Torbert Macdonald State Park is one of the largest riverfront parks in Greater Boston, providing residents in Medford, Malden, Somerville, and Everett with recreational opportunities in and along the Mystic River. One of four parks that comprise the Mystic River Reservation, it offers trails for walking, running, or biking, in addition to a boat launch for canoes and kayaks and an accessible sitting dock.

The Mystic River Reservation was established in 1893 by the newly formed Metropolitan Parks Commission, later renamed the Metropolitan District Commission, making it one of the first official nature preserves in Massachusetts. By the early 20th century, most of the land along the Mystic River in Medford, Arlington, and Somerville had become public. Since 2010, work to restore and preserve the Reservation, including linking it to the Minuteman Bikeway, has been informed by the Mystic River Master Plan.

Photo courtesy of the Mystic River Watershed Association