Charles River Reservation

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR's) Charles River Reservation is a linear park stretching from Boston Harbor up the Charles River for 20 miles. The lower half of the reservation, from downtown Boston to the Watertown Dam, is the Charles River Basin, which includes the Esplanade on the Boston side. The basin abuts the campuses of MIT, Boston University and Harvard. The Upper Charles River section of the Reservation begins at Watertown Square and meanders to Riverdale Park in West Roxbury.

The Charles River was given this name in honor of Charles I of England, the reigning monarch, by John Smith in the 1600s. Subsequent European settlers harnessed the river for industrialization, and by 1640 entrepreneurs on the Neponset River had diverted its water to power their mills. For more about the history about this area CLICK HERE.