COCHITUATE RAIL TRAIL

COCHITUATE RAIL TRAIL:

FRAMINGHAM-NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS

-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-

Last Updated: June 08, 2026

Length: Cochituate Rail Trail; 3.5 miles

Carol Getchell Trail; 0.6 miles

Difficulty: Cochituate Rail Trail; Easy. Flat paved rail trail.

Carol Getchell Trail; Northern & Southern Sections; Easy. Stone-dust and boardwalk trail. Central Section; Moderate; Hard packed dirt, grass trail with tree root & rocks.

Directions:

To start from the Whitney Field at the Navy Yard parking lot in Natick [Southern End]; From the junction of Routes 9 & 27 in North Natick follow Route 27 south for 0.8 miles. Turn right on Washington Ave. The park is on your left.

The Cochituate Rail Trail follows the old Saxonville Branch rail line from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham Southeast, to an active Boston to Worcester commuter line in Natick Center. Built in 1846, the historic Saxonville Branch was used to construct the dam for Lake Cochituate, which supplied water to the City of Boston from 1848 to 1951. The line also serviced the textile mills of Saxonville until 1973. The Carol Getchell Trail was dedicated to the memory of Carol J. Getchell, who was the former principal of the Stapleton School and an early proponent of the trail. It travels alongside the Sudbury River and connects to the Weston Aqueduct Trail . See; COCHITUATE RAIL TRAIL; NATICK or FRIENDS OF SAXONVILLE for more information.

Starting from the MBTA Natick Station in Natick [Southern End];

Note; Future plans will continue the trail South, through West Natick.

The wide, paved Cochituate Rail Trail heads Northwest, below grade, traveling underneath Cochituate St. Informational signs all along the route. You'll pass by the first of several cement RR Whistle Posts, + See; RR Whistle Post Below, before passing by Whitney Field at the Navy Yard on your left at 0.3 miles.

Note; Whitney Field at the Navy Yard parking lot, BIKE STATION, Map Board, playground, picnic tables, sports field & court located here. Also a short, narrow paved Trail Loops around the park.

Pass by another cement RR Whistle Post on your right, before crossing Lake St, followed by General Greene Ave. Cross Fisher St and enter a more wooded corridor. Pass by a granite 1 Mile Marker at 1 mile. Mile markers every mile. Travel underneath the old Loker St bridge, before passing by a nice overlook of the lower portion of the Lake Cochituate on your left. Pass by a spur trail on your right.

Note; This short paved trail takes you down to Bacon St & Route 9 Westbound.

Cross a bridge over Route 9 into Framingham at 1.4 miles and pass by another Spur trail on your right.

Note; This short paved trail takes you down to Route 9 Eastbound.

You now follow a high causeway between Lake Cochituate, before passing a Map Board and a private parking lot on your right and a spur trail on your left.

Note; This short paved Spur Trail takes you West, up to the MathWorks – Lakeside Campus .

Travel alongside Lake Cochituate, with several overlooks, before coming to a Spur Trail on your left at 2.1 miles.

Note; This is the Wonder Bread Spur Trail which travels West, 0.3 miles to Speen St. If you cross Speen St, the paved trail continues South, bringing you to the entrance for the Natick Mall after 0.4 miles. Bike racks.

Quickly pass by another spur trail on your right. Map Board & BIKE STATION.

Note; This is the paved Cochituate State Park Spur Trail which travels North, 0.2 miles to COCHITUATE STATE PARK . Parking (fee), restrooms, picnic tables, beach and overlook of lake. Note; On weekends this spur trail is closed to limit crowds.

Next you'll come a long pedestrian bridge over Route 30.

Note; Right, a Spur Trail will bring you to Route 30, where a 0.2 mile BIKE LANE travels East, up a slight hill to the entrance for COCHITUATE STATE PARK . Parking (fee), restrooms, picnic tables, beach and overlook of lake.

Cross the bridge over Route 30, passing by another Spur Trail on your right, which takes you back to Route 30 at 2.5 miles. The trail continues Northwest, through a business park, before traveling through a tunnel underneath the I-90 on/off ramps, followed by another tunnel underneath I-90. Pass a Map Board, before a cross-light over Old Connecticut Path at 3.1 miles. Cross Cochituate Brook via an iron bridge, followed by a 2nd bridge. Here the trail follows the brook along your right along a nicely wooded section. Pass by an old RR Semaphore on your right, + See; RR Signal Below, before coming to School St and a Map Board in Framingham; Saxonville Section at 3.5 miles and the end of the trail.

Note; [Re-zeroing Mileage] From here you can connect on-road North, to both the Weston Aqueduct Trail and the Carol Getchell Trail . Cross School St and travel on-road (sidewalk available) along Concord St. Cross a bridge over the Sudbury River and continue North, along Concord St. Here you'll travel past the old Saxonville Mills along your left before coming to Danforth St.

Option A: Continue North, on-road along Concord St, which becomes Elm St, uphill to where the Weston Aqueduct Trail crosses the road after 1.1 miles.

Option B: Travel right, East, down Danforth St along a BIKE LANE (Eastbound only). Just before a bridge over the Sudbury River turn left, North, on Sudbury Landing. Pass by the old Danforth Street Bridge (now a pedestrian bridge) on your right and come to the entrance for the Carol Getchell Trail after 0.6 miles. See; Carol Getchell Trail Below.

Carol Getchell Trail:

[Re-zeroing Mileage] The Carol Getchell Trail follows a series of boardwalks North, through the woods and alongside the Sudbury River. Informational signs along the trail. Come to an overlook of the river after 0.1 miles.

Note; The 0.3 mile Central Section of the Carol Getchell Trail will be upgraded in the future and may face closures.

Mt bike recommended. The narrow, hard packed dirt, rock & tree root trail continues alongside the river. Pass through a wide grassy area. This is where the Hultman Aqueduct crosses, but no bridge over the river. At 0.4 miles the trail has been upgraded to stone-dust & boardwalks. Pass by 2 overlooks of the river before coming to the Little Farms Road parking lot after 0.7 miles.

Note; Mt bike recommended. A narrow, hard packed dirt rail continues North, bringing you up to the Weston Aqueduct Trail after 0.8 miles.

Old Railroad Equipment:

+ RR Whistle Post:
The Whistle Post, was a post with a large "W" engraved or painted on it. This meant the railroad engineers were to start sounding the trains Whistle. The Whistle posts were usually placed 0.25 miles in advance of a road crossing, bridges, tunnels and other points. Usually, there would be a post placed on both sides of the crossing, covering both directions.

+ RR Signal:
Railroad Signals direct the engineman on how to proceed. They are categorized into two levels: Permissive and Absolute. Permissive signals alert train operators there is an obstruction on the tracks ahead. They are considered “permissive” because their function is to protect. After the stop, they can continue forward at a slower speed, commonly referred to as the “restricted speed.” An absolute signal occurs at any point of the track where there’s an interruption. They are considered “absolute” because their function is to control. When a train reaches the absolute signal, it must come to a complete stop and stay stopped until the signal indicates it’s safe to proceed. There are different types of Railroad Signals. Semaphores consist of blades, set to different positions, while Light Signals use different color lights/number combinations.

CLICK HERE FOR COCHITUATE RAIL TRAIL MAP

CLICK HERE FOR CAROL GETCHELL TRAIL MAP

BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE

WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER

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