PART 1 - Downtown Natick, Commuter Rail and Bicycle Parking. The Natick Center Commuter Rail Station, with downtown Natick just beyond the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge and with the start of the CRT at extreme right. The 2001 mural celebrates Natick's 350th anniversary with various scenes from its past. This panorama view is spliced from three photographs. To maximize (Zoom) it, tap your keyboard's "Z" key several times.
On a cold December day in 2004, bicycles show the demand for better commuter bicycle parking to come.
Below the Walnut Street bridge and the Main Street bridge beyond, the start of the Cochituate Rail Trail curves off to the right.
PART 2 - Mainline Views. Dick Miller just north of Route 9, in 2001. (Photo courtesy of Jill Miller.)
The Route 9 bridge is strong enough to hold a locomotive, but it will need paint and a redesigned deck.
You wouldn't want to bike over that! Walking over Route 9 traffic isn't much nicer, because of those open gaps between the railroad cross-ties.
The old Wonderbread switch -- which will become the start of the side path to Natick Mall. Rusty rails in 2005.
Urban blight; looking east on Route 30 to the Speen Street traffic lights. The CRT crosses just beyond.
At the same intersection. That green is the day-use area of Cochituate State Park, beyond the CRT in the distance. It's a welcome oasis here.
More urban blight at Route 30, on the Framingham-Natick town line. This cement plant encroaches on the CRT right-of-way; it was moved partway back a few years before.
North of Route 30, the rails and ties were removed in 1991. Volunteers have cleared trees and brush, so the trail looks like this.
A little east of the CRT and south of Old Connecticut Path, Framingham's Cochituate Brook Reservation includes this lovely bridge at the site of a once-busy mill dam. There's trout in that brook.
At Old Connecticut Path, the waiting trail is gated to keep out vehicles and dumping. Please report any violations.
Let's head back from the northeast end of the CRT, at School and Central in Saxonville. The CRT starts at that street sign. The near end of the crosswalk aims right at it; we hope Framingham will line up the far side, as well.
PART 3 - Cochituate State Park. Back to some warm-weather fun! Our rail trail connects a LOT, including this popular park on the major recreational lake in eastern Massachusetts Boat rentals, swim area, and much more.
The view south on Lake Cochituate's Middle Pond. It's the smallest of the three major ponds in this lake chain. (Photo courtesy of Carey VandenAkker.)
PART 4 - Snake Brook Trail. CRT activist Jill Miller shows off a CRT-shirt -- and one of Cochituate State Park's "Snake Brook Trail" markers.
Where the CRT is wide and smooth, the Snake Brook Trail is narrow and winding, one of the various types of trails within the greater CRT network.
The Snake Brook Trail begins at Route 27 on the Natick-Wayland town line, with a short boardwalk between the brook and a wetland. The boardwalk was an Eagle Scout project in 2000, with good support from Cochituate State Park.
PART 5 - Trail Clearing and Maintenance. In 2001, a first clean-up of the CRT south of Old Connecticut Path found a lot of tires downhill from a car-repair buiding. Abandoned rail lines become dumps.
While awaiting formal trail development, volunteers opened the trail. They clean and trim it several times each year.
When the volunteers had cleared all the trees from the Framingham length of the trail, they finally opened it up to view from Route 30 (October 2001).