experienced. We're well on our way towards the Mystic Greenway vision — with a strong focus on addressing lack of access to greenspace in environmental justice communities within the watershed.”
As noted by the Daily Times, several projects involving construction and design will enhance the link between the recreation and transportation network along the Mystic. These projects include a new waterfront park with athletic fields and a shared-use pathway.
Additional initiatives involving the Mystic Link Trail include the following:
- Open-space improvements at Blessing of the Bay Park in Somerville, supported by a community-focused revitalization concept
- A community-supported effort to connect Charlestown residents to the Lower Mystic River
- A collaboration with community members to build a connected greenway and establish new parks along the Malden River in Medford, Malden, and Everett
- Construction of a harbor walk on Alford Street to tame coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge in the Mystic River
