Franklin Park is a great place to be active! Come with friends to take a walk around the golf course loop path (2.25 scenic miles), ride your bike, play tennis, shoot a few hoops, or hike in the woods. Franklin Park Moves for Health is a partner with the Boston Public Health Commission’s initiative urging Bostonians to lose a collective million pounds and to walk 10 million miles together.
Working with DotBike, the Franklin Park Coalition got the Boston Parks Commission to make Franklin Park the only city park where bicycling is officially allowed. If you don’t have a bike, come to the Kite & Bike Festival in May to “rent” one for free. Boston Bikes brings all size bikes and helmets and sets up a bike rodeo so kids can improve their bicycling skills.
Bicycle Directions
It’s hard work maintaining trails in the Franklin Park woodlands, but we want you to go hiking! The Appalachian Mountain Club helped the FPC youth crew build a “blazed trail” that is marked with yellow blazes on trees and rocks to help you navigate through the Wilderness, Franklin Park’s largest forest. We hope you’ll go exploring:
To follow the yellow blazes: look for them on trees at eye level or on the rock floor when you’re on a plateau. If you see a double blaze at a fork, go in the direction of the one that’s slightly higher.
All you need to go hiking in Franklin Park is a pair of sneakers and a sense of adventure. There are soaring rock cliffs, winding paths, and occasional signs of woodland animals.
Join FPC’s partner, Hike4Life, to go hiking with a friendly group and learn cool survival and nature facts. Everyone’s welcome!
Franklin Park is a great place for an informal ball game with your friends!
The Playstead is the huge field located between White Stadium and the Zoo. Here you can find baseball diamonds, a cricket pitch, and a large open field. The Playstead is used for little league, adult softball leagues, Sunday cricket games, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and BPS sports programs.
Another baseball diamond can be found at Ellicottdale, just down from the Shattuck Picnic Grove. It’s also used by local youth and adult leagues.
To reserve an athletic field, download a park permit application from the City of Boston website.