About the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway
What is the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway (BCT)?
The BCT is a 230+-mile long trail outside Boston where you can walk, hike, ride, ski, or just get some fresh air. The trail corridor is T-accessible and traverses Eastern Massachusetts’s beautiful natural landscapes
History
The idea for the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway arose in 1929. Thereafter, the vision was proposed as an “outer Emerald Necklace,”— in other words, a greenbelt that would mirror the famous string of Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks throughout Boston. Above all, the corridor would provide open space for the city’s fast-growing population. Eventually, over the next several decades, various public and private open spaces were established in the area between what is now Route 128 and Interstate 495. However, they failed to keep pace with commercial and residential development. Finally, interest in the project was renewed in the 1980s, and in 1990 the Bay Circuit Alliance (BCA) formed to make the trail and greenway a reality
The Alliance focused on linking segments of the trail to provide a place for recreation by adding more “pearls” to the “emerald necklace”. That work resulted in what we now call the BCT
About the Bay Circuit Trail
The trail and greenway is located close to 4 million people in Eastern Massachusetts, starting at the mouth of the Merrimack River and ending in Kingston Bay. The BCT, a close-to-home trail, offers a variety of recreation options including: walking, biking, snowshoeing, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Many sections of the trail are accessible by the MBTA commuter rail and other public transit systems
Since 2012, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has led Bay Circuit Trail partners in the completion, enhancement of the trail, and also the long-term protection of this greenway. At present, more than 230 miles of multi-use, passive recreational trail have been dedicated, thanks to the contributions of hundreds of volunteers in 37 cooperating towns
Furthermore, the AMC guides local communities in establishing their portion of the Bay Circuit Trail through planning and technical assistance, route identification, land protection, trail management and construction. Our sustained contact with state and federal government representatives and agencies helps us promote the Bay Circuit concept and improve trail-wide issues
To fulfill the vision of the Bay Circuit, AMC has been working to close the final gaps of the trail. We are working to document varied uses on the trail, improve the recreational experience, secure permanent protection for the trail corridor, and encourage the public to explore the trail’s 230+ miles.
Member Organizations
(Acton, MA)
– Town of Acton
– Acton Conservation Trust
– Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
(Andover, MA)
– Andover Trails Committee
– Andover Village Improvement Society
(Ashland, MA)
– Ashland Open Space Committee
– Ashland Town Forest Committee
(Bedford, MA)
– Town of Bedford
(Billerica, MA)
– Town of Billerica
(Boston, MA)
– Appalachian Mountain Club
– Trust For Public Land
(Boxford, MA)
– Town of Boxford
– BTA/BOLT, Inc.
(Canton, MA)
– Neponset River Watershed Association
(Concord, MA)
– Concord Division of Natural Resources
– Concord Land Conservation Trust
(Duxbury, MA)
– Wildlands Trust of SE Massachusetts
(East Bridgewater, MA)
– East Bridgewater Conservation Commission
(Easton, MA)
– Easton Conservation Commission
(Essex, MA)
– Essex County Greenbelt Association
(Framingham, MA)
– Framingham Conservation Commission
(Hanson, MA)
– Hanson Open Space Committee
(Hudson, MA)
– Friends of the Assabet River NWR
(Ipswich, MA)
– Ipswich Conservation Commission
– Essex County Trails Association
(Kingston, MA)
– Kingston Conservation Commission
(Leominster, MA)
– Trustees of Reservations
(Lincoln, MA)
– Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
– Massachusetts Audubon Society
(Lowell, MA)
– Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
(Medfield, MA)
– Friends of Medfield Forests & Trails
(Medfield, MA)
– Bay Colony Rail Association Inc.
(North Andover, MA)
– Friends of North Andover Trails
(Newbury, MA)
– Newbury Conservation Commission
(Newburyport, MA) – Newburyport Conservation Commission
(Pembroke, MA)
– Pembroke Open Space Committee
(Sharon, MA)
– Sharon Friends of Conservation
(Sherborn, MA)
– Sherborn Forest and Trails Association
(Southborough, MA)
– Southborough Open Land Foundation
(Sudbury, MA)
– Sudbury Conservation Commission
–Sudbury Valley Trustees
(Walpole, MA)
– Walpole Conservation Commission
(Wayland, MA)
– Wayland Conservation Commission
(West Bridgewater, MA)
– West Bridgewater Department of Conservation, Preservation & Recreation
(Westford, MA)
– Westford Conservation Trust
(Weston, MA)
– Weston Conservation Commission