Enjoy the Charles River this summer

The Charles River slices through Waltham, inviting residents outside to explore and enjoy it. Here are our favorite ways to have fun on and along the Charles this summer.

1. Get on the water. Launch your own boat, kayak, canoe or paddleboard at the Woerd Avenue boat launch or rent from Charles River Canoe & Kayak at the Moody Street dam.
2. Try your hand at fishing. Popular spots include the Moody Street, Prospect Street and Elm Street bridges, as well as Purgatory Cove. On summer nights you’ll find people on the bridges trying to catch various freshwater fish, including yellow perch, carp and striped bass. Remember, it’s pretty much catch and release. (The state’s online Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory List offers detailed guidelines.)
3. Dine along the water. Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and Brelundi both offer outdoor dining in the nice weather with river views.
4. Take a long walk. Pathways, including the RiverWalk, run alongside both banks of the river through much of the city.
5. Or bike along the river instead. The pathways are open to cyclists (and skaters) as well as pedestrians.
6. Enjoy some quiet time at Fox Park off Charles River Road or at Landry Park just off Moody Street near the Francis Cabot Lowell Mill – as soon as its renovation has been completed.
7. Explore the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation and learn how the Charles powered industry here in the city and made Waltham the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.
8. Watch for bald eagles flying around and fishing in the Charles. After decades away, these magnificent creatures can be seen around Upper Charles River Reservation, near Purgatory Cove, Fox Island and Mount Feake Cemetery. Watch for swans, herons, ducks and geese, too.