The great outdoors just got a little greener in Boston thanks to the Emerald Necklace - Boston's famous public park system. Stretching from Back Bay to Franklin Park, the Boston Emerald Necklace features more than 1,000 acres of parkland and dozens of recreational activities. Originally designed as an uninterrupted walkway where Bostonians could enjoy nature, the Emerald Necklace is now one of Massachusetts most impressive natural landmarks. Rustle up your Boston rent a car travel crew and check it out as part of your upcoming Massachusetts road trip.

Parks in the Emerald Necklace

Over time, the Emerald Necklace has grown to include some of Massachusetts most prominent parklands. In its entirety, the Necklace includes twelve area parks. Popular locations include the Boston Common, Franklin Park, Jamaica Pond and Olmstead Park. The parks are almost contiguous with one another. It is approximately seven miles by foot or bicycle from the start of the Necklace (Boston Common) to the end (Franklin Park).

A historical look at the Necklace

Boston rent a car travelers may not know this, but the Emerald Necklace system of parks was created back in 1878 by Frederick Law Olmsted (Olmstead is also the designer responsible for Central Park in New York City). The Necklace was originally created as a way to connect the Boston Common and the Public Gardens to the great country estate of Franklin Park. Park plans included efforts to clean up and control the marshy areas now known as the Back Bay and the Fens. The area of the Muddy River was added to the Necklace in 1880. Originally, Olmstead envisioned a "U" shaped necklace terminating at Boston Harbor. The final link, which was known as The Dorchesterway, was never realized. Today, Boston rent a car travelers will find that the park system forms an "L" shape, beginning near Boston's Downtown Crossing.

Art in nature

The parks of the Emerald Necklace are designed as trompe l'oeil, or "fool of the eye" green spaces. One look and you'd think these parks were simply naturally occurring landscapes. In reality, they're feats of engineering and marvels of urban planning. Not only have the parks been restored and revitalized with local flora, but they've also been restricted topographically, solving drainage issues and sewage problems in Boston's urban corridors. Like many great works of art, they give joy and satisfaction to their owners, who in this case, just so happen to be all the people and tourists of Boston.

Improving the Necklace's sparkle for future Boston rent a car travelers

Over the last decade, almost $60 million worth of capital expenditures have been dedicated to improving the overall appearance of the Emerald Necklace. Boston rent a car travelers can now enjoy improvements to pathways, plantings, signage and boardwalks. Bridge repairs have also been undertaken in order to improve both the aesthetics and stability of overwater pathways. The City of Boston and the City of Brookline have contributed the majority of the funds to these efforts, and the results are amazing. Future plans for the Necklace include the dredging of contaminated sediments from the Muddy River and improving its integrity, appearance and flood control capabilities.

More parks worth exploring

While the Emerald Necklace houses the vast majority of Boston's parkland, there are still a few offsite green spaces worth visiting in your Boston rent a car. These include:

• The Charles River Esplanade: While separate from the Necklace, this green space is not far from Commonwealth Avenue. It is very scenic and offers Boston rent a car travelers great jogging paths.
• The Forest Hills Cemetery: Although technically not a park, the Forest Hills Cemetery features beautiful landscaping and waterscaping. It stretches for 275-aces between the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park.
• Larz Anderson Park: This wooded park boasts 64 acres of landscaped parkland extending into Brookline from the vicinity of Jamaica Pond. It was donated to the public in 1948.