The path along the Cambridge side of the Charles River is one of the most pleasant urban walks in greater Boston. The route runs from the BU Bridge in the west past MIT and through the parkland opposite the Esplanade, with views across to the Boston skyline. On summer weekends it fills with joggers, cyclists, families, and students in kayaks renting from the boathouse near MIT.
The stretch between the MIT boathouse and the Harvard Bridge is the most scenic — wide lawns descend to the water on both sides, and on a clear day the view back toward the Hancock Tower is memorable. The Harvard Bridge itself is worth noting: its length is officially measured in "Smoots" (one Smoot = 5 feet 7 inches, the height of MIT student Oliver Smoot, who was used as a measuring stick in 1958). The marks are still repainted every year by MIT students.