Auburndale Park

new england

The Charles really isn’t that long of a river. It travels west and slightly south about 30 miles to the quiet town of Hopkinton, MA, outside of the 95 belt in the Boston metro. Its mighty size close to Harvard is a little deceiving in this regard. The size of the river ebbs and flows quite drastically along its route when traveling upstream (if you are in Boston, downstream is, well, the ocean). One such park where you can observe this variation is Auburndale Park, a nice recreational area with an attached nature preserve. This area of the Charles is often called the Lakes District due to the backing up of the river into large pools after a dam installation, and was a popular vacation destination for Bostonians before cars became a major mode of transportation.

The park itself has a bit of variation in terms of visible foliage. Some areas are almost purely white pine. It’s unclear if this is the case because the park management clears the area for fishing and picnicking, or if there’s something unique about the soil composition. Other areas are quite dense with a variety of deciduous trees.

On the northern side of the park, known as Flowed Meadow, the area is highly residential and signs of the city blend into the natural landscape. Walk far enough and you will see a dumpster outside of the Riverwood Condominiums. I suspect this may have been where a raccoon I spotted was getting some free lunch. He was perched on a tree directly over the path and would not stop staring at me. In case he god forbid jumped on my head I took it as a sign to turn around and head the other direction!

The park snakes along the edge of the Charles as it winds into the historic watch city of Waltham. If you are wanting for views of the water you won’t be disappointed. The spot is very popular for fishing, and kayak launches are available up the street it you’d rather look out at the trees instead. The terrain across the park is extremely flat and great for casual nature walks. Look elsewhere if you are looking for a strenuous workout!

Auburndale Park features vehicle access with plenty of street parking. If public transit is more your thing, the park is about a 16 minute walk from the Auburndale commuter rail stop on the Framingham/Worcester line, and there are several bus routes that also come from downtown Boston.