Cutler Park is a state-owned nature preserve and public recreation area that lies between Route 128/I-95 and the Charles River in Needham, Massachusetts. The state park's 772 acres (312 ha) contain the largest remaining freshwater marsh on the middle Charles River. Parts of its major trail run directly through the marsh via boardwalks; over 100 species of birds have been sighted here. The park is part of a plan by the Town of Needham to connect 18 public areas by 35 proposed trails. It is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
A boardwalk crossing the marsh at the southern end of the park
Cutler Pond
Boardwalk across Great Plain
Swans in Cutler Pond
The Charles River, sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an 80-mile-long (129 km) river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles back on itself several times and travels through 23 cities and towns before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The indigenous Massachusett named it Quinobequin, meaning "meandering" or "meandering still water".
Longfellow Bridge (center) connecting Boston and Cambridge crossing a frozen Charles River
View of the bridge over Charles River, an illustration now housed in the New York Public Library
View of the Charles River and Memorial Drive in Cambridge (foreground), and the Back Bay skyline of Boston at night
A sunny day on the Charles River Esplanade
