Explore the best rated trails in Bristol, RI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Fresh Pond Bikeway and Upper Charles Trail. With more than 52 trails covering 338 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.
Riverpoint Park sits nestled into a bend of the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The park accommodates the 400-ft arboretum which leads to 1.3-mile riverside path known as the Senator...
Imagine a wealthy 19th-century textile mill owner building an 8-mile railroad to get coal to his plant or products to market, and then adding accommodations to carry vacationers to beach resorts or...
At the turn of the 20th century, Groton & Stonington Railway Company began to move passengers between Groton to Mystic via electric trolleys. But in 25 years, the line had been discontinued due to...
Though the idea for a Cape Cod Canal goes back to the settlers of Plymouth Colony, the waterway didn’t begin construction until 1909. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took over operation and...
The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway provides a valuable crosstown connector of nearly 7 miles from downtown Providence to the city’s western neighborhoods and the nearby town of Johnston....
The Putnam River Trail extends between Arch Street in the Putnam District and Providence Street to the south. The trail follows the east bank of the Quinebaug River between the river and Kennedy...
The West Warwick Riverwalk is located in a park just behind West Warwick High School and John F. Deering Middle School. The paved trail goes for about a mile north following the Pawtuxet River. A...
Burrillville Bike Path runs for just over a mile through its namesake rural community in northwest Rhode Island. It connects the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville through a corridor that once...
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The Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
Throughout history, the Blackstone River has been an important waterway, from its use by American Indians who fished its once-abundant salmon to its role as a major artery for the transportation of...
The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...
The Charles River Bike Path, also referred to as the Charles River Greenway, offers a paved, 22-mile route from Boston to its western suburbs. The trail is also part of a larger, developing network...
More and more, airport lands near previously under-used rail corridors are being transformed from largely neglected vacant lands into urban greenways. These new vibrant spaces are used not only by...
The South Bay Harbor Trail connects several Boston neighborhoods—Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, and Fort Point Channel—to the Boston Harbor. The trail spans nearly 4 miles from Ruggles...
The Upper Falls Greenway is a short rail-trail that cuts through the charming village of Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the same former rail corridor as the developing...
The Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
The Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. The rail-trail, Rhode Island’s longest, follows the former...
Ten Mile River Greenway, named for the waterway it parallels and not its length, runs 3 miles through a serene and green corridor connecting the City of East Providence and Pawtucket. The southern end...
Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...
In the southeastern outskirts of Boston, the Hanover Branch Rail Trail connects the communities of Abington and Rockland. (Locally, the trail’s east and west halves are sometimes referred to as the...
The South Bay Harbor Trail connects several Boston neighborhoods—Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, and Fort Point Channel—to the Boston Harbor. The trail spans nearly 4 miles from Ruggles...
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 Bike Trail in Fairhaven, joining...
Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway may not be very long, but it's jam-packed with attractions. Along the paved pathway, you can access five parks, be wowed by public art, stop to smell the flowers in...
More and more, airport lands near previously under-used rail corridors are being transformed from largely neglected vacant lands into urban greenways. These new vibrant spaces are used not only by...
With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...
The Stillwater Scenic Walkway is a short trail that follows an old railroad bed between Capron Road and State Route 104 (Farnum Pike) south of Smithfield. The trail passes through a wooded area along...
The World War II Veterans Memorial Trail opened in Mansfield in 2004 after several decades of advocacy by local rail-trail supporters. The trail rests on an abandoned corridor once served by the Old...
At the turn of the 20th century, Groton & Stonington Railway Company began to move passengers between Groton to Mystic via electric trolleys. But in 25 years, the line had been discontinued due to...
The Phenix-Harris Riverwalk, a short trail built on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, connects West Warwick and Coventry, two towns on the outskirts of Providence. The dirt...
The Bay Colony Rail Trail will one day span 7 miles connecting the Boston suburbs of Newton, Needham, Dover, and Medfield along tracks once used by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. In May...
Burrillville Bike Path runs for just over a mile through its namesake rural community in northwest Rhode Island. It connects the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville through a corridor that once...
The Upper Falls Greenway is a short rail-trail that cuts through the charming village of Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the same former rail corridor as the developing...
Imagine a wealthy 19th-century textile mill owner building an 8-mile railroad to get coal to his plant or products to market, and then adding accommodations to carry vacationers to beach resorts or...
The Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. The rail-trail, Rhode Island’s longest, follows the former...
Riverpoint Park sits nestled into a bend of the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The park accommodates the 400-ft arboretum which leads to 1.3-mile riverside path known as the Senator...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
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...
The Arkwright Riverwalk, founded on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, is located in Coventry, a rural central Rhode Island town that was built around textile mills. The one-mile...
The pleasantly tree-lined Warren Bike Path, built along the former Warren-Fall River Railroad, runs just under a mile from Long Road west to the Kickemuit River. The trail ends in an 18-acre park...
Ten Mile River Greenway, named for the waterway it parallels and not its length, runs 3 miles through a serene and green corridor connecting the City of East Providence and Pawtucket. The southern end...
Marshfield's Bridle Trail follows a former railroad bed through a tree-lined corridor. It begins at the town's Dandelion Park and heads north. Its compacted dirt surface is best suited for walking,...
The South Bay Harbor Trail connects several Boston neighborhoods—Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, and Fort Point Channel—to the Boston Harbor. The trail spans nearly 4 miles from Ruggles...
The Upper Falls Greenway is a short rail-trail that cuts through the charming village of Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the same former rail corridor as the developing...
Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...
Burrillville Bike Path runs for just over a mile through its namesake rural community in northwest Rhode Island. It connects the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville through a corridor that once...
The Shining Sea Bikeway follows the route of a former railroad line run by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, which ran service to New York and Boston from 1872 to 1965. After the...
Though the idea for a Cape Cod Canal goes back to the settlers of Plymouth Colony, the waterway didn’t begin construction until 1909. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took over operation and...
The Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
The Pine Tree Brook Trail travels alongside the brook in Milton, Massachusetts. The path travels through woods and residential neighborhoods for a distance of about 1.8 miles, and it connects to the...
The New Bedford Covewalk, like the HarborWalk further east, sits atop the hurricane barrier built to protect New Bedford residents from storm surges during extreme weather. Even when it's nice out...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
The Watertown-Cambridge Greenway runs along the former corridor of the B&M Railroad’s Watertown Branch. The trail begins in a busy shopping area on the site of a former U.S. Army arsenal. Trees...
At the turn of the 20th century, Groton & Stonington Railway Company began to move passengers between Groton to Mystic via electric trolleys. But in 25 years, the line had been discontinued due to...
The Air Line State Park Trail winds nearly 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. The pathway is...
The Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier was built to protect New Bedford and nearby villages from storm surge during hurricanes, but also ended up cutting off residents from the water that lay just beyond...
Throughout history, the Blackstone River has been an important waterway, from its use by American Indians who fished its once-abundant salmon to its role as a major artery for the transportation of...
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...
The pleasantly tree-lined Warren Bike Path, built along the former Warren-Fall River Railroad, runs just under a mile from Long Road west to the Kickemuit River. The trail ends in an 18-acre park...
The Whitney Spur Rail Trail runs from just north of the MBTA’s Cohasset Station through dense woodlands to the edge of Wompatuck State Park. The corridor was originally a spur off the Old Colony...
Very shady in most sections. Very well marked and the areas that involve streets are very few and very easy to navigate. Do not let this stop you from enjoying this great path. Hopefully they keep adding on!
My wife and I rode this train on 7/27/19. We started at the route 2 park and ride, rode south to a point about 2 miles East of East Hampton, then doubled back all the way to the Willimantic Bridge, finally returning to the car. About 30-35 miles total. Very nice trail, well-maintained, tree lined, rural. Few crossroads, cool, not heavily used the day we were there. Please be aware that while there are no big hills, there are a few long steady climbs along the way, especially East of the park-and-ride; think small elevation with a steady,slow climb All told a great trail, would be awesome during Fall color each season. Please also note that you can connect to the Hop River trail just over the Willimantic Bridge.
This lower section of the Air Line is very enjoyable I know the trail goes North through Willimantic, would be curious of people’s impressions of that section.
There is .5 mile of new trail from Alden's Crossing in East Hampton to the Rte. 66 overpass. There is also a .6 mile extension from the Depot Road crossing to about .25 mile short of the Rte. 66 highway over pass. That leaves about a .25 mile section left to complete the trail so that one can continue to YMCA Camp Ingersol. Once the wetland area bridging is in place, soon I hope (???), riders will be able to go from Portland to Pomfret Center. The work beyond Pomfret Center to Putnam is underway, but far from done.
My daughters bike connects to my bike (trail-a-bike) which allows her to pedal and get exercise as well. We found that this trail with a slight incline as you get in to Marlborough was perfect amount for a 6yr to conquer. With great art along the way, beautiful views and the perfect amount of shade and sunshine - we absolutely love it and highly recommend it. The only thing I wish it had is mile markers because round trip I still don't know how much we biked.
No cracks in the pavement. Just a smooth ride with plenty of roadside stops along the way, and great food options in Bristol.
Excellent mid-morning Summer ride - Tuesday, so not a lot of traffic on the trail. A two mile road section is required to connect the two sections of the trail. This is not a problem as long as you are careful on the road. The trail is fully paved except for the two mile section on Track Road adjacent to the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. I would not recommend a road bike on this section. It is dirt and gravel with a few bumps, but not a problem for trail bikes. The scenery in this area is impressive as it is on the Acton end as well. Total distance approximately 12.5 mi. Recommended.
This is an almost level ride from North Falmouth to Woods Hole. Many shady spots along the way, as wall as lemonade stands, restaurants, and shaved ice. Views include cranberry bogs, marshlands, and the beach. The trail is well maintained, and has many miles of smooth new asphalt. Locals have added some decorations and artwork along the way.
I rode this trail on 7/12/19 from Moosup, CT east into Sterling, CT. The first 5 1/2 miles are unimproved rail trail, good for MT bikes or aggressive hybrid riders. At the route 14A crossing I found some improvements underway, 1.5 miles of bull dozer work to a bridge under construction just past Carbuncle Pond WMA. The surface was soft and broken and very hard to ride. This leads me to believe that Road Island has a project underway to extend the Trestle Trail from Log Bridge Road (the current end) westerly to just west of the CT line at Route 14A. I will explore the area in the late fall to see how work has progressed. There is a second bridge in the Village of Green, RI that needs work, but I did not get that far.
This trail was great. We parked at the depot lot- very rutted and busy but big. We ate lunch at the Station Grill just across the lot before we rode. That is about 4miles in from the end point in the woods hole area. We rode towards that way for views of the ocean. It was flat, fresh paved w/ road crossing well marked. The art murals were really neat. There was a port o potty along the rt also a picnic area and drinking fountain. We stopped and went down to the water in a rocky pebble beach area, most was private beach but it seemed those on bikes were welcomed; cars take up road space bikes don’t. It was very hot so we did not do the entire trail but will definitely make another trip to go back. The small restaurant where we parked was a great point due to bathroom use, friendly owner, outdoor tables, cornhole games on the out of service tracks, a water mister and the super fresh made to order simple sandwich’s with the utmost quality.
If the entire trail were like the section in Holliston, I would have given this a 5 star. The Holliston section is the high point of the trail. It's well maintained and does not have too many busy street crossings and has a nice canopy to block the sun. The paved section in Milford has a busy cross by 495 and is a bit weird as you head into downtown. At one point a narrow sidewalk has a painted divider and you also need to head behind a shopping center to catch the trail as it has a small break. The Milford section has its nice spots though, by the lake and the park, but the 495 section isn't a highlight nor the downtown break. Also the map shows the trail ending in Sherborn at a street. If you have a road bike or a hybrid you'll probably end at the Sherborn line, which is in the woods. The last .3 miles of the trail is single track better for mountain bikes that will take you to the road.
Tuesday July 09, 2019, 5:30 pm.
Weather 88' F, low humidity, very light clouds.
Great weather for riding this great trail. Massachusetts really sets the bar for bike trails. This one has a line down the middle to help the careless riders better their performance. There are benches near view spots with poems and examples of flora and fauna carved into boulders. There are granite mile markers on both poles and pavement stones at the side of the trail. The pavement was very smooth and there are only some slight inclines. Tunnels and bridges, a variety of scenery, this is both a community trail and a destination trail. I drove 2.5 hours for this one and the much shorter Canalside trail a half hour away in Turner Falls, doing both on the same day with a mid-trip visit to the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls. All 3 places worth the trip, but now I have to complete the other sections of the Mass Central Greenway. Good job Massachusetts!
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