Walking/Hiking

The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose. Charles Dickens

All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole. Hal Borland

Walking in Needham

Needham is a walkable town, with plenty of sidewalks and forest paths to entice us. It has been estimated 65% of Needham residents are within 1 mile walking distance of popular destinations such as Needham Center, Needham Library, and Needham Heights.

A delightful little book available at the Needham Public Library is The Ferns & Fins Guide to Sidewalk Journeys in Needham, which includes directions, maps, and walking guides to sixteen pleasant neighborhood walks.
You can download trail maps for some of Needham’s trails.
Needham Parks and Recreation sponsors various hiking and walking activities. Their brochures are available online.

The Bay Colony Rail Trail project is working on creating a 7-mile walking/biking path along an unused railroad right of way. The path will run through beautiful conservation land and over the Charles River. The first section, a 1.7 mile multi-use path from the Needham Forest to Red Wing Bay, opened in May 1, 2016, and the 1-mile Upper Falls Greenway in Newton Upper Falls opened later in 2016. The 1.3 mile Medfield section opened in 2022, and the final 3-mile stretch in Dover is in progress. The Bay Colony Rail Trail website has maps, information about parking, and updates. The project welcomes volunteers and supporters.

More ideas!!

See the Living Green “Enjoying the Great Outdoors” section for a description of walking trails in Needham and nearby communities.

Other pages in this section

Resources

Documents

Resources on the Web

	http://www.needhamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2341/Executive-Summary?bidId= Executive Summary of the Needham Center Development Plan
	Needham Downtown Streetscapes Committee Needham Downtown Streetscapes Committee page on the town of Needham's website