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    Charles River Esplanade

    4.6 (55 reviews)
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    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    Taken from the Longfellow Bridge in Summer
    Joseph L.

    I love to ride my bike around the Charles River and my usual route would be riding through the Esplanade, cross over the Harvard Bridge, ride through Memorial Drive, then back to the Esplanade through the Longfellow bridge. The whole ride takes about 30 minutes and is great for exercising and taking in fresh air with a beautiful view. I took the first picture during my morning ride and stopped to watch the sunrise over a part of Boston. There are benches along the memorial drive, so it is a great place to rest and take some beautiful pictures of the city.

    Sunset at Charles River Esplanade
    Bichen Z.

    I saw other reviewers mentioned the iconic view of sunrise. Here I wanted to add the sunset at Charles River is breathtaking too. The trail is a well maintained for walking, cycling, and jogging. Compared to other trains near pond and lakes, the pest control is awesome. Although the free parking is a little bit competitive, the plenty meters and parking garage near Boston common may release the pain of parking.

    Joe B.

    Gorgeous walk, safe path for bikers, joggers, strollers, even patrolled by Boston police so you're safe. Grab a nice sunrise! Iconic views.

    Kayaking on the Charles
    Ellen K.

    An expansive river that spans 80 miles. I wouldn't recommend swimming in it, but there are plenty of boating activities available for those who are interested. It's great to jog/run along the river as there are walking and biking paths all around it. The river is also a great place to see the Boston skyline and even catch the stunning sunrise.

    Ernest G.

    I was fortunate to take a break from work with a dinner cruise on the Charles river. Nothing like exploring a town on the river with fresh air and beautiful views! The ride was nice and smooth. There were many kids on their boats practicing and racing each other. The night brought on many cool night views with reflections off the water. Perfect place to relax!

    Crossing the bridge to the Charles river
    Tien V.

    The Charles river so I've heard, is a man made long river that stretches across the city. I've heard many scary things from a Boston native friend about people finding dead bodies here and killers roaming around the river at night finding men in particular. I was afraid to visit here at night but ended up here with friends somehow despite being so afraid. Hehe After all, I wouldn't know for sure any way if it was true ;( I'm glad I decided to go because it is so beautiful at night. We walked through the park across to the river and ended up chilling on a wooden deck above the water. People were sitting and chilling with their friends while looking at stars and the moon. It was beautiful indeed! The tall buildings reflected against the water and it was truly a romantic sight! We probably laid on the deck for hours just looking at the stars. Pictures are not enough, you have to be there to actually get a sense of how peaceful it is.

    Donna M.

    I walked from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park across Memorial Drive to the Charles River. Canoes & Kayaks were gliding silently & effortlessly over the water on a beautiful 75-degree afternoon. Enjoyed a long walk on the riverside path, admiring the old Cambridge buildings & lovely old trees. I tried to imagine the beauty of the Autumn & Winter scenery . . .

    Carmen Y.

    What a beautiful scenic route. I went running here the day before the Boston marathon. It has a nice running and biking path along the river. It's very accessible as there are several connecting bridges to the path. It is clean and also has some exercise stops. Great place to enjoy a nice walk or run. Close to MIT, BU, etc. You can also see BU sail team practicing while sitting on the grass.

    Winter @ Charles river
    Steph L.

    The perfect spot to catch the sunset, have a picnic, read a book, ride a bike, etc.. It can get busy during the summer months, especially if there are any concerts. If you have some spare time and would like to enjoy a beautiful view of the city, this is the place to go!

    Charles River, across highway from Micro Center and Trader Joe's, Cambridge, MA, September 2, 2014.

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    12 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Beautiful place for a picnic or to just relax. The sailboats are so wonderful to sit and watch quietly sail by. just fabulous!

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    12 years ago

    Pedal boats, kayaks, and sails! This is such an awesome river! I always make it a point to visit Charles River when I visit Boston.

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    13 years ago

    Safe, beautiful and incredibly relaxing during the spring and fall. Definitely a nice place to spend an afternoon.

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    If your looking for extra baby diapers, and getting a fungal infection, then the Charles river is the place to go kayaking in....

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Charles River Esplanade

    Review Highlights - Charles River Esplanade

    For out of towners, Memorial drive skirts the Cambridge side of the river, and Storrow is on the Boston side.

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    The Esplanade - Nighttime

    The Esplanade

    4.8(99 reviews)
    0.1 miBeacon Hill

    The Esplanade was a revelation, one of the highlights of my trip to Boston!…read more We took the T-red, got off Charles/MGH and it was a short walk to the Esplanade, a few miles alongside Charles Rivers with beautiful views of the river, wild life, the bridge and the city! We went on a Saturday morning, locals were walking, jogging, sitting on a bench drinking their coffee. Teams were out in the water roving, a nice visual Boston cliche that you see in movies, but I got to see for real. You can walk for miles here, till you get to the BU Bridge in parallel with the beautiful houses of Beacon Hill. Nice nature, cute bridges, birds, peaceful spots to stop by and look at the water, enjoy a book or a coffee. Nice locals offered to take our photos and we enjoyed chatted with. Beautiful sculptures, clean restrooms, lots of greenery. Great spot for a picnic also. I am sure it's pretty here at sunset. I am sure they have events here as well. My husband regrets not knowing about it. He went to Boston University and walked the BU Beach and the Bridge, but wasn't aware of this part. He would have loved to come here for peaceful walks and some reading. We didn't want to leave. A must see place in Boston!

    " Definitely come " Been coming here since I was a kid . I…read moredefinitely recommend coming here . If visiting and especially if you live in Boston . Parking is very difficult. You can google how to transport by public transit. Or google a parking lot but it will be pricey.

    Photos
    The Esplanade
    The Esplanade
    The Esplanade - 7/23/2024

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    7/23/2024

    Boston Common - At Boston Commons

    Boston Common

    4.4(555 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Boston common is a gorgeous green space that I have had the pleasure of visiting multiple times…read morenow. That's a good thing too because there is so much space and so much to see here that it can definitely take more than one visit to appreciate its beauty and all that it has to offer. It's known as the oldest public park in the United States and I personally love the way that it's laid out. I wish they still made parks like this. There are wide open lawns with winding paths, people sitting on benches or enjoying picnics on the grass with their dogs. I have seen large events here and even performers as well as family barbecues and groups of people just gathering to spend time together outside. It's nice to just be in this beautiful green space surrounded by the city skyline and historic buildings. I can really sit here and appreciate that I'm in an important City but also feel like I have this little bubble of an oasis surrounding me and keeping everything calm. It's just a nice place to exist and enjoy nature for a bit and it also connects to the Boston public garden which is another gorgeous space for just enjoying nature. It's unfortunate that I have never been able to stop here when I have had my dog with me on a trip through the city because I know she would love visiting this park. Who wouldn't?

    This review is separate from the Boston Public Gardens which is just across the street and pretty…read moremuch connected. Boston Commons is a normal urban park in some ways with a playground for kids, a pond, park benches, a carousel, baseball stadium, and food vendors. It's also part historic park with monuments including one of the 54th Civil War all black regiment, a plaque saying this is the oldest park in America and others. It's also a part of the Freedom Trail. There's also a small cemetery in the park. The park is both busy and relaxing. It's smaller than I expected but that may just be because it felt like I went through it quickly. Time flies when you are having fun so maybe distance does too. Boston Commons is a must stop on any trip to Boston.

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    Boston Common - We need Love

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    Boston Common - 7.4.2024

    7.4.2024

    Boston Common

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    Boston Public Garden - 7.4.2025

    Boston Public Garden

    4.8(471 reviews)
    0.3 miBack Bay

    Maybe it was the springtime weather, but this is the prettiest free park that I have ever been to…read more It's directly across the street from Boston Commons so it feels like 1 park but since they had separate signs and had a public street between them, I will treat it as 2. This place is landscaped amazingly with perfectly manicured shrubs, tons of beautiful flowers, interesting statues/monuments and fields for frolicking. Do people still frolic? There were tons of high school and college student taking graduation pics here which makes a ton of sense. There were duck boats to ride around the pond, but it looked like 10-15 people were on the boats and you can't exactly go far. This place doesn't need words. It needs pictures or better yet the human eye. So, grab a picnic basket, enjoy a nice lunch, take a walk around the park but be aware of the thieving squirrels. I had one run up my leg on a park bench to steal my cookie.

    If you've looked up things to see in Boston the Public Garden will most likely be on every list and…read morewith good reason. This is a beautiful garden, nice walkway throughout the area and the garden is right between the Commonwealth Ave Mall & Boston Commons. It's in a great location to do a lot of walking and sightseeing in the city, easy was to spend an hour or so.

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    Boston Public Garden
    Boston Public Garden - George Washington statue - my first time seeing tulips IRL!! Stunning! (April 2025)

    George Washington statue - my first time seeing tulips IRL!! Stunning! (April 2025)

    Boston Public Garden - Make Way for Ducklings

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    Make Way for Ducklings

    Charles River Esplanade - parks - Updated May 2026

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