Charles River Bike Path Loop
The ride everyone should do at least once.
The ride everyone should do at least once. Grab a Bluebike at Cambridge Crossing, cross to the Esplanade at the Museum of Science, cruise the river past the Hatch Shell, and loop back over the Mass Ave Bridge. Water views nearly the entire way. Finish at Scull & Keel on the CambridgeSide plaza — a cold drink on the patio, because you earned it.
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 5 stops to complete this roam
Cambridge Crossing
Starting point
Head south from Cambridge Crossing and cross the Craigie Dam to the Museum of Science. The Paul Dudley Bike Path starts right here.
Route: Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path — protected bike lane (0.6 mi)
Paul Dudley Bike Path at MOS
Follow the Esplanade path west along the river. The Hatch Shell appears on your left — if there's a rehearsal happening, slow down and listen.
Route: Blossom St Footbridge — protected bike lane (0.3 mi), Route — shared road (0.4 mi), Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path — protected bike lane (0.1 mi)
Hatch Shell
Keep heading west on the Esplanade. The Mass Ave Bridge is the long one with the "Smoot" markings — 364.4 Smoots plus one ear.
Route: Massachusetts Ave — protected bike lane (0.9 mi)
Mass Ave Bridge
Cross the bridge back to Cambridge. Protected bike lane the whole way. Turn right onto Memorial Drive and pick up the bike path heading east.
Route: Massachusetts Ave — protected bike lane (0.2 mi), Route — shared road (0.3 mi)
Paul Dudley Bike Path (Cambridge side)
Final stop
Follow the river path east past MIT back toward Kendall. Scull & Keel — the new fish house in the longtime ArtBar spot by CambridgeSide — has cold drinks on the patio if the weather's right.
Bonus stops nearby
Optional detours worth the extra steps.
Scull & Keel
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 River Runner badge
Complete the roam to earn the River Runner badge and 25 XP.