Mystic River Reservation--Torbert Macdonald State Park

Mystic River Reservation--Torbert Macdonald State Park

Medford, Massachusetts 02155

Official Website
Mystic River Reservation Official Website
Mystic River Watershed Important Bird Area

About this Location

Torbert Macdonald State Park is one of the largest riverfront parks in Greater Boston, located in Medford. It is part of the Mystic River State Reservation. The park offers trails for walking, running, or biking, as well as picnic areas and views of the urban forest and the river. The park is named after Torbert Macdonald, a former congressman who advocated for environmental protection and public access to the Mystic River. The park is open year-round, from sunrise to sunset, and has a free parking lot at the entrance.

About Mystic River Reservation

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The Mystic River Reservation is open year-round, from dawn to dusk. The banks of the Mystic River are almost entirely publicly owned, from the Amelia Earhart Dam at the mouth of the Mystic Lakes, making it one of the Commonwealth's best-protected streams. The river has been much altered since the 1800s when its shores were largely salt marsh.

Each spring, starting in mid-May and running through the end of June, there is an impressive run of Alewives and Blueback Herring up the Mystic River and into Lower Mystic Lake. This creates a tremendous food source for gulls, cormorants, and, most impressively, Black-crowned Night-Herons.

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. The banks of the Mystic River are almost entirely publicly owned, from the Amelia Earhart Dam at the mouth of the Mystic Lakes, making it one of the Commonwealth’s best-protected streams. The river has been much altered since the 1800s when its shores were largely salt marsh.

Features

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Restrooms on site

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website, Mystic River Reservation Official Website, and Mystic River Watershed Important Bird Area

Last updated January 6, 2024