Outdoor Winter Activities Accessible by Train 

Along the Commuter Rail, you’ll discover stops for top winter activities like skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. Pack up your snow gear including skis, snowshoes, and skates, and ride the train with friends and family–there is plenty of storage on board for your gear. Travel on a weekday, or save more with unlimited rides with the $10 Weekend Pass on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Experience a winter wonderland as you travel to some of New England’s winter trails, rinks, and ski areas. 

Note: Equipment rentals like ice skates, skis, and snowshoes can be found at public ice rinks and DCR parks. For more information about DCR facilities, click here. 

Ice Skating

About a 0.6-mile walk from South Station, you’ll find Frog Pond, an outdoor winter ice skating rink in the heart of the Boston Common. Bring your kids, your significant other, or yourself, and cruise around the rink. When you need a break from skating, hop by the Frog Pond Cafe which sells tasty hot chocolate all winter long! Check out the Boston Frog Pond’s skating schedule, which runs from November through March. 

The Providence Rink (0.5 mile from Providence Station) is the city’s prime spot for all kinds of winter activities, especially ice skating. Public skating hours run daily from 10 am – 10 pm with admission for adults starting at $9. 

For those traveling on the Framingham/Worcester Line, try out Ice Skating on the Oval located in Worcester Common (0.4 mile from Worcester Station). This 12,000-square-foot rink offers music, concessions, and beautiful holiday lights. On Saturdays and Sundays enjoy the addition of food trucks, which are announced weekly.  

And Patriots Place is not only the home of the Patriots but also a fun skating rink! Just a two-minute walk from the Foxboro Station on the Franklin/Foxboro Line, Winter Skate at Patriot Place is a perfect place for friends and family to get exercise while breathing in the fresh outdoor air. If you do not own skates of your own, all four of these public skating rinks offer rentals. Note: This is a weekday service only, which means you can’t use the Commuter Rail’s $10 Weekend Pass.

Snowshoeing

Did you know that hiking trails along the Commuter Rail are great places to snowshoe?  The Whitney Spur Trail on the Greenbush Line, Blue Hills Reservation on the Fairmount Line, and Nashua River Rail Trail and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail on the Fitchburg Line are some key examples. Snowshoeing is a great activity for all skill levels and lets you immerse yourself in all the beautiful winter landscapes. 

Make sure to do your research before embarking on a snowshoeing adventure to discover whether you can rent shoeshoes at these trails. 

Skiing and Cross-Country Skiing

Travel to Readville Station on the Fairmount, Providence/Stoughton, and Franklin/Foxboro Lines, and catch a ride or take a rideshare to the Blue Hills Ski Area— ski trails are a part of the Blue Hills Reservation. Blue Hills is the closest ski area to Metro Boston. Here, you’ll find 16 trails where you can downhill ski, cross-country ski, and even snowboard! Special offerings include nighttime skiing, where you’ll be guided by environmentally friendly state-of-the-art introduction lighting that will give you a gorgeous view of the park. Plus, whether you’re new to the outdoor sport, or want some more practice, the ski area also offers private and group lessons.

The Nashua River Rail Trail and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail are also great places to cross-country ski and snowshoe. However, you must have your own skis or find a place to rent them before your visit, as both trails do not offer rentals. Check with your local sporting goods store–they may offer rentals.  

Wachusett Mountain

Wachusett Mountain is one of New England’s most accessible ski resorts, with 27 trails and a 2006-foot summit. This ski resort is the perfect destination for beginners, families, and those who are seasoned skiers and snowboarders. Jump on the Fitchburg Line from North Station and ride to the Wachusett Station. From there, shuttles for select trains will take you to the ski resort and then return you to the station once you have finished your skiing adventure. 

The 2024 – 2025 Wachusett Ski Train service will operate on weekends starting December 21 with shuttles running between Wachusett Station and Wachusett Mountain Ski Area— shuttle buses are for riders on trains 1403, 1412, 2403, and 2412. The following Fitchburg Line trains will feature a modified coach equipped with racks for skis and snowboard equipment. On Saturdays, take Train 1403 to Wachusett and Train 1412 to North Station. On Sundays, take Train 2403 to Wachusett and Train 2412 to North Station. Shuttles from the station will pick up and drop off at the station’s bus stop while shuttles from the ski area will pick up and drop off in the parking lot in front of the main building entrance and will depart 30 minutes before train departure times.   

Embrace the winter season and discover more outdoor winter activities along the Commuter Rail. Make sure to share your trips on social media by tagging @mbta_cr and hashtag #massbytrain.