Find the top rated trails in Brattleboro, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Keene Industrial Trail links the county's Cheshire Rail-Trail in the city of Keene. The paved path is a 1-mile segment through downtown Keene, which passes among some of the city's old mill...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
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...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
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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...
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...
The Harrisville Rail Trail runs for just under two miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
Canalside Trail begins at McClelland Farm Road and heads north on the former NYNH&H Railroad, crossing the Connecticut River near its confluence with Deerfield River. Approximately a half mile north...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
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The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
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...
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...
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The Cheshire Rail Trail stretches for nearly 33 miles between Route 12 near Bookseller Road and the New Hampshire–Massachusetts state line at Route 12. In Keene, the trail includes a beautiful stone...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail connects three communities in south-central New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Deering, and Bennington. The unpaved trail winds along the Contoocook River through rural...
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the old railroad line of the same name, running along the Piscataquog River between the Hillsborough County Youth Center in New Boston and Route 114, about 4 miles to...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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...
In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
A 104-mile rail line was shattered by hurricane in 1938. Today, the corridor is being developed as the Mass Central Rail Trail to be enjoyed by bicyclists, walkers, joggers, and cross-country skiers....
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
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...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
Canalside Trail begins at McClelland Farm Road and heads north on the former NYNH&H Railroad, crossing the Connecticut River near its confluence with Deerfield River. Approximately a half mile north...
The Cheshire Rail Trail stretches for nearly 33 miles between Route 12 near Bookseller Road and the New Hampshire–Massachusetts state line at Route 12. In Keene, the trail includes a beautiful stone...
Also known as the Sugar River Recreational Trail, this picturesque 9.8-mile path stretches from Newport to the southeastern edge of Claremont along the banks of the Sugar River. To reach Claremont...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
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The East Branch Trail is a 5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of the...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
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...
More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic route, planned to be paved in the future, offers a...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
Also known as the Sugar River Recreational Trail, this picturesque 9.8-mile path stretches from Newport to the southeastern edge of Claremont along the banks of the Sugar River. To reach Claremont...
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
The Keene Industrial Trail links the county's Cheshire Rail-Trail in the city of Keene. The paved path is a 1-mile segment through downtown Keene, which passes among some of the city's old mill...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
The first section of the Corkscrew Rail Trail opened in June 2015. It begins at Knapp Road in Stephentown and heads south under a shady tree canopy towards New Lebanon, near the New York/Massachusetts...
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...
The Goffstown Rail Trail is open, but still in development. About half of the Goffstown Rail Trail has hard packed gravel surface. Goffstown Rail Trail stretches just over 5 miles in length. A bridge...
The Bobby Woodman Rail Trail, a hard-packed dirt and gravel pathway, begins off a quiet street at the southern end of Claremont and quickly dives under pleasant tree cover. After about a half mile,...
Although short, the Hoot, Toot and Whistle Trail provides an enjoyable journey through peaceful woodlands on Wilmington's west end. As you might guess, the rail-trail gets its name from the former...
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...
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...
Following the floodplain of the West River Valley, the 16-mile West River Trail (a.k.a. Railroad Bed Trail) appeals to a wide range of trail users. The rail-trail has a nearly level surface, ideal for...
The Harrisville Rail Trail runs for just under two miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris...
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the old railroad line of the same name, running along the Piscataquog River between the Hillsborough County Youth Center in New Boston and Route 114, about 4 miles to...
The scenic Monadnock Branch Rail-Trail travels for just over 7 miles from Webster Street in Jaffrey near the ball field to the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border. From Jaffrey to Rindge the trail is...
My wife and 2 kids (7 and 10) and I were here on a Sunday afternoon. We started at the end of the trail near Rt 91. We were the only ones there. We parked in the trail parking lot and headed toward Springfield. The trail starts as a dead end street, at the end of the street it turns to a paved bike path. The start of the path is very nice, after passing by a gas station and a busy road crossing and parking lot, it parallels a river for about 1/4 mile. The trail ends and the route follows a quiet country road for another 1/2 mile before coming to an old iron road bridge that crosses the river. There's a small park just over the bridge that we stopped at for a break. After that, the "bike trail" just parallels route 11 until the outskirts of Springfield. It looks just like a pavement sidewalk next to a busy road, for the next 2 plus miles until it ends in a run down part of the edge of town. Overall not much scenery after mile one, and not much fun.
My wife and two kids (7 and 10) and I started on the Newport end of the trail, on a Sunday afternoon. First impression was good, nice hard packed soil and beautiful scenery. Then we encountered our first group of ATVs, 3 of them came speeding up from behind us. A closer look at the trail signs showed that they were allowed on the trail. About 1/3 mile into the ride, the surface turned to a soft sand that was difficult to ride on. Then another group of ATVs came from ahead of us, doing a good 30mph. Next a cop on an ATV came around the corner from ahead of us doing about 40mph. The soft sand was too much to deal with so we turned around. Another 4 ATVs passed us. We rode about 3/4 of a mile before turning around. Really a wasted trip and this trail really shouldn't be called a bike or walking trail as it is mainly used by motorized vehicles and doesn't seem safe to have children riding on bicycles.
I parked where the trail crosses Highway 140 and pedaled north. In about 3 miles the pavement ends at Old Gardener Road. You then have the option to take Old Gardener to Spring to North Ashburnham Roads to pick up the terminus of the next paved segment or if you're feeling adventurous you can cross Old Gardener and continue on the unpaved rail bed. It was full of humps, some mud and some puddles but you end up at an exit crossing Spring Street and a short connector that joins the paved segment that takes you to downtown Winchendon. Frankly the latter route is more interesting than the street connection route. Don't be surprised if you run into an ATV.
5/28/2017 The trail begins near the former Middle Granville NY Depot on Depot St. Does not appear to be trail head parking at this point but you may be able to leave a car near the business occupying the former depot.
Very shortly down the trail it gets a little confusing as the "trail" goes through a dairy farm. Today that hilly portion was not bike friendly with mud and puddles and deep ruts so I took a short detour to the nearby road and around the farm back to the trail.
The trail from there to the Granville town center was fine with a mix of grass and crushed cinder. The trail passes a bed and breakfast in town (trail parking here) and then it is mostly crushed cinder and good going to the Vermont state line.
From the NY/VT line to West Pawlet again a mix of grass and crushed cinder. A little less than 7 miles from Middle Granville to West Pawlet. There is trail parking at West Pawlet near the intersection of 153 and Egg St. I finished the trail here but it continues for 9.5 miles to West Rupert.
Previous reviews had mentioned a dog problem in the VT section after leaving NY (going south) or approaching the NY state line (going north). There were loud barking dog(s) in this area but they did not impinge on the trail. I could not see through the brush to determine if they were leashed of penned.
Lovely trail in the early spring. Great variety of scenery--fields, wetlands, Amherst College, pine forest. Well maintained, frequent rest areas. Quite lovely.
Great trail, easy ride. Best part is... It's paved the whole way into center of Northampton. If you end in Northampton make your way to Mimmos. Biggest slice of pizza you'll ever eat for a good price. Enjoy and happy riding!
On 4/11/17 I parked at the Old Gardner Rd lot and began traveling south. The path was nicely paved and level. Very easy and well marked. There is a sign post marking the Winchendon/Gardner Town Line and even a bike repair station w/an air pump. Lots of benches and places to rest.
When the trail meets back up at Rt. 140 (3.24 miles) you have to cross over Rt. 140. This is when the trail gets a little more rough. Still flat, but unpaved and really wet (some ice still) on this particular day. At about 2000' it goes puts you at an electrical transfer station. You can continue on for another 1/2 mile before you reach Park Street.
You can cross Park St, but you'll only go about 2000' before you reach another electrical transfer station. From there, there is no more path to follow. Not that I could find anyway.
I was hoping it was 11 miles one way. But turned out to be closer to 4-4.5.
There is another trail, which intersects the first rough portion. It brings you into the Perley Brook Reservation Area. It's a lot more rugged and wet. More hils and a lot more challenging. Definitely not suitable for a road bike and almost more appropriate for a fat tire mountain bike, especially if it's wet.
Overall, it was a good experience. I was muddy and sweaty at the end, but it was worth it.
From the Jaffrey ball field it was very populated with houses and led us along the busy road. I am sure would be fine for biking or snow mobile, but not a peaceful walk.
Very nice wide trail that is easy to walk with Beautiful views
I just read some of the reviews from wimpy riders. The "transition"in Winchendon from fading trail to "bushwacking" unfortunately is still true although there is a clear path to the right that one should take before the factory detritus. I have never seen drug deals, drug paraphenalia or homeless people there although I have disturbed some real turkeys.
Take a left and follow the road to the end. If you look to the left you'll see (and can follow) the original rail trail to a paved road. From there just cut across Main to the YMCA and follow the paved portion again along Whitney Pond.
Cross Glenallen Street and this trail is now paved. (Complete with parking lot and lane markings). Follow this to the end then turn right onto North Ashburnham Road, then right onto Spring St (Rt 12) Take first left onto Old Gardner Road. Pick up paved Rail Trail again to Rt. 140. (Parking lot included.)This is the official end HOWEVER if you continue across the street you can still follow the original roadbed again. Not paved but quite negotiable.We get off on Park Street and street ride to Gardner Ale house.
My husband and I recently completed this entire rail trail from route 63 in Hinsdale all the way to Keene. We did this in 5-mile increments and we both enjoyed every mile. My husband is an advanced mountain bike rider and I'm more of a beginner.
Almost the whole trail is old railroad bed of packed ballast with shorter gravel and sandy sections. This is NOT a road bike trail and those of us that have mt bikes like it exactly the way it is!!!
The first 5-mile section from route 63 in Hinsdale to the old Ashuelot depot and covered bridge on Gunn Mountain Rd off of route 119 was spectacular. There is only one small spot where a bridge most have been that is a short, steep down and then quick up the other side which requires any technical skill. I just choose to walk my bike down and then back up. This section of the trail goes by some fascinating old, abandoned mills with some spooky looking old tracks.
The second 5-mile section from the Ashelot covered bridge to Old Westport Rd in Winchester is only slightly more technical.
The third 5-mile section from Old Westport Rd to Railroad Rd in West Swanzey was a beautiful ride.
The forth 5-mile section from West Swanzey to Keene while beautiful was, for us, pretty boring. This section of the trail is hard pan dirt and, when dry, would easily accommodate road bikes.
All in all a fantastic biking resource which we are delighted to have discovered. We'll be back often!
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