A quiet river flows through a widening estuary to Boston Harbor, past riverfront communities and a public beach. This river–the Neponset–is a little-known sister of the larger Charles River. The two rivers could not be more different. Where the Charles is the focus of downtown and the universities, the Neponset flows past old chocolate mills and historic residential areas through one of the last remaining salt marshes and wildlife sanctuaries at the edge of Boston Harbor.

Along the river the Lower Neponset River Trail, a new 2.5-mile pathway built by the Metropolitan District Commission, follows the route of the former Dorchester & Milton Branch Railroad. This trail is reachable by quaint and colorful 1950s-era trolleys that take passengers from Ashmont Station to the beginning of the path as Central Avenue in Milton. From here, the paved footway follows the river past warehouses, mill flats, and a gradually expanding tidal estuary with tall saltwater-washed grasses.

Click for The Neponset River and Ashmont Hill Walking Map on Google Maps