The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a proposed multi-use trail which will extend from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham to Natick Center, a distance of 4 miles. The Framingham section of trail has gone through its design phase. Construction will begin in November, 2010. The Natick section is in the planning stage.
The CRT will also be heavily used for transportation. Due to its close proximity to office buildings, shopping centers, schools, and residential areas, it will provide residents with an attractive alternative to driving. A planned connection to the commuter rail station in Natick center will open the door to even greater transportation use.
Much of the trail will be quite scenic; passing near streams and wetlands in Framingham and along the shores of Lake Cochituate in Natick, the trail will be a beautiful linear park providing valuable open space through heavily developed sections of both towns.
The trail will use the Saxonville Branch rail line which travels southeast from Saxonville and joins the active Boston to Worcester commuter line in Natick Center. Built in 1846, the historic Saxonville Branch was used to construct the dam for Lake Cochituate, which supplied water to the City of Boston from 1848 to 1951. The line also serviced the textile mills of Saxonville until 1973.
Disclaimer: All project trails listed on TrailLink.com are in various phases of development and may not be open for public use. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy does not manage any trails listed on TrailLink.com. To learn more about the current status of trail development, please look in the "Related Links" section below to find contact information for the local organization or agency responsible for trail management.