New England is a region known for its abundance of parks and trails, but we think the Minuteman Bike Trail is one of its most special. Built on an old train line, the trail is a delightful, paved way to see some of the most famous sites from the American Revolutionary War period by bike. Check out the map here!
Have you ever wondered what it was like to go on Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride? Riding your bike between Lexington and Concord may not have the same gravitas as a galloping horse, but feel free to yell “The British are coming! The British are coming!” all the same.
Despite its length, the 10-mile bike ride flies by due to super-smooth bikeways and an almost-entirely flat terrain. Biking the Minuteman in whole or in part is a great way to spend a beautiful New England summer day, and is fun for solo bikers, couples, or for the whole family.
Read on for our tips and tricks for making the most of your time on the Minuteman Bike Trail!
Here is what to expect from the trail:
- A paved path that is largely flat and straight for miles, with clear mile markers and designated landmarks
- Lots of shade for those hot summer days
- A few “junction” areas with cute boutique coffee-shops where you can grab an iced coffee, stop for restrooms, or just take a load off for a bit
- Beautiful places to stop and take in nature, with grassy, expansive meadows, town greens, and lots of flora and fauna to take in
- Revolutionary War sites in the now-infamous cities of Lexington and Concord, and many colonial-era buildings (mills, warehouses, etc.) still standing.
Finding the Minuteman Trail is super simple. If you are coming from the Boston area, the starting point is located at the Alewife MBTA stop, and it is clearly marked. If you are hopping on with the trail further north of Alewife, you can catch it in the towns that the route goes through, such as Arlington, Lexington, or at its terminus in Bedford.
Fun fact: far from just a historical attraction, the Minuteman is so convenient for getting into and out of the Boston/Cambridge hubs that many people use it to commute into the city for work! We found this totally ingenious, and spent a long time discussing where similar paths should be added to alleviate traffic getting into Boston… but that’s a topic for another time.
If you are taking the train to get to Alewife you want to get on the Red Line going towards… you guessed it, Alewife. Since Alewife is the terminus, it’s impossible to miss your stop. There are Blue Bike docks here at Alewife if you are like us and bike using a Blue Bike (see our post about this awesome Boston service here!) Otherwise, you can hop off the train with your bike and find the path near the back, northern part.
Outside of the station, you should see signs for the path.
Note: Keep in mind that completing the Minuteman Trail on a Blue Bike will make you go well over the 45-minute mark, unless you are super-fast or only complete part of the trail. If you have a monthly or yearly Blue Bikes pass, be aware that you will have to pay $2.50 for every half an hour over the initial 45-minutes you go. This is a bit of a letdown for sure, but we feel that biking out there on the Minuteman Trail is absolutely worth the extra fare.
The Trail:
Once you are all set with your bike, venture out onto the trail! We found the first part of the trail to be the most crowded, as there were lots of families out and about. To be fair, it was a Sunday in the midmorning, so that comes with the territory we suppose.
It is pretty easy biking through Arlington, and the trail takes you practically through people’s backyards! One of the few times where you are taken off the secluded bike path is when you arriving in Arlington Center and have to cross two lights to get back on to the trail, but is also where you can stop for that aforementioned iced coffee or a water refill.
You’ll also see Spy Pond on your left. If you have the spare time (slash Blue Bikes fare), it is beautiful to walk around here a bit, similar to other areas we recommend– like Jamaica Pond, Fresh Pond, and the Brookline or Chestnut Hill Reservoirs. See here for our other Boston area outdoor recommendations!
The number of people on the trail starts to thin out once you get past Arlington, and this is when the real fun begins! We definitely enjoyed having the path pretty much all to ourselves for much of the time we were biking. About halfway between Arlington and Lexington you will also pass a cool meadow on the right-hand side which makes for a nice spot to take a photo and have a drink of water.
The highlight of the Minuteman Bike Trail for us was going through Lexington, one of the most famous American Revolutionary War sites. It was here that the Battle of Lexington occurred on April 19th, 1775– one of the major events in the founding of the country. Visiting Lexington was always on our list of historical things to do while living in Boston, and checking it off by bike was extra special.
Top 5 Things to Do in Lexington
- Explore the Lexington Historic Common, site of the Battle of Lexington, and the statue of the Lexington Minuteman, a young colonial farmer with a musket facing the route of the British Regular advance. The Battle of Lexington was the site where “the first blood was spilt in the dispute with Great Britain,” according to George Washington’s diary. This dispute, of course, would later become the American Revolution. This area is a National Historic Landmark and (fun fact) one of the only areas in the U.S. where Congress has authorized that the flag is to fly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year due to its importance to American democracy.
- Visit Buckman Tavern – now a museum, but was once the meeting place for the Minutemen militia soldiers before the battle, or Monroe Tavern, which discusses the point of view of British soldiers during the American Revolution.
- Visit the Old Burying Ground, a cemetery dating back to 1690.
- Walk by the Hancock-Clarke House – a historic house that John Hancock lived in as a child, and rumored to be the destination Paul Revere sought on his infamous Midnight Ride.
- Visit the Minuteman Visitor Center – a bit outside of the downtown area, but nice to visit nonetheless.
Continuing on from Lexington, hopefully feeling rested and historically enlightened, the road leads on to Bedford. The route is pretty similar all the way through here until you reach Bedford and the Minuteman Trail ends at Depot Park. Make sure to walk around quaint Bedford and grab a bite to eat before making your way back to the city.
Depending on how fast you bike, this ride will take you around an hour each way, but certainly more if you want to stop and have a picnic somewhere or take some pictures.
We absolutely loved going on the Minuteman Bike Trail and would go back again and again. We thought it was very well-maintained, full of neat historical tidbits, and one of the best places to bike around Boston. Highly recommended!
Have you biked the Minuteman Bike Trail? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!
