Explore the best rated trails in Ashland, MA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Heritage Trail (NH) and Common Pathway . With more than 117 trails covering 720 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
We hit this little trail on a warm afternoon when we had two hours unscheduled. The Leominster end was fine and the Fitchburg end was rather a rough neighborhood. We were riding tandem, so the many stops were slightly vexing. We spent most of the ride shifting down to dismount or shifting up from dismounting. There were plenty of dining options all along the route, and ice cream at the parking spot. Room for 6 cars, but plenty more right at the municipal Carter Park. At 0.2 miles, we smelled something really good. Ate lunch at Taqueria El Amigo 2. It was a very nice little Mexican restaurant with pineapple, mandarin, and other interesting sodas. The food was very good.
This is a well maintained, scenic paved trail with a connecting loop around Colt State Park (additional 3 miles or so if chosen). Approximately half the trail is shaded with lots of road crossings, most of which - despite the signs - can be safely traversed w/o dismounting. We parked at India Park and headed off to southern end near Bristol where there were plenty of benches to relax and enjoy the views before heading back,
Follows the route of the Boston Marathon, including Heartbreak Hill. Very pleasant and easily accessible from Boston, Brookline and western suburbs. Most of the route is completely separated from cars on Commonwealth Ave. Lots of places to stop for refreshments and it's a short detour on Center St.'s restaurants.
This is a paved and well-marked trail that starts at the Alewife MBTA Red Line station in Cambridge, where the is a parking garage, and runs north & northwest through Arlington, Lexington and Bedford. It's been well used for years by people out for a walk, cyclists out for a pleasant ride, families, and bike commuters. Once past Arlington Center and across Massachusetts Ave., the trail runs through a tunnel of trees as it goes past suburban back yards, village centers and conservation land. There are lots of access points and places to hop off and get food and something to drink, and numerous benches along the trail where you can take a break. Toward the end, you cross a bridge over Interstate 95/State Route 128 heading into Bedford.
First off. . . Glad that they finally did something with that stretch of track. I use to ride my mountain bike along them. The trail itself is very nice, clean and wide. To echo, what others have stated, why too many stops and stoplights. Definitely a great walking path. Also, it just ends. . . You get to the end at Fourth St - Fitchburg and the signage tells you to take a left, then a right, onto Middle St. then a right onto First St and it just ends?! I hope the complete more.
Just did this trail today from Range Road in Windham to Derry. This is a great trail and was surprisingly not that busy for July 3rd. One tiny observation, we attempted to start at the Willow St. parking area in Salem across from Dodge Grain. Things have changed there since the Rail Trail map was done, there is no parking anywhere there now. Some company has signs saying non-company business parkers will be towed. Thus we went north. However, it looks like there is an empty lot at the Main St. - Central St. intersection across from the Depot Museum in Salem. It looks to be safe to park there and the rail trail is a few steps away.
This trail had sand, deep in areas made it not fun for gravel biking.
Started from India point park and it isn’t marked where to. We lost the “route” many times because of no signage. Very bumpy, wouldn’t call it a scenic ride.
Overall this is a great trail and one of my favorites, but I'll give you the detailed breakdown from North to South. Starting near the YMCA in Winchendon it is a beautiful paved trail with great scenery and lots of good parking here and a little further down near Glenallen Street. Just after you cross the large bridge at the beginning, there is an inconspicuous and not very inviting junction with the unpaved Ware River Rail Trail on the right that I have not ridden. I rode all the way down to North Ashburnham Road where I turned right, took a right on Route 12 for a short bit, then turned left on Old Gardner Road to get to the next section of paved trail and skipped the unpaved portion between Route 12 and Old Gardner Road. This next section is very nice as well, although I'm not a fan of the underpass at Commercial Drive because it collects water at the bottom even during the summer. I always ride the narrow dirt track over the top to avoid the water in the tunnel. There is at least one maintenance station between here and Route 140 and a few benches to stop and rest on. Once you cross Route 140, I'm not a big fan. There are no muddy spots, but that's because a lot of crushed stone has been placed in sections on the trail which makes for a very rough ride. I'm hoping this crushed stone is a prelude to placing some compacted crushed gravel for a better riding surface. We shall see. I stopped at Park Street and then rode down into Gardner from there. It is all very nice and it would be 5 stars if the southern section had a better surface.
I only rode the southern 3 miles of this trail between Route 122 and Route 62. The surface is not bad, no muddy spots, although there was a large pine tree down across the trail that was nearly impassable. My only criticism of this section was that there were no gates at Grange Road or Lackey Lane and I believe only on the southerly side of Covered Bridge Road which meant that I looked over my shoulder at one point to find a Toyota Tacoma bearing down on me. Why are there trucks driving on the rail trail?
For the person who said there are no facilities on the trail, for most of the riding weather spring, and summer, Colt State Park has bathrooms in Bristol and further north towards Providence, just north of Barrington there’s a boat launch that has bathrooms. I guess you’re looking for 100% scenery when you ride a trail. Most of this trail is gorgeous and if you ride into Colt State Park you can get even better views along the trail in there and add 4-5 miles if you do it right.
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