Because much of Lexington is surrounded by highways or residential neighborhoods in bordering communities, hikes in town tend to have an insular feel to them, which is why the ACROSS Lexington network of paths works so well. But once you cross Route 128, there are trails that extend west into several other towns, with some going long distances. One of the most interesting of these is a wonderland to history buffs, lying almost entirely within Minute Man National Historic Park. And because The Battle Road Trail is a linear path, those who might never consider taking a hike can do little pieces of it here and there, enjoying some beautiful scenery while also getting a feel for what the area looked like during Colonial America.
The Battle Road Trail follows parts of an old road where the first skirmishes of the American Revolutionary War took place. It is mostly wide and easily walkable, with a mix of pavement, gravel, and dirt surfaces. The start and end points are rather inauspicious — the 5-mile trail starts across the street from a small parking lot and peters out just after another small lot. Everyone has their favorite route or section, but one of the most popular options is one that the Local Walks/Hikes division of the Appalachian Mountain Club takes, starting from the visitor center off Route 2A, heading east to the start, then looping off the trail briefly before continuing on to the western end and back, which is what the focus of this article will be on.
The visitor center for Minute Man National Historic Park is an interesting place, with exhibits, a museum store, and a multimedia theater presentation on the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It’s in a peaceful setting with a boardwalk and wetlands. The center traditionally opens in April, but this year it won’t open until May (and keep in mind that bathrooms are closed until then). The grounds of the center and the parking lot are open year round, and getting a parking space in the sizable lot — especially before tourists arrive when the weather warms up — usually isn’t a problem. The visitor center is literally on the Lexington/Lincoln line, so the start of the walk is in Lincoln but walking the boardwalk to the visitor center puts you in Lexington, where you’ll be for a while as you pass the center, cross Airport Road, and arrive at the Battle Road Trail.
Taking a right on the trail and heading east will have you skirt Route 2A before paralleling Old Massachusetts Avenue, climbing through the woods then crossing the road just before the path “ends” at Wood Street near Route 128. From here, you can take a loop trail up Fiske Hill, which is a large open field, then drop toward a little lot near where Old Massachusetts Avenue and Route 2A meet, crossing the former to return to the Battle Road Trail where you’ll turn left and head west. Fiske Hill is easy to get lost in, as you’re technically off the Battle Road Trail here and other trails crisscross, so have a good map handy or use a hiking/walking app to trace your path.
Continue west on the Battle Road Trail past the path that leads to the visitor center, paralleling Airport Road before crossing it at the Lexington/Lincoln border, taking some time to read the informational signs along the way that describe the houses, house sites, and landscape features along the trail. This part of the trail feels like a warmup of sorts as you head toward the heart of the national park, winding your way past the Paul Revere Capture Site (the stone plaque and information signs are full of great info here) then dropping into a tunnel under Hanscom Drive before emerging into an area that lovers of history will want to spend extra time in.
Captain William Smith House, left, and Hartwell Tavern, right / Credit: Marc Hurwitz
One of the first things you see after exiting the tunnel is a beautifully preserved old home on a rise to the right called the Captain William Smith House, which dates back to the late 1600s and gets its name from the leader of the Lincoln Minute Men. The trail bears right at the house and heads to what looks like the skeleton of an old home. This is the Samuel Hartwell House, which also was built in the late 1600s and whose owner was a Lincoln Minute Men sergeant. The house was destroyed by a fire in the 1960s, but seeing its bones (including its impressive fireplace) makes it a must-stop. Just beyond this is the Hartwell Tavern, a structure beloved by tourists that practically screams “New England” with its classic clapboard exterior, garden area in the back, and nicely preserved rooms inside (tours are given during the summer and fall). This is a good place to take a break, combining it with a trail loop across the way that goes to a quiet vernal pool where benches are built into the end of a boardwalk.
Shortly after the Hartwell Tavern, the Battle Road Trail jogs right then left at The Bloody Angle where British troops were killed during their retreat through Lincoln, then past views of open fields at right before entering historic Hay Meadow via a boardwalk. It then climbs to the Job Brooks House which dates back to 1740 and is now used as a storage space for an archaeological collection that includes countless artifacts. Just past this point, the Battle Road Trail is closed for restorations and upgrades from where Lexington Road and Shadyside Avenue meet to the Carty Barn complex. Once this section opens back up, you’ll be able to continue past the barn and its picturesque silo through the Battle Road Farms whose open lands seem to stretch forever, then past a little wooded area and some bucolic fields just before the Meriams Corner parking lot on Lexington Road, continuing on briefly to the official end of the Battle Road Trail where Lexington Road and Old Bedford Road meet (seasonal rest rooms can be found here).
As for total mileage, taking just the Battle Road Trail from the eastern end by the Fiske Hill parking lot to the end (once the closed part reopens) is approximately 10 miles. Taking the route described here and turning around at the closed section just after the Job Brooks House is also around 10 miles. Once the closed section reopens, doing the full trail as described here is closer to 12 miles, so if that seems like a lot, consider spotting cars and doing an end-to-end hike for a total of 6 miles.
One final note: Thanks to funding from both the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Minute Man National Historic Park will see restoration and protection of critical habitats via the former, and it is also in the process of making improvements to historic structures, landscapes, views, and more via the latter. It’s great to see funds being used to preserve one of the real gems of the national park system. In the short term, once the closed stretch of trail opens back up, those looking to hike in Lexington and beyond will be able to fully enjoy a trail that is one of the most interesting, both historically and visually, in the entire Greater Boston area.
More information can be found via the following link:
https://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/the-battle-road-trail.htm
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