Find the top rated trails in Bristol, 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 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...
The Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
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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...
The Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
Air Line State Park Trail winds for just over 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. Over the state...
Although the Neponset River Greenway totals more than 5 miles in length, it's currently open in several short disconnected sections on the southern outskirts of Boston. The trail is paved and provides...
The East Boston Greenway, a linear park made possible by the donation of a disused rail corridor by Conrail in 1997 and the ‘Big Dig’ project in later years, links Boston Harbor with new parks created...
Named for the late state senator who spearheaded development of the trail, the William C. O'Neill Bike Path (a.k.a. South County Bike Path) follows the route of the former Narragansett Pier Railroad,...
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...
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...
Rhode Island's best-known rail-trail, the East Bay Bicycle Path, hugs the shores of Narragansett Bay, from Bristol in the south and north to India Point Park in Providence. The 14-mile paved path...
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...
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The Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) is a 3-mile trail that represents the first open segment of the Massachusetts portion of a pathway that will eventually...
The Ten Mile River Greenway follows the winding course for 3 miles along the James Turner Reservoir (Ten Mile River). Though short, the trail is quite scenic and runs between the Kimberly Ann Rock...
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...
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...
The Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail, which was formally known simply as Quequechan River Rail Trail travels along the northern shore of scenic South Watuppa Pond. The project created a...
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 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...
As of January 2012 the Quinebaug River Trail has two segments. The southern segment follows the course of the Quinebaug River in Danielson, beginning at the intersection of Palmer Street and Prospect...
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...
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Southwest Corridor Park is a 4.7-mile linear park through the Boston neighborhoods of South End, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. A recreation and commuter route popular with walkers, runners, and cyclists,...
Although the Neponset River Greenway totals more than 5 miles in length, it's currently open in several short disconnected sections on the southern outskirts of Boston. The trail is paved and provides...
The Washington Secondary Bike Path actually comprises four trails along an old Hartford, Providence, & Fishkill Railroad corridor. Together, the Cranston Bike Path, Warwick Bike Path, West Warwick...
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...
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...
Nestled in Boston’s Charles River Reservation, the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path offers a pleasant walk or ride along both sides of the river from the city’s Museum of Science to Watertown. To reach...
Opened in 1999, the Phoenix Bike Trail packs a surprising diversity in its 3.5 miles, passing through woodlands, salt marshes, farms and commercial and residential areas. Tree-lined for much of its...
As of January 2012 the Quinebaug River Trail has two segments. The southern segment follows the course of the Quinebaug River in Danielson, beginning at the intersection of Palmer Street and Prospect...
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...
This 5.8-mile trail is part of the planned East Coast Greenway, an off-road path that will eventually run from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The Moosup Valley State Park Trail will connect with...
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...
The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a developing, multi-use trail that will run from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham to Natick Center, a distance of 4 miles. Currently, its northernmost mile in...
The Ten Mile River Greenway follows the winding course for 3 miles along the James Turner Reservoir (Ten Mile River). Though short, the trail is quite scenic and runs between the Kimberly Ann Rock...
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 Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) is a 3-mile trail that represents the first open segment of the Massachusetts portion of a pathway that will eventually...
Rhode Island's best-known rail-trail, the East Bay Bicycle Path, hugs the shores of Narragansett Bay, from Bristol in the south and north to India Point Park in Providence. The 14-mile paved path...
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...
The East Boston Greenway, a linear park made possible by the donation of a disused rail corridor by Conrail in 1997 and the ‘Big Dig’ project in later years, links Boston Harbor with new parks created...
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...
The Washington Secondary Bike Path actually comprises four trails along an old Hartford, Providence, & Fishkill Railroad corridor. Together, the Cranston Bike Path, Warwick Bike Path, West Warwick...
Named for the late state senator who spearheaded development of the trail, the William C. O'Neill Bike Path (a.k.a. South County Bike Path) follows the route of the former Narragansett Pier Railroad,...
50 Quarries have operated in Quincy, "The Granite City", since 1826. This trail provides a short tour of the railway corridor where the stone was carried from the Quarries.
Opened in 1999, the Phoenix Bike Trail packs a surprising diversity in its 3.5 miles, passing through woodlands, salt marshes, farms and commercial and residential areas. Tree-lined for much of its...
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...
Air Line State Park Trail winds for just over 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. Over the state...
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...
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...
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 Center Trail runs for less than a mile from Hopkinton's downtown to its high school and middle school, providing a safe route to school for thousands of students. The wooded trail, which once...
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...
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 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 Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
As of January 2012 the Quinebaug River Trail has two segments. The southern segment follows the course of the Quinebaug River in Danielson, beginning at the intersection of Palmer Street and Prospect...
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 Cape Cod Canal Bikeway connects Cape Cod Bay and the communities of Sandwich and Sagamore on its eastern end with Buzzards Bay and the community of Bourne on its western end. Following both banks...
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...
Rhode Island's best-known rail-trail, the East Bay Bicycle Path, hugs the shores of Narragansett Bay, from Bristol in the south and north to India Point Park in Providence. The 14-mile paved path...
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...
This section was just graded, raised, and surfaced with a relatively fine gravel that seems to have been rolled to lie flat. No more puddles! The next section west to Center Street in Bellingham is amazingly flat and straight and covered in fine sand.
Vegetation has been removed from the side of these two sections, giving them a very different feel from the unimproved sections on each side.
The East Bay Bike Path would be perfect for inline skating, if, it was maintained. As it is, it ranges from sublime to dangerous. The Northernmost mile is meh, mostly traveling next to the highway over a bridge, and then through an old industrial neighborhood. We skip that. The three miles from the parking lot on Veteran's Memorial Parkway heading South is sublime with great pavement, beautiful views and moderate wind from the South. Then, begins a very mixed 8-9 miles with lovely views and woods, but period root bumps that are dangerous to skate over. The two wood bridges are a bit worn, but, fine. Street crossings are pretty well designed.
The last few miles into Bristol are lovely, winding though a seaside neighborhood and through parks. The beer and food at a number of restaurants at the Southern end refresh for the trip back.
The takeaway: we'll still use the trail, but, not often until it gets some much needed TLC.
Easy to find. Most Parking lots have Porta potty.
Parking lot at North end of trail has a couple of pot-holes left over by the retreating glaciers.
Trail surface is mostly smooth asphalt. Some tree root damage in places.
As you get closer to Woods Hole the trail is busier. You get to ride thru a couple of parking lots for the towns. Watch out for cars and shuttle buses.
Spend some time exploring the towns along the trail. Find a beach and relax. Things to do abound.
Great trail. Mostly flat.
Trail goes over canal on one of the bridges. I didn't bother.
Lots of boats, Fisherman, just plain folks exercising.
Birds, Birds, and more Birds. Mostly off path.
Most bikes (modified to carry fishing gear) ridden by older gentlemen looking for a spot to cast their lines. Only saw one fish being pulled in.
The pace is SLOW...
In this case The Corps of Engineers are spending their money wisely.
Very nice ride with varied scenery. The only thing I would add to what has already been written is that there isn't much of a canopy of tree cover for much of the ride so on a really sunny day, wear your sun block. Also, the trail continues a bit more after the Lonsdale entrance. It eventually goes on-road and spills you out in a little park near the Cumberland Town Hall. I would skip this section entirely and just end your ride at Lonsdale. The trail is a little narrower towards it's northern terminus as well.
This was a nice trail for the most part, with beautiful scenery and all. It just has one major flaw- it dead-ends behind an old, delapitated, half collapsed mill. You actually have to pass through the property filled with rubble, broken glass, briars, and barbed wire to reach the road on the Harris end. Until this is rectified, it is my belief that this trail is FAR to dangerous for average hikers. Stick with the Coventry/West Warwick Greenway.
A pretty nice trail for a few hours. Mostly you're riding near the river so you can see plenty of boats, geese with their sweet kids, nice bridges and great views of Boston. I'm going to use this trail many times more.
Many thanks to the person who found my daughter Sarah's lost drivers license on your trail, and took the time to mail it to her!!! She was over-the-moon excited and frankly it has helped her to realize that there are kind people in this world. As her mom I thank you also for teaching her this lesson which I'm sure, should a similar occasion arise, that she will do the same in the future for someone else (paying it forward) remembering how great she feels now.
We recently rode from Beaver Hill Road to Old Griffin Road, a section North of Willimantic. Frankly this section was fairly rough, with a lot of loose gravel making for slow going...very different from the lower sections south of Willimantic that are largely cinder. Very rural, tree-lined, would be nice in the Fall. I'm not sure what the other North sections are like, I know there are some upgrades in progress in the various towns.
Just walked six miles this morning.the millbury side is worse then the Worcester side..trees and brush are taking over the whole trail.There was straw all over the trail, not good for bikers to slip on.I don't understand why you would lay down asphalt in the woods and then walk away without doing any maintenance.Someone there told me it's between the CD-R and someone else always fighting over who is responsible for the up keep,that should have been thought about beforehand.....it's a nice trail to have but to let it go is a disgrace....next time you go bring your brush cutters
DO NOT take this trail when the weather has been wet. Large swampy areas on the Franklin end there is a short section of paved & gravel trail very nice. Where it wasn't paved lots of moguls where the railroad ties were All that being said? I will come back this summer and try again. The trail is tree covered and should be nice and cool
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