Rail-Trail
State: MA Length: 1.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
A lovely, albeit short, rail-trail in northeastern Massachusetts, the 1.3-mile Amesbury Riverwalk (a.k.a. Powwow Riverwalk) is the first completed section of the Coastal Trails Network, linking the four communities of Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury ...
State: MA Length: 11.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
Nestled in the Hoosic River Valley, between Mount Greylock and the Hoosac Mountains in Berkshire County, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail takes its name from a Native American word meaning "the pleasant river between the hills." Gorgeous views ...
State: MA Length: 5.60 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Assabet River Rail-Trail provides a forested escape from the surrounding urban bustle. Traveling 5.6 miles (with plans to expand it) the trail connects the towns of Hudson and Marlborough and parallels the scenic Assabet River. As of autumn ...
State: MA Length: 3.10 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt
The Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail shares its trailhead at Depot Park in Bedford with the Minuteman Bikeway and Reformatory Branch Trail. Serving mainly as a commuter route, this trail extends just over 3 miles north, past woods and residences ...
State: MA Length: 3.50 miles Surface: Dirt
The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park recalls the role of canals in transporting raw materials and manufactured goods between emerging industrial centers. Walk along restored sections of the Blackstone River Canal and Towpath from ...
The newly open Bradford Rail Trail occupies the former Pan Am rail lines, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the mile-long path for pedestrians, cyclists, joggers ...
State: MA Length: 6.80 miles Surface: Asphalt
Begins in Chelmsford at the Lowell/Chelmsford line, near Cross Point, passes through Chelmsford Center, and ends at Rt. 225 in Westford. This part of the trail covers a stretch of 6.8 miles.
State: MA Length: 0.21 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and is lined with tall elm, maple and sycamore ...
State: MA Length: 1.10 miles Surface: Asphalt
The 1.1-mile, multi-use Clipper City Rail Trail and Harbor Walk connects the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station and the Merrimack River near downtown Newburyport. Though short, the trail traverses a mix of ...
State: MA Length: 3.20 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Columbia Greenway is the name chosen for Westfield's Rail Trail. The trail when completed will extend from the Westfield River to the Southwick town line. The Columbia Greenway will traverse Downtown Westfield on an elevated line with bridge ...
State: MA Length: 5.12 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Danvers Rail Trail follows the historic Newburyport Railroad that used to carry goods and passengers between Danvers and Boston in the late 1800s. The abandoned corridor extends just over 5 miles from Peabody north through the heart of Danvers ...
State: MA Length: 7.40 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Independence Greenway runs 4.6 miles between Russell Street near the Ipswich River and the North Shore Mall on Route 128. The trail is mostly continuous except for one on-road segment between Peabody Road and Lt. Ross Park. From the park ...
State: MA Length: 2 miles Surface: Dirt, Grass, Gravel
Nestled in the woodlands on the northern end of Merrimac in the far northeastern corner of Massachusetts, lies the beautiful Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. The town, once known as West Amesbury, had a thriving industry of horse-drawn carriage shops. ...
State: MA Length: 1.20 miles Surface: Asphalt, Dirt, Grass
Although short, the scenic Little River Bike Path (also known as the Little River Nature Trail) travels through forests and pastures full of birds and wildlife. The asphalt pathway parallels the eastern side of the present-day Interstate 95 ...
State: MA Length: 9 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Manhan Rail Trail wends its way between Easthampton and Northampton, with a spur trail leading out The Oxbow near Mt. Tom. Easthampton is a typical New England factory town brimming with commerce and community, as well as historical and ...
State: MA Length: 4.10 miles Surface: Asphalt, Gravel, Sand
Shaped like a Y, this 4.1-mile rail-trail connects Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott. From the trail junction in quaint Marblehead, one branch meanders through conservation areas and past harbor overlooks to Salem, notorious for its 1692 witch ...
State: MA Length: 29 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
A 104 mile rail line was shattered by hurricane in 1938. Now, more than 60 years later, dedicated volunteers in 33 communities are working to reconnect it. Instead of trains there will be cross-country skiers, bicyclists, hikers, and joggers. It ...
The Mattapoisett Rail Trail is a work in progress. As of autumn 2011, it runs for just more than 1 mile between Reservation Road at Mattapoisett Harbor and the Phoenix Rail-Trail in Fairhaven, joining the latter at Shaw Road. The trail occupies ...
State: MA, NH Length: 12.30 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Nashua River Rail Trail is a beautiful and peaceful rural trail extending through the Massachusetts communities of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The trail continues into New Hampshire just south of the town of Nashua. In autumn ...
State: MA Length: 2.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
Over its short distance, this trail goes from urban wilderness through a mill village and a salt marsh to beaches on Boston Harbor. In the future it will connect the several-thousand-acre Blue Hills Reservation to the John F. Kennedy Library, ...
State: MA Length: 7.50 miles Surface: Asphalt
The North Central Pathway will one day stretch 16 miles between the cities of Winchendon and Gardner in northern Massachusetts, primarily along a former railroad right-of-way. Three open sections currently offer nearly 5 miles of paved, off-road ...
State: MA Length: 5.60 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
As of early 2013, nearly 6 miles of the Northern Strand Community Trail in Massachusetts are open to the public, although this includes two disjointed segments. The longer segment, which was opened in 2012, runs west from the intersection of ...
State: MA Length: 10 miles Surface: Asphalt
Stretching east from Northampton, the 10-mile Mass Central Section of the Norwottuck Rail-Trail connects the towns of Northampton, Hadley and Amherst. Part of the Connecticut River Greenway State Park, the route takes in a variety of landscapes, ...
State: MA Length: 1.40 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built in 2009 and adds to an already impressive ...
State: MA Length: 4.50 miles Surface: Dirt
The rugged and beautiful Reformatory Branch Trail meanders more than 4 miles through three natural areas: Elm Brook Conservation Area, Mary Putnam Webber Wildlife Preserve, and Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. It is the perfect route ...
The Rockland Rail Trail runs for a little more than 2 miles through the village of Rockland. It follows an old corridor of what was once known as the Hanover Branch Line. The line was built in the 1860s by E. Y. Perry, a Hanover businessman ...
State: MA Length: 1.80 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails Network of rail-trails linking the coastal ...
State: MA Length: 10.70 miles Surface: Asphalt
Curling nearly 11 miles past woodlands, marshes, salt ponds and seascape, the Shining Sea Bikeway is the only bikeway on Cape Cod to skirt the shore. Also called the Shining Sea Bike Path, the paved trail extends from County Route 151 in Falmouth ...
State: MA Length: 21 miles Surface: Ballast, Crushed Stone
The Southern New England Trunk Line Trail (aka the "SNETT") was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1994. It is built upon a segment of the former right-of-way of the New Haven Railroad's Midland Division, which operated between Boston ...
State: MA Length: 7.10 miles Surface: Asphalt
The Southwick Rail Trail is now complete from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line, where it continues south as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. On the north end the trail extends to the Westfield town line. The Southwick Rail Trail ...
State: MA Length: 4.70 miles Surface: Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Titanic Rail Trail (once known as the Grand Trunk Trail) is planned to stretch more than 60 miles through south-central Massachusetts and the northeastern corner of Connecticut along the former Southern New England Railroad. Its previous ...
State: MA Length: 2.70 miles Surface: Cinder, Crushed Stone
The Topsfield Linear Common Trail follows an abandoned rail bed, running from Washington Street in Topsfield southeast to just north of State Route 97. As of late 2011, the trail was newly surfaced with hard-packed gravel and stone dust. The ...
The Holliston segment of the Upper Charles Trail is being developed in sections. As of early 2012, a gravel section along the railroad right-of-way is open between Cross Street and South Street. The Upper Charles Trail will be 20 miles when ...