Olmsted Park and the Riverway

InLine Skating in Greater Boston

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Jamaica Plain

Olmsted Park and the Riverway are part of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, the string of parks created by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City. The Jamaica Way leads to Jamaica Pond where there is a bandstand and boat house. In the summer there are frequent concerts, children’s programs, and theater performances. The boat house rents rowboats, sailboats, and canoes. The trail follows the Muddy River. Although you might think that the Muddy River represents a glimpse of New England before the settlers, it is in fact completely man made, yet another creation of Frederick Law Olmsted. Note that the Boston Parks and Recreation Department has (as of spring 1996) prohibited skating at Jamaica Pond. If you’d like to inquire about the current status of skating at the Pond, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 617-635-4505. .

How to Get There

From Rte. 128, take the Rte. 9 exit and head east toward Boston. Follow Rte. 9 to the beginning of Huntington Avenue and the intersection of the Jamaica Way. Leverett Pond is on your left and there is parking at that end of the pond on the right.

To get to Olmsted Park from the city, get on Huntington Ave. and head west, past the Museum of Fine Arts. Proceed west until Huntington Ave. becomes Rte. 9. Leverett Pond is on your left. Olmsted Park is also accessible from the Orange Line.

Where to Skate

Begin your skate from the Leverett Pond parking lot and head south towards Jamaica Pond. The trail travels along the road that borders the park. Turn left at Perkins Street until you come to the Jamaica Way. Take another left to complete the loop around Ward's Pond and get on the bike trail. The bike trail provides some smooth skating and will return you to your starting point. This loop is about a mile long. You can extend your skate by crossing Rte. 9 and heading north along River Road to Brookline Avenue. Cross Brookline and stay to the left along the Muddy River; and you will find smooth trails under an umbrella of trees. The return trip must be on the same side of the river since there is no paved path on the other side

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Disclaimer

Printing of this page for personal use is not restricted. The use of this page for any commercial endeavor requires prior written approval and may involve some financial consideration. All material copyright 2000 by InLine Club of Boston. Reproduction of this page without this Disclaimer in its entirety is forbidden.

The materials provided here are used at one's own risk; injuries do occur while skating. By providing these materials, InLine Club of Boston and the authors makes no implicit or explicit guarantee that you will not be injured while skating at these or any other locations. Skaters should wear appropriate protective equipment including a helmet at all times and should have developed plans for what to do in the event they suddenly need to obtain medical assistance.

The ICB makes no guarantees that the information provided herein is completely accurate or current. If you know of any discrepencies, please notify us so that we may correct them.