Cambridge | MassCentralRailTrail

MCRT: Cambridge

About MCRT Cambridge

Cambridge, was once an area of tidal estuaries, marshes, islands and hills populated by ancestors of the Algonquin people. Known as Newtowne until 1638, it gradually evolved from a quiet farming community into an industrial center, and most recently an educational and intellectual center. Home to Lesley, Harvard, MIT. The city includes areas referred to as “Squares”: Harvard, Central, Porter, Inman and Kendall Square. A partial list of other historical sites includes Longfellow House, Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, and parks and paths along the Charles River and Fresh Pond reservoir.

The MCRT in Cambridge

The MCRT route in Cambridge uniquely exists in two short sections, one East and the other West of a longer segment in Somerville (see the Somerville town page for details). The West section starts at the Belmont town line along the MBTA (Fitchburg line) rail tracks, and ends after crossing Massachusetts Ave – a total of 1.6 miles. After traveling 3.1 miles through Somerville, the MCRT re-enters Cambridge for a short but interesting 0.9-mile urban segment before entering the City of Boston under the Zakim Bridge.

Visiting the MCRT in Cambridge

Access Points:

BlueBike (the shared bike system in the Boston area) docking stations are all along the MCRT.
The trail is accessible from the Red Line subway at Alewife and Davis Square stations.
Parking is available at the Alewife MBTA Red Line station on the MCRT on the Western section of the MCRT in Cambridge.
On the Eastern section, one can find some on-street parking and at nearby parking garages near First and Third streets and the new large Cambridge Crossing development.

Additional Resources

MassTrailTracker - East

MassTrailTracker - West
Ride with GPS

Connecting Trails:

The MCRT intersects with the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway just after Alewife train station.

RideWithGPS Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53728403

Trail Guide (West to East)

Western Section (1.6 miles)

Mile
0.0 mi – Start on the Fitchburg cutoff path section of the MCRT at the Belmont / Cambridge town line – opposite Blair Pond.

0.4 mi – There are footpaths on the left (North side) that explore nearby wetlands with interpretive plaques.

0.7 mi – Go straight across the Alewife MBTA station access road, join the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway onto a boardwalk along Yates pond.

0.8 mi – Turn right and cross an access road to stay on path.

0.85 mi – Turn left into Russell Field park.

1.0 mi – Turn left onto Russell Field path (the designated route is the Cambridge Linear Path, but it’s under construction so you’ll be following this detour:)

1.1 mi – Continue straight onto Dudley St.

1.4 mi – Cross Cedar St and continue on Dudley St.

1.5 mi – At busy Mass Ave, turn right onto the bike lane, and cross at the next light. Then head back to the left on the sidewalk on the other side of the street for 100 ft, and turn right onto Shea Road.

1.6 mi – Continue straight onto Kingston St – entering Somerville. In 0.1 mile, bear left onto Thorndike St, and in 200 ft, turn right onto the Somerville Community Path, and continue through Somerville on the MCRT route.

Eastern Section

Mile
4.6 mi - On the route – this is where you’ll re-enter Cambridge coming from Somerville – the City line is at an expansion plate on the elevated Somerville Community Path just before it goes underneath the MBTA Green Line tracks. line – opposite Blair Pond.

4.9 mi – Continue on the path alongside a large residential building and straight across and onto the shared used path along Morgan Ave.

5.1 mi – On your left is the Cambridge Crossing Common (a huge new mixed-used development with bars and restaurants), a nice park along the bike path.

5.2 mi – Continue on Education Circle.

5.3 mi – Enter North Point Park – with an excellent view of Boston and the Zakim Bridge over the Charles River. This development and park was previously the huge raily ard seen here.

5.4 mi – Turn left to cross the North Bank Bridge – skatepark on your left, and you cross into Boston after 250 feet on the bridge.

The bridge ends and you enter Paul Revere Park in the Charlestown neighborhood of the City of Boston.

To reach the very beginning/end of the Central Mass Railroad, cross the Charles River to North Station on either the newly rebuilt North Washington St. bridge or the historic Charles River dam and locks.

Current MCRT Projects in Cambridge

Construction to upgrade Linear Park in North Cambridge is underway. Key upgrades include a wider, newly paved path, emergency call boxes, benches, fountains and bike racks. See the latest here. 

A Brief History of the MCRT in Cambridge

The original railroad line, connecting to the Boston and Lowell railroad to reach downtown Boston, was opened in 1881, and had stops in East Cambridge and North Cambridge. After 1900, the route was merged with the Boston and Maine Albany / Fitchburg line. The last passenger train ran on January 10, 1977 but freight trains ran until 1980, when the western section in Cambridge was abandoned but then reused (underground) for the MBTA Red Line extension from Harvard Square to Alewife, opening in 1985. and for the Green Line extension and Somerville Community Path, completed in 2024.

The MCRT in the eastern section in Cambridge passes through the huge railyard seen to the right (in 2001 thanks to Google Earth) that was gradually abandoned in the late 1990s.