Upper Falls Greenway

Overview

Linear park on old railroad line connecting Newton Highlands with the Charles River. Spur path runs from middle of Greenway to Needham Street.

Size: 1 mile linear park Longest Walk: 2 miles Acquired: 2013

Longer Walks that include this property:
A Highly Unofficial Route on Connections to the Upper Falls Greenway
Upper Falls Loop Trail

Maps

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Get here by MBTA:

D Riverside Green Line: a 13-minute walk from Eliot, or a less pleasant 11-minute walk from Newton Highlands

MBTA bus route 59 (infrequent service) stops at Chestnut and Oak, adjacent to the trail

Other maps and aerial photos: Bing Maps bird’s-eye view

Connected to: Upper Falls Riverwalk

Info about this connection

Nearby: The walk from Eliot MBTA passes by the Frank Barney and Martin Conservation Areas

Trail Map

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GPS Enabled Trail Map

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Owner & Administrator Websites

Managed by City of Newton Parks & Recreation
Owned by MBTA

Photo Gallery

Upper Falls Greenway

Sculpture exhibit, summer 2019

A sculpture exhibit called "Beyond Boundaries" is on view. (2018)

The Greenway ends at National Lumber.

National Lumber rents land from the MBTA that could become an extension of the Greenway.

A sign on Needham Street directs walkers to the northern entrance to the Greenway

An extension of the Greenway could provide a more direct route to Winchester Street, Centre Street, and Newton Highlands. Planned improvements to these streets will provide a more enjoyable route for walkers and cyclists.

Avalon at Newton Highlands has installed a gate permitting access to the Greenway

The junction between the main Greenway and the spur leading to Needham Street

Along the spur trail

The spur is adjacent to the Newton Nexus parking lot

The entrance to the spur from Needham Street. South Meadow Brook is at left.

A panoramic view by Ken Mallory shows the end of the Greenway as it reaches the Charles River. Industrial properties in Needham are at right. (2017)

View from the bridge

A guided walk of the Greenway was led by (from left) City Councilor Deb Crossley, Jim Lerner of the Friends of the Upper Falls Greenway, and Dan Brody of the Conservators (photo by Ken Mallory)

The Greenway is officially open, and kiosks have been installed at two locations. (2016)

The viewing platform at the Charles River is closed as it awaits some reconstruction work.

After the orginal contractor stopped work, the Greenway languished for a year. In Fall 2015, the City of Newton stepped in to install a stone dust trail surface and remove the railroad ties.

Work remains to be done on the viewing platform over the Charles.

2015

A school group uses the unfinished trail (2014)

The new viewing platform at the Charles...

...provides a nice view downstream.

The upstream view is less scenic...

...and the view across the bridge into Needham is just plain ugly.

Looking down the trail from the bridge.

Old railroad ties await removal.

The bridge over the Charles is being turned into a viewing platform

The view downstream

The view upstream

The view across the river

The rails have been removed from the Oak Street crossing

Railroad ties are being turned into a flower planter just west of Oak Street

By early June, the tracks and ties have been removed (June 2014)

A viewing platform will be built on the bridge over the Charles River

Some work remains to be done where the trail crosses Oak Street

Construction resumed in May 2014

By December, most of the rails had been removed (2013)

Old ties are stacked for removal

Construction began in the fall of 2013 on conversion of the rail line into the Upper Falls Greenway

The trail is used as a path even before the rails are removed

The rails have been detached from the ties, and await removal

The northern end of the trail, at Easy Street

Spikes and plates are collected for recycling

Will Avalon at Newton Highlands come to regard the trail as an amenity, rather than a hazard to be fenced off?

The former Newton Upper Falls Station, built in 1852, is pictured in this 1984 postcard, when the line was still used for freight service. A 1950 view.

The building is now the Depot Coffee Shoppe.

Looking southwest from Oak Street

At the Oak Street entrance to the greenway

A steep, eroded path leads down to the Charles River Pathway Conservation Area (Williams-Saco Streets)

The Greenway will end at this bridge over the Charles River

First three photos shown here. Click a photo to view the complete slideshow or click here to browse the complete gallery.

History

1852

Newton Upper Falls station (now Little Luke’s Cafe) was built.

1958

Boston & Albany railroad abandoned service on Highland Branch. MBTA created D line to Riverside. Proposal to create service on branch of line from Newton Highlands to Needham was not implemented. Freight service on Upper Falls branch continued through at least 1984.

2011

Initial proposal to create greenway (more)

2013

Work begins to convert train tracks to greenway

2014

Trail originally scheduled to open. (Construction delayed.)

2015

City of Newton picks up work to complete the Greenway

2016

Greenway is dedicated

2020

February 20 – The MassWorks Infrastructure Grant Program awards a $396,500 grant to the City of Newton for design and engineering work that will jumpstart an extension of the Upper Falls Greenway Trail (to allow pedestrians and cyclists better access to the MBTA and Needham Street) and support improvements to safety, conditions, sustainability and vitality in the Pettee Square commercial district.