Charles River Esplanade
Park · Back Bay ·
Riverside park with trails, events, and scenic city views
Riverside park with trails, events, and scenic city views
"Serving as a breezy urban riverside retreat, this esplanade features floating docks for lounging, leafy running and walking trails suitable for all paces, and plenty of spots to relax with a book while enjoying river views." - Cameron Sperance
"A quintessential Boston experience for watching the 4th of July fireworks. Features events like Community Boating’s annual SAILabration fundraiser and Night Shift Beer Garden. Offers various amenities like reserved seating, craft brews, and dog-friendly spaces."
"Watching the fireworks from the Esplanade is a quintessential Boston experience, although not suggested for the agoraphobic. If you want to go straight into the belly of the beast, gates open at the Hatch Shell’s lawn at 9 a.m., and spots fill up notoriously quickly. The fireworks kick off at 10:30 p.m."
"If you’re exploring Boston for the day, take a walk up through Back Bay from Massachusetts Avenue and loop back down along the Esplanade or head over the Harvard Bridge to Cambridge (Ironically, the Harvard Bridge ends at M.I.T.). It's a narrow paradise along both sides of the Charles River, stretching for several miles between the Longfellow Bridge to the west and the Boston University bridge to the east. More than 1,500 trees line the walkway (or runway, if it's marathon-training season), while playgrounds, ponds, and gardens bring a lyrical quality to this meandering landscape. It's best viewed in autumn, when the Esplanade shows its true colors. The Hatch Shell is a performance space that serves as home base for all things at the Esplanade including the famous performance by the Boston Pops on the Fourth of July." - Paul Rubio, Todd Plummer
"A three-mile path along the Charles River, ideal for walking or biking." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeare