STONY BROOK RESERVATION:
HYDE PARK-WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: June 9, 2013
Length: Northern Bike Paths; Long Loop: 2.4 miles/Short Loop: 1.8 miles
Southern Bike Paths; 2.1 miles
Northern & Southern Bike Paths Combined (including on-road detours); 5.6 miles (Short Loop)/6.2 miles (Long Loop).
Difficulty: Northern Bike Paths; Moderate. Paved paths but with a lot of hills.
Southern Bike Paths; Easy. Paved paths with some slight hills and a short on-road section. May not be suitable for small kids on bikes.
Directions:
To Start from the Kelly Fields parking lot; From I-95 take exit 28 to East St and head east. Continue straight at the traffic circle onto Cedar St. At the 5 way intersection turn right onto River St. After about a mile you'll bear left across a pond and come to an Y intersection. River St continues right, you turn left onto Turtle Pond Pkwy. Pull into the first parking lot behind the cement bleachers. The trail begins to the left of the bleachers next to the rest rooms.
To start from the Enneking Pkwy parking lot; See direction above. Continue north on Turtle Pond Pkwy for almost a mile. Turn right onto Enneking Pkwy and travel a short distance to the parking lot on your left.
The Stony Brook Reservation is is a 475-acre woodland park in Boston's Hyde Park and West Roxbury sections. It was established in 1894 as one of the five original reservations created by the Metropolitan Park Commission. A series of paved Bike Paths traverse the park from several different parking lots. The Northern Bike Paths combine the Stony Brook Path and East Boundary Path to create a loop from the Enneking Pkwy parking lot. The Southern Bike Paths string together the Rooney Rock Path, Chamberlin Path, Gavin Path & Overbrook Path along with a short on-road section to create one long path from the Kelly Fields parking lot. An on-road section connects both the Northern & Southern Paths allowing you to bike all paths starting from the Kelly Fields parking lot. For more information visit; STONY BROOK RESERVATION .
Southern Bike Paths:
Starting from the Kelly Fields parking lot; The paved Southern Bike Path begins next to the restrooms (to the left of the cement bleachers) and heads north. The trail splits so bear right which takes you around a ball field. Continue left around the ball field and past the Bajko Rink to a parking lot. Turn right just before the green gate, crossing a small brook and passing through a picnic area before entering the woods. This is the Rooney Rock Path. It winds up and down through the woods past large boulder fields before terminating at Reservation Rd after 0.7 miles next to Dooley Playground.
Note; A short on-road detour is required to reach the next path.
Turn left along a paved sidewalk to the traffic circle. Caution; No Crosswalk. Bear right around the traffic circle and continue right on-road along W Smithfield Rd (Low speed road). Pass by the Connell Fields and at 1 mile (just before Enneking Pkwy) you'll pick up the paved Chamberlain Path on your left. This wooded, hilly, winding trail brings you to Turtle Pond Pkwy at 1 1/4 miles: Caution; No Crosswalk and Dedham Pkwy at 1.4 miles: Caution; No Crosswalk. You now enter Gavin Path which is a bit overgrown and missing some chunks of pavement. Come alongside W Boundary Rd at 1.7 miles before picking up Overbrook Path. Here you'll encounter a bit of a climb along the eroded pavement before cresting and enjoying a ride back downhill (Caution; Water diverters act like speed bumps) to Enneking Pkwy at 2.1 miles. This is the end of the Southern Bike Paths.
Note; You can access the Northern Bike Paths via a short on-road detour. Turn right down Enneking Pkwy, which has a narrow marked Bike Lane, but faster traffic. Not recommended for kids on bikes. Continue left at the traffic circle along Enneking Pkwy. The shoulder is even narrower. Look left for the small Enneking Pkwy parking lot after 0.7 miles. This is just before W Smithfield Rd.
Northern Bike Paths:
Starting from the Enneking Pkwy parking lot; The paved Northern Bike Path begins here. Head left along the Stony Brook Path. This trail winds uphill through the woods to the intersection of the East Boundary Path at 0.9 miles.
Note; You have two options from here. Head right along the East Boundary Path, looping back to the parking lot or heading left along the East Boundary Path to Blue Ledge Dr, then returning back along the East Boundary Path and looping back to the parking lot. Note; Heading left requires another 0.3 miles of uphill biking.
I headed right along the East Boundary Path, which skirts the George Wright Golf Course and enjoyed the ride downhill to Bold Knob where the trail loops right back onto to Stony Brook Path. You'll return to the Enneking Pkwy parking lot after a 1.8 mile loop. [Around 2.4 miles if you included all of the East Boundary Path up Blue Ledge Dr and back].
Note; If you parked at the Kelly Fields parking lot head left along Enneking Pkwy, then right on-road along W Smithfield Rd and left again along Reservation Rd where you'll pick up the Rooney Rock Path on your right. Take this back to the Kelly Fields parking lot after a mile. Total Combined Trip; 5.6 miles (Short Loop)/6.2 miles (Long Loop).
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