This Massachusetts park was named one of the best riverwalks by USA Today. Check it out.
If you're looking for the perfect spot to take a walk along a river, USA Today 10Best thinks you should head to Boston.
The Charles River Esplanade in Boston was voted the ninth best riverwalk in the United States for 2024. And with all the trees blooming along the walkway this is the time to go.
"The Charles River Esplanade in downtown Boston features a 64-acre park and 17 miles of running trails along the waterfront," the entry said. "The riverfront is also home to a community boat launch, a small cafe that's open during the warm seasons, and an outdoor amphitheater for summer concerts."
To earn the nomination, the Charles River Esplanade was compared to riverfronts areas around the country that have been transformed into multi-use spaces for cultural activities, dining, nightlife and recreational use. The process include being nominated by a panel of experts and then open voting by readers.
The top ranked riverwalk was the Smale Riverfront Park in Ohio. Last year, the Charles River Esplanade was ranked No. 8.
How long is the Charles River Esplanade? What can you do there?
The Esplanade is about three miles long, running on the Boston side of the Charles River between the Museum of Science and the Boston University Bridge.
The area is packed with things to do. There are multiple gardens, multiple playgrounds, historic sites, exercise courses, a community boat launch, and of course the Hatch Shell, where summer concerts and more take place.
What's the history of the Charles River Esplanade?
The park as it today got its start in the mid-1930s, according to the Esplanade Association. At that time, Arthur Shurcliff, a landscape architect, start adding trees, redesigning the water's edge, adding pathways, and adding in venues including the Hatch Shell.
Before that, it was a public space, but had some issues.
"By the late 1880s and early 90s, renowned landscape architect and Brookline resident Frederick Law Olmsted had designed “Charlesbank” along the waterfront with a promenade and the first free public outdoor gymnasium to improve the health of residents of all ages living in disease-ridden tenements in the West End," the Esplanade Association website reads. "At that time the river was still tidal and was considered a distinct liability because it was so foul smelling at low tide with the sewage of new Back Bay inhabitants! Damming of the Charles River basin in 1910 changed the odiferous mud flats into a wide basin with a constant water level. The Esplanade was born."
The Esplanade Association started with the Massachusetts Department of Recreation and Conservation in 2001 to continue to grow and maintain the park.
Who were the other winners?
Here are the other riverwalks the topped the voting.
Smale Riverfront Park, Cincinnati, OH
Woldenberg Riverfront Park, New Orleans, LA
Waterfront Park, Louisville, KY
Tampa Riverwalk, Tampa, FL
Riverfront Park, Spokane, WA
San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio, TX
Riverfront Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN
Wilmington Riverwalk, Wilmington, NC
Charles River Esplanade
Scioto Mile, Columbus, OH
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Charles River Esplanade voted one of the best riverwalks by USA Today
