Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

One rainy day at the end of July, I decided to take the Little Dude for a stroll after baby story hour in my hometown library.  We went over to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and parked at the entrance in the center of Chelmsford.

Murals along the rail trail behind my favorite coffee spot, The Java Room.

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is the start of a larger rail trail project.   When I was a kid, th rail road that ran through the center of town was silent.  It was proposed in the mid-80s to create a rail trail from Chelmsford to Sudbury.  Today the project potentially encompasss Lowell, Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury, and Framingham in Massachusetts.

Phase I was completed a few years ago and it is well used by bikers, roller bladers, walkers, ect.  Currently, the trail runs from Lowell (at Crosspoint Towers) to just barely across the town line of Westford.  Milelage is marked out on the pavement and streets are labeled on pillars so you always know where you are.  

The day we walked it the weather was grey and misty.  Very few people were out and about which made for good picture taking.  I pushed Little Dude in his stroller as he was asleep.  It was a nice, peaceful walk.  

We covered about 4 miles during out stroll.  Little Dude dozed and only woke up towards the end when he was hungry.  Currently the trail is 6.8 miles end-to-end.  I hope we don't have to wait another 20 years for the next section to be built.