Check out Mary O'Malley Park in Chelsea!

Guest Post from Laila Soleimani of DCR's Universal Access Program. Laila is an Outreach Specialist working to help people discover new opportunities.

Tucked away in an inner suburb of Boston, you will find Mary O’Malley Park. If you’re looking for an easy, leisurely, accessible stroll or just a beautiful place to spend some time relaxing in the urban outdoors, then this is just the spot for you! Last week, I had the opportunity to visit this family and dog-friendly location on a quiet, spring Thursday morning.

Located on Commandant’s Way in Chelsea across from a few apartment complexes, you will notice two parking areas with free, ample parking (for up to 4 hours, as marked on the signage). One parking area is located across from the playground and pavilion at the park and has 2 van accessible parking spaces. The second parking area is located closer to the bathroom building and also has two accessible parking spaces available. The access route to the pavilion next to the playground itself is accessible, however, there are no accessible picnic tables here. I’m happy to report that the bathrooms are open from 6:30am to 6pm and the park itself is open from sunrise to sunset.

The start of the Healthy Heart trail is marked with signage across the Mary O’Malley Park bathroom building between the building, adjacent to the sidewalk. The signage indicates to go right for the trail, the accessible bathrooms, and an accessible picnic area. Follow the signs along the paved path, where you will pass the bathrooms on your right, and continue where you will be greeted with a second Healthy Heart trail sign. This approximate one-mile, mostly flat, mostly paved wheelchair/stroller accessible trail is great for all skill levels and offers wonderful views of the Boston skyline.

 As I began my trek, I immediately observed stunning views of the Tobin Bridge (the largest bridge in all of New England!) sprawling across beautiful Mystic River. The further along the trail I got, the sound of bridge traffic became fainter as the gleeful sounds of birds chirping began to drown out other noise. The smell of freshly mowed grass carpeting the park and the bright green leaves hanging from tall trees hugging the trail were vibrant and welcoming. 

There are eight benches along the trail and an accessible pavilion to relax and get some reprieve from the sun. The pathway and pavilion area are both accessible, but the two picnic tables located there are not. There are also many more picnic tables throughout the park, however, these are not along the accessible route. Shortly after you pass the pavilion and the 4th bench along the path, you will come to a fork where you can go right to cut back to the sidewalk in between the two parking areas or stay straight to continue along the route. While most of the path is mostly paved and flat, you’ll notice the shortcut that loops back to the sidewalk (which is approximately 460 feet) is more of a gravely surface.

I decided to take the longer route and continued my loop through the park. I stopped regularly to marvel at the industrial area across the river which also included views of the Yacht Club and tall cranes at the shipyard used for loading and unloading containers. One of the most notable structures was a large yellow dome. When I inquired about what this was, someone thought this was actually a cement company (makes sense given the area it’s in!). 

This is a very wide trail, averaging 11 feet wide. About three-quarters of a way down the trail, I noticed the trail surface shifted again from being completely paved to a gravely flat surface. Shortly after, I passed two tennis courts and came to another fork in the trail—in order to stay in the park and loop back to the sidewalk on Commandant’s Way, bear right. 

There is a fishing pier that you will notice to the left of the bathroom building. This pier is part of Mary O’Malley park, however, it is not considered accessible (as there is a 9 inch step up to the actual pier). There is an approximate 7% downgrade to get to the pier from the bottom of the trail extension and a 13% downgrade to get to this point. There are no helpful barriers on either side before you get down to the pier so if you decided to explore this area so it’s best to proceed with caution if you have mobility limitations.

Near the fishing pier, you’ll also notice another path to the left for further but less level exploration and more views of the Tobin Bridge, Mystic River, and beautiful residences straight ahead. A gate indicates the end of the park and you will need to turn and hike back down to your vehicle. There are two sections of this path where the trail is raised and difficult for strollers and wheelchair users to navigate.

On this cloudy weekday morning, there were several people walking and jogging in the park and a few families enjoying the playground. I’m sure this park is busier on summer weekends and evenings and draws many visitors. I was told that many people have watched the 4th of July fireworks in Boston from Mary O’Malley throughout the years. It’s important to keep in mind that gates are closed to the park and no one can drive in - it’s walk-in only from the parking lot. Another fun fact I learned is that Mary O’Malley Park and the surrounding area used to be the Chelsea Naval Hospital! I highly recommend visiting this park! I’ve been working with DCR for over 6 years now and I’m always amazed at the wonderful new places that are part of our Massachusetts state parks system.

DCR (Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation) advocates for people to be mindful of the pandemic situation and follow current safe practices outlined by the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.