Charles River Reservation
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Boston, Cambridge
The Charles River Reservation is 17 miles of linear
park with endless recreational opportunities. Whether your interest
is canoeing or ice skating, baseball or in-line skating, the Charles
River is a beautiful resource. Since 1893, the Metropolitan District
Commission has preserved the region's unique landscapes by acquiring
and protecting park lands, river corridors and coastal areas; reclaiming
and restoring abused and neglected sites, and setting aside areas
of great scenic beauty for the recreation and health of the region's
residents.
Charles River Dam
The Charles River Dam, located behind the Fleet Center, controls
the water level in the river basin. An earlier dam, located beneath
the Museum of Science,
was completed in 1910 with the purpose of creating a fresh water
river basin and river front park in Boston. The newly landscaped
banks of the river became known as the Charles River Esplanade.
The later dam, completed in 1978, houses six pumps that provide
flood control protection. The dam's lock system permits travel of
recreational craft from the river to the harbor year round. A fish
ladder allows for passage of anadromous fish (alewife herring, rainbow
smelt and shad) during the migration season in late spring. Regularly
scheduled tours are available. Call 617-727-1188 x445 for information.
Charles River Basin and Esplanade
Created ninety years ago from tidal marshes and mud flats, the Charles
River Basin was designed to provide city dwellers access to outstanding
river scenery and recreational opportunities on both water and land.
Though entirely designed—and in that sense artificial—the
Basin is also a wildlife habitat for hundreds of animal and plant
species that play a role in the ecology of the region and enrich
the experience of urban park users. Water quality in the once heavily
polluted Basin has improved dramatically in recent years, creating
better habitat for wildlife and attracting people back to the river.
The character of the Basin changes along this eight-and-one-half-mile
stretch, forming three discernible zones: the Lower
Basin, from the historic Charles River Dam to the Boston University
Bridge; the Middle Basin, from the BU Bridge to Herter Park, and
the Upper Basin,
from Herter Park to the Watertown Dam. The Lower Basin is two and
one-half miles long and up to two thousand feet wide. The panoramas
in the Lower Basin define the image of Boston and Cambridge. Sweeping
views of the skyline from the seawalls are captivating. The Longfellow
Bridge is a powerful presence in the Lower Basin, as are the slope
of Beacon Hill and the gold dome of the State House. Particular
park sections within the Reservation, such as Magazine Beach and
Herter Park, provide intensely used open space for the bordering
urban neighborhoods.
The Middle Basin is a zone of transition from urban and formal
to rural and natural. Parkways lining the Charles River Basin separate
it from contiguous open spaces. The largest open space is between
the Harvard University athletic fields on the south and Mt. Auburn
and Cambridge cemeteries on the north. Together, these areas form
a critical oasis for migrating birds.
The Esplanade went through a major expansion in 1928, widening
and lengthening the park land. These improvements were aided by
a one million dollar donation from Helen Osbourne Storrow, in memory
of her husband James. It was during this expansion that the first
lagoon was built, as well as the Music Oval, where a temporary bandshell
was placed. The summer of 1929 was the first year Arthur Fiedler
and the Boston Pops performed on the Esplanade. In 1941, the construction
of the Hatch Memorial Shell gave the Pops, and a wide range of other
artists and performers, a first class stage for popular summer events.
Half a million people attend the Boston Pops concert and fireworks
display held there every Independence Day. The Hatch Shell also
hosts more than seventy free public concerts and movies, and special
events—walkathons, races, and festivals such as Earth Day—draw
hundreds of thousands of additional spectators each year.
Another major change to the Esplanade began in 1949, with the construction
of Storrow Drive. To make up for park land lost to the new road,
additional islands were built along the the Esplanade. In the 1960's,
the Esplanade was linked to Herter Park in Brighton, and other upstream
parks, with the construction of the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike path.
This 18-mile loop travels along the entire basin on both the North
and South sides of the river, and makes it especially suitable for
road races, walkathons, biking, inline skating, and running.
Frederick Law Olmsted's 1889 design for Charlesbank included the
first outdoor gymnasium in the United States. Community Boating
was the country's first, and remains among the best, public boating
program. For a modest fee, thousands of people have learned to sail
on the Charles River. For those who prefer rowing, Community Rowing,
located at the Daly Rink on the Charles River in Brighton, offers
instruction to the public. For information about tours of the Esplanade,
please call 617-727-1188 x 445.
John F. Kennedy Park
The John F. Kennedy Park located on Memorial Drive in Cambridge,
is a memorial to the former President. This 5-acre site is landscaped
with plants that bloom at the time of the President's May birthday
and a memorial fountain. The park uses materials indigenous to New
England including native trees, and the granite for the foundation
and the entrance pillars which are inscribed with quotations from
the President's speeches.
Recreational Opportunities
Concerts, Rowing, Canoeing, Sailing, Rowing, Boat Ramp, Boat Tours, Playgrounds, Athletic Fields, Picnic Areas, Bike Paths, Tennis Courts, Swimming Pools, Skating Rink, Community Garden.
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