Bike Ride South from the Neponset Trail
Sunday, October 16, 2022

From Paul's Bridge at the Milton Readville line, we'll follow the Neponset River south on its east side to its East Branch in Canton near the 185-year-old Canton Viaduct, which still carries Amtrak south to New York from Boston. On our way south, we'll take a detour to Signal Hill, on the River south of Rt. 128 and west of I-95, and on the way back, we'll detour on a gravel path which used to be a runway at the old Canton Airport, now the 1st Lt. Arthur E. Farnham, Jr., and SSgt. Thomas M. Connolly, Jr. Memorial State Park. As you can see from the map, it could easily connect with Signal Hill Reservation if it weren't for I-95. We'll bike back to Pauls Bridge through Norwood, Westwood, Dedham, and the Readville neighborhood of Boston, where we'll stop to check out Sprague Pond. Helmets are required, and hard rain will postpone the ride.


Signal Hill and Canton Airport are very close

Details

  • Where: Meet at the parking lot at Paul's Bridge and Brush Hill Road at the edge of the Blue Hills just off the Neponset Valley Parkway.
  • When: Departing at 1:00 pm, Sunday, October 16, 2022
  • Distance: about 24 miles.
  • Pace: Relaxed, probably 8-12 MPH.
  • Terrain: Rolling with a few not-too-steep hills
  • Route: Mixture of on-road (90%) and shared-use path (20%), with a few spots of heavy traffic.
  • Leader: Jessica Mink

Maps and Cue sheet

 route map

Getting There

Bicycle

Ride south from Forest Hills on Hyde Park Ave. to Readville, then turn left on the Neponset Valley Parkway to Brush Hill Rd. just after crossing the Neponset River. From the eastern part of Boston, get to Mattapan Square and follow Brush Hill Rd south by forking left from Truman Parkway in Milton.

MBTA

You can take your bike on T rapid transit lines and bus lines, (Orange Line to Forest Hills, then #32 bus to Walcott Square), for no extra charge. Details are on the MBTA website.

From Forest Hills (Orange Line):
Take Hyde Park Ave. to Readville and turn left on the Neponset Valley Parkway to Paul's Bridge. Or take the #32 bus.

Car

Take the Route 138 exit from Route 128/93N, and go north to Brush Hill Rd. Turn left using a right turn through a jug handle.
Click for Google Maps

Bailout points

You can turn around at Mattapan Square or Dorchester Lower Mills. The closest T stations to most of the ride are UMass/JFK, Ashmont and Savin Hill on the Red Line, but it can be a hike.