Minuteman Bikeway Trail

You don’t need to be a bike rider to enjoy the Minuteman Bikeway Trail in Arlington, Massachusetts, but you do have to know how to share because this pawesome 10.1-mile path from Cambridge to Bedford is extremely pawpular. You and your canine kid will truly enjoy this trip as you follow along the bikeway past meadows of vibrant flowers, historic sites, and several parks. 

Your adventure starts at Alewife Station. From there, the trail meanders along Alewife Brook, and past Magnolia Park and Thorndike Soccer Field. The Spy Pond and Park are about one mile into your hike where there are picnic tables, play spaces, and a boat ramp. 

Continuing further on, you will pass Cooke’s Hollow, which used to be a mill and is now a large green space, and Arlington Center, which has plenty of shops and restaurants that specifically cater to the bikeway crowd. Then at about mile three, you’ll see the Old Schwamb Mill, which is the oldest mill that is still functioning in the United States.

At the halfway point, you will reach Arlington’s Great Meadows, which has its own nature trails for a side trip. Go another half a mile, and you will see the National Heritage Museum and the British History Museum where you and your furbaby can learn about the Battle of Lexington and Concord. 

Mile six and seven take you through Lexington Center, Parker Meadows, and areas where you can get some water or use the restroom. The Hancock Clarke House is there, as well where Paul Revere went to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock about the British Troops. 

At miles eight and nine, you will pass the Tophet Swamp and Westview, then Hartwell Town Forest. The journey comes to an end at the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, a 250-acre wetland on the Concord River. During your hike, make sure your pupster is on a leash, and bring plastic baggies to pick up after your canine kid. 

For a pawrific day exploring nature and history with your pup, check out the Minuteman Bikeway Trail!