Photo: Karl AlexanderMystic River Greenway (Alewife to Medford)
Two rivers, two T stations, and 300 years of history between them
Part of the MassTrails 10
Ten signature shared-use trails across Massachusetts, selected by MassDOT and DCR for 2026. Complete them all to earn the Trail Master badge — plus 50 bonus entries in the Shift Your Summer sweepstakes (June 15 – August 15). Complete all 0 routes to earn the Trail Master badge.
This roam covers 6.7 miles of the 7.1-mile urban greenway connecting Cambridge's Alewife Station to Medford's Wellington Station along two river corridors. Features one of New England's largest constructed wetlands, the oldest stone structure in Massachusetts, and views of the Amelia Earhart Dam.
Numbered pins are the roam's stops; gold rings are bonus stops. Check in at each stop in the Shift app to complete the roam.
The route
Visit all 4 stops to complete this roam
Alewife Reservation Constructed Wetland
Starting point
One of the largest constructed wetlands in New England, filtering stormwater into Alewife Brook
Learn more →Route: Mystic River Reservation Bike Path — protected bike lane (1.9 mi)
Middlesex Canal Marker
Marker for the 1803 Middlesex Canal, one of America's first major canals connecting Boston Harbor to the Merrimack River
Learn more →Route: Route — bike lane (0.1 mi), Mystic River Reservation Bike Path — protected bike lane (0.7 mi), Route — shared road (0.5 mi), Clippership Dr — protected bike lane (0.1 mi), Route — shared road (0.2 mi), Torbert Macdonald Park Bike Path — protected bike lane (1.1 mi)
Torbert MacDonald Park
A 63-acre riverside park along the Mystic River with sports fields and boat launch
Learn more →Route: Draw Seven Park Bike Path — protected bike lane (1.1 mi)
Amelia Earhart Dam
Final stop
A dam named for the aviation pioneer who lived nearby in Medford, separating the tidal and freshwater Mystic River
Learn more →Bonus stops nearby
Optional detours worth the extra steps.
Old Powder House
The oldest stone structure in Massachusetts, erected in 1703 as a windmill and later used for gunpowder storage
Learn more →How it works
A roam is a guided, self-paced adventure you follow in the free Shift app.
Follow the route
Open this roam in the Shift app and follow the turn-by-turn route at your own pace.
Check in at each stop
The app detects when you arrive and checks you in automatically. No scanning, no codes.
Earn the Alewife to Mystic badge
Complete the roam to earn the Alewife to Mystic badge and 10 XP. Finish all 0 routes in the MassTrails 10 for a bonus badge.