This walk is about 4.5 miles long. It takes about 2 hours at a leisurely pace.
The walk starts at the Waban MBTA station on Beacon Street just west of Woodward Street. It ends at the Chestnut Hill MBTA station, allowing an easy return to the starting point.
Cross the parking lot to the exit farthest from Beacon Street.
Cross the street, and find the Aqueduct path between the large hedge and the apartment building driveway.
Cross Woodward Street, and find the Aqueduct path just to the left of the metal fence.
2021 update: The next segment of the route is blocked by a chain-link fence erected by the owner of the land under which the aqueduct passes. A detour is needed. Don’t enter the aqueduct here. Instead, turn right on the Woodward St sidewalk. At the traffic light, cross Chestnut St and turn left on the sidewalk. After passing two houses, you’ll reach the aqueduct again. Turn right to re-enter the aqueduct.
Re-enter the aqueduct here.
Cross Homestead Street and continue on the Aqueduct.
Cross Upland Road.
Cross Allen Avenue, and enjoy the great treehouse to your left.
Cross Beethoven Avenue.
Climb a small hill.
Turn right at the top of the hill.
And then turn left immediately, keeping the “valley” of the Aqueduct on your left.
Cross Plymouth Road into Cold Spring Park.
Continue straight on the Aqueduct. (A loop trail around the park starts down the hill to your left. Don’t take it.)
Approach a road that crosses the trail.
Bear slightly to the right to continue on the Aqueduct.
(Don’t take the low trail to the left, which circles around the park.)
The Aqueduct crosses private property. Bear left around several trees.
Keep to the left until you reach the driveway. Follow the driveway to Carthay Circle. Turn right.
At Walnut Street, turn left onto the sidewalk. (Or, cross the street to Whole Foods Market for refreshments or a bathroom break.)
Cross both streets at the corner.
Turn right onto the sidewalk of Beacon Street. Continue past the next cross street.
Turn left, rejoining the Aqueduct.
Bear left as the Aqueduct crosses Greenlawn Avenue.
Turn right onto the Aqueduct again.
Turn right, and walk down a small hill.
At the next fork, bear left. Ahead of you and to the right is the Wilson Conservation Area, donated to the City of Newton by Andree and Richard Wilson in the 1990s.
The Andree D. Wilson Treeway is on land protected from development by a conservation restriction donated to the Newton Conservators by the Wilsons in 2012. Andree Wilson was a noted conservationist, who died in 2016. The path is on privately owned land. Bicyclists must walk their bikes. Dog walkers must leash their dogs.
Follow the trail up a hill.
Turn left onto Bracebridge Road.
You’ll soon come to the house, known as Mount Pleasant, where Andree and Richard Wilson lived for many years. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Continue on Bracebridge to Pleasant Street.
Cross the street and walk between Mason Rice School and its parking lot.
Continue to the playground.
Walk straight towards the tennis courts at the end of the field.
Keep the tennis courts on your right.
Bear right at the pine tree.
Cross Centre Street, and turn right in front of the bank.
Turn left onto Langley Road. A wide variety of restaurants, ice cream stores, and coffee shops await you in Newton Centre.
Cross Sumner Street and Beacon Street to continue up the hill on Langley Road.
If you’ve had enough hiking, you can bail out here. The MBTA station is just to your right. Take the outbound train back to Waban.
Turn left onto Warren Street. Cross Glen Avenue, and continue until Warren Street ends.
Enter the Webster Conservation Area.
Bear left at the fork, and left again after a few more feet.
The trail turns almost 180 degrees to the right as it approaches the MBTA tracks.
Turn left at the next junction.
The trails in this area are marked with green, orange, and blue blazes.
Continue, bearing left, following the green blazes.
As you approach a large rock outcropping, turn right at a junction.
Keep the rocks on your left. The trail is now blazed with green, orange, and blue.
Go straight, following the blue blazes.
Approach Cake Rock, and keep it on your left.
Follow the blue and orange blazes around the rock.
Curve left around the rock, past some downed trees.
Take a sharp left, staying close to the rock.
The trails in this part of the park can be hard to follow. Your goal is to reach Hammond Pond Parkway, which is only a few hundred feet away. If you get lost, you can find it by heading east, directed by the sun, a compass, or the noise of passing cars. If you instead find yourself on the driveway of Congregation Miskan Tefila, turn left and you’ll soon reach the road.
As you near the end of the rock, go straight on a trail that slopes downward. The road is visible ahead.
Turn left and walk along the road.
Cross the road at a well-painted rock.
Enter Hammond Pond Reservation.
Turn left at the first junction.
Approach the MBTA tracks. Stop, look, and listen.
Turn right into Houghton Garden.
Bear right at the first junction.
Bear left and walk up the hill for a view of the pond.
Bear left, walk down to the pond, and turn left.
Cross the bridge. Keep your eyes open for unusual-looking rocks.
Bear right.
Follow the path, keeping the pond at your right.
Cross the bridge, and turn left to reach the exit gate.
Turn right onto Suffolk Road.
The road ends at Hammond Street. Turn right. The MBTA station is a block ahead.
Take an outbound train to return to Waban.
