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 Charles River Bike Path . With more than 61 trails covering 443 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.
This bike path between Bristol and India Park in Providence was just what I had hoped for: picturesque views, charming towns and homes, beautiful foliage, and friendly people of all ages!
In addition, there were a few surprises. I discovered that this path is a definite paradise for bird lovers. It even passes right by an Audubon Nature Center accessible by the path! There were also many interesting historical aspects such as the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, remnants of the old railroad, and the Squantum Association mansion. The best surprise and highlight for me was the Spooky Bottom Scenic Dock. Don't skip or miss this! I barely noticed the small sign for it. It's not spooky, and it's not a dock. It's a pier that will take you out into the bay for awesome views of the causeway, bay, and the Providence skyline including the state capital's green dome!
This path is obviously extremely popular with the community: walkers, joggers, bikers, dog walkers, and many parents pushing strollers. Also, I have never seen so many students on their way to school utilizing a path like this on their bikes. I must have seen at least thirty. That's a testament to the safety of the surrounding neighborhood and community!
I drove all the way from California to experience this trail, and I'm so glad I did. I've ridden my bike in forty-nine of our fifty states, and I definitely put this Hall of Fame trail in my top five favorites! A+, state of Rhode Island!
We love biking the Airline and have used non electric hybrid bikes as well as e-bikes. Both work well. On 10/28/2023 we biked the section from Willimantic parking at the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum area and pedaled to Rt. 207 Lebanon Rd, Amston, CT. FYI, we're in our 60s and encountered no difficulties with the terrain.
Contrary to the symbol on the map, parking is NOT available at the Fresh Pond end, even on Sundays, unless you live in Cambridge, and even then, "Permit Required". I drove almost two hours to get there and back, and never got to walk it.
The path is nice and cool in the summer due to lots of shade. Much of it has large sections of big tree roots, though.
This trail is pretty much abandoned and mislabeled in the site description.
I went here expecting it to be asphalt like it says in the description, I intended to rollerblade it. Instead, I decided to walk it. The path is dirt and very much abandoned. It would be a very nice path after some updates and repair. It still gave a very nice view of the waterfall at the end of the path.
Although Martha's Vineyard is beautiful--I would highly suggest biking only from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown. All the bike trails are literally right along the highway, with cars, trucks, and tour buses zooming by at ridiculous speeds. We were surprised because there was so much advertising about biking on the island that we thought for sure it would be a fantastic experience. Leaving Edgartown we road the so-called trail along the Edgerton West Tilsbury highway it was seriously not something I would never do again --as an experienced biker and love most trails this was just too boring unless you like riding 3 feet from the highway. We ended up cutting the ride short and going north back to Vineyard Haven. We did get in 21 miles, but I would skip biking on Martha's Vineyard and head back to the Cape to check out the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which is beautiful, scenic and a gem to ride on.
Gorgeous and very well kept trail. Very shady! We started at the Amtrak Station. Beautiful ride all the way to the end. Took the left at the end down to The Towers and Narragansett Beach. We had wonderful lunch at the Coast Guard House. Great view! Helps to have a reservation but we were able to get in.
We biked the trail today from Franklin and although it was a beautiful ride through the forest, our trip ended at the 4 mile mark because the path turned into a single lane rocky/sandy pathway. We traveled it briefly but it was not doable. It’s frustrating after reading from several apps and websites that it did not mention this. They all state it’s a 22 mile ride. Still had fun. Love getting out on our bikes!
Southeast of Barrington bridge under construction. Detour signs
We began our bike ride at the Embassy Public Parking Lot in Waltham. Because it was a Sunday morning, there were plenty of spaces available and the parking was free. We pretty much followed the trail on TrailLink web page and proceeded east along the south side of the Charles River. We did use Google Maps on our phone to track where we were and to ensure we were on the bike path vs. a sidewalk or other road / trail. We stopped in at the Bier Garden on the Esplanade to hydrate (lots of fun 😊) We then continued down to the Science Center. We returned back by way of the north side of the river through Cambridge until Bridge Street bridge. From that point we crossed back and continued on the trail we started on.
It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day. The trail was busy with walkers and other bicyclists. We didn’t encounter any problems or issues with people moving over when we signaled by ringing our bike bells. The other bicyclists along the way were also very courteous and followed the standard riding rules. The entire area along the Charles was bustling with people, families and pets out to enjoy a pleasant summer day. We thoroughly enjoyed the biking experience and plan to do again next year.
Wonderful & accessible trail. We biked over from Popes Island and rode the length of the trail. Seems like there’s ample parking at both ends and ramps make it easily accessible. Great view of the commercial fishing boats entering the inner harbor as well as the MV Wind Project staging at the west side.
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