Though a little confusing to navigate this is a very nice trail. All paved on the Quincy side. Gets a little strange in the Milton side. There is plenty to see and is kinda a quick ride, but fun.

Have walked the entire trail from Saxonville to Natick, as far as it goes. It’s a great trail, but clearly a work in progress. The Framingham side has no signs, and it took us several tries before we found it (just to the right of the fire station). The Natick side is complete as far as it goes, but it stops abruptly in the woods. Also along the length there are no designated parking areas.

If you park in Bolton State Park to start on the east end of the Charter Oak Greenway you won’t find any markings for the entrance. It actually starts right at the RT44 West highway entrance to the park. So you need to go down into the lot to park and then go back up the entrance ramp to find the beginning of the Charter Oak Greenway, which is not even marked as such though.

Also fair warning to older riders I only went the first five miles west but that portion at least has very little flat areas, almost all of it is uphill or downhill. Heading west, mostly downhill, but heading back east mostly uphill, including one extended relatively steep climb. No problem for younger riders or riders in great biking shape, but pretty difficult for a casual rider.

On the plus side that portion of the trail at least is very well paved with virtually no divots or surface cracks.

No toilet facilities on / near India Point Park. Closest is Haines S.P. a few miles down the trail. The signs could be a little clearer on how to get over the river to connect to the main trail. The 2 wooden bridges down the trail were closed but, detours were easy to navigate. In Bristol look for the small building on the road which is a toilet. Many places to eat.

Just finished the trail. Brush / grass was recently cut on both sides of trail. Mud was minimal and easy to go around. No sand or gravel encountered.
We had no issues following the trail.

Overall, the trail was in great shape and we'll do again next year.
If you're in the area, give it a try - you may like it!

Upstream portion of trail has gravel sections and asphalt sections that are not well maintained. As trail proceeds downstream toward Boston the trail becomes wider and more refined. Many interesting sights along the way. Ride carefully, many local riders have a tendency to whiz past without warning and squeeze between pedestrians and opposing bikers.

The Cochituate Rail Trail is complete and extends from Saxonville in Framingham going south passing Cochituate lake to Natick, a distance of four miles. Parking is available at or near Home Depot on Route 30. The southern end in Natick is just north of the Railroad station at Natick Center. Benches and bicycle racks as well as refuse containers are available along the trail.

Now the Cochituate Rail Trail has more than doubled in length stretching from Saxonville to Natick ad going past Lake Cochituate alongside North Main St (Rte 27). Railroad Whistle monuments along the way and many benches and bicycle rings for a brief respite.

I'm reviewing the Southwick Rail Trail and Colombia Greenway Trail together as I rode up from the Farmington Canal trail and didn't see where one ended and the other began.

The two trials are smooth, relatively scenic, well-marked, avoid too many road crossings (especially nice when in a neighborhood), and are a pleasant ride for any skill level.

On its own, the Colombia Greenway trail might be a little short but it connects seamlessly to the Colombia Greenway Trail, and then to the Farmington Canal trail, that is not as much of an issue.