Explore the best rated trails in Fairhaven, MA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Southern New England Trunkline Trail and Old Colony Nature Pathway . With more than 46 trails covering 325 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.
I grew up in Fairhaven and moved away, but return every summer; the highlight of my trip being time spent on this bike trail and the Mattapoisett leg of it. Lots of “branches” if you want rack up some serious miles; Weeden Road, Gillette Rd, Mattapoisett Neck Road and continuing down Front (?) Street in Mattapoisett to Ned’s Point Lighthouse. Couple detours on the Fairhaven part and a stretch about a 10th mile that’s dirt and not conducive to a road bike. a 10th of a mile
The Mattapoisett portion is open. It is a seamless continuation of the phoenix path and is very pretty, well maintained, and has a beautiful boardwalk near the end. It goes to a beach and you can then ride on a quiet road to Ned points lighthouse. Definitely worth the trip.
We just got back from doing this trail yesterday.
We started at the north end at the Fort Hill Parking area.
There were plenty of spots to park when we arrived.
Being a very nice day, there were LOTS of people out enjoying the trail.
We only went as far as Police Cove Park where the trail was closed.
There was a detour route that continued but we decided that was enough for the day and headed back.
We did take the side trail out to the carousel, which we knew would be closed from checking on the web.
We were a little surprised that a trail so nice didn't have ANY restroom facilities. It wasn't easy to go into the woods between lots of poison ivy and people on the trail.
We'll go back and go from south to north and enjoy the rest of the trail
Just rode this trail today 5/27/25. My previous 5* review (2024) still stands with two additional comments. 1. There are virtually no port-a-potties on the trail. However, right near the southern end in Bristol there are some nice benches and just across Thames St is a very nice town facility. 2. The north end parking (India Point) is very busy and biking the first mile getting to the East Bay Path is involved with some unpleasant street portions. Use GPS to locate the parking at 66 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, East Providence. A much better option - in my opinion.
...we rode the western part... (is there a tool to edit a review?)
We rode the eastern part of the trail today, starting at the CT/MA border towards Douglas. The first 6-8 mls are well maintained and a good ride even with a street bike. Nice scenery, too. But then things get worse around Douglas. Rough surface with crushed stone, sand and deep puddles after a rainfall (like today). Looks like the track has not been maintained in a while and detoriates. A mountain bike is a big plus and highly recommended in some parts of the trail. Was a good ride though but do not expect a smooth one.
This is described as a 3.5 mile section but we only went about half way to the dam from the Stanley Mill. It is passable on bikes but has roots and larger stones along the stone path. It's really more a walking trail. The farm mentioned in the description was an interesting side visit and had very nice bath & water facilities. However, for a great biking experience the 10 mile section starting at Woonsocket is paved and a far more pleasant ride.
I rode the Moosup Valley Rail Trail a few days ago from Moosup to Oneco. The trail is in excellent condition all the way, and beautiful! I rode 34mm knobbies, but would have had no trouble on 28 slicks. The only irritants were a guy on a motorized scooter in Moosup and 2 guys on screaming dirt bikes going the other way a bit farther along, but they passed quickly. In Sterling, dirt bikers had dug shallow ruts into a short stretch of path, diagonal to direction of travel, which made it bumpy but not hazardous. Otherwise lovely! I wish Rhode Island would step up to the plate and finish the connector to its Washington Secondary path.
Overview The Old Colony Rail Trail is named after the railroad line that operated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At 8 miles, the trail offers a serene journey through quiet Cape Cod beach towns. The trail is suitable for a short ride out and back, or a longer journey when combined with the Cape Cod Rail Trail. About the Route The eastern point of the trail starts at Depot Road, in the center of Chatham, across from the fire station and adjacent to Veterans Field, home of the Chatham Anglers baseball team of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Here you will find ample parking in the elementary school lot across the street, a large playground, and rest rooms just a short walk down the hill at the Chatham Community Center. The route, in general, is flat, family-friendly, and easily managed. The first 1.5 miles of the trail is mostly on quiet quaint streets with slight vehicular activity. The reminder of the trail is on an off-road dedicated child-safe bike path. Inexperienced cyclists should face few difficulties. Should you wish to bi-pass the first 1.2 miles share-the-road portion of the trail, you can park at the Chatham Airport on George Ryder Road or the parking lot at the corner of Meetinghouse Road (Route 137) and Main Street (Route 28). If you start at Depot Road, begin by proceeding down Hitching Post Road for 0.2 mile, then turn left onto Tip Cart Drive. At the bottom of the hill, cross over Crowell Road to join the first segment of the off-road trail. The trail passes tennis and pickle ball courts, basketball court and parking lot through a short wooded area emerging to cross Stepping Stones Road. At the bottom of Stepping Stones Road continue straight across the intersection and onto Wilfred Road. This on -street portion of the trail is only 0.6 mile and Wildred Road is a quiet neighborhood street with scarcely any vehicle traffic. The off-street trail continues at the end of Wilfred Road. Here the trail begins its loop around the Chatham Airport before pausing at George Ryder Road where signage directs you to turn right to continue on the Old Colony Rail Trail or left for the short ride to West Chatham. This section of the Old Colony Rail Trail offers a unique view of this small airport used primarily for personal small aircraft. Lunch can be obtained at the airport restaurant or a short ride to West Chatham and rest rooms and water bottle fill are available at the police station located across from the airport hanger on George Ryder Road. After crossing George Ryder Road, and passing a rest area with picnic table, the remaining 5.4 miles of the trail remain off-road. While there are several cross streets along the way, the trail, in general, is peaceful, enjoyable and extremely well maintained. Here you can enjoy the solitude of nature, for the next few miles, interrupted only by other trail users. You will pass a granite post border marker announcing your entry into the town of Harwich from Chatham. Approximately three (3) miles from George Ryder Road is a half-round-about and then crossing over Route 39. While this can be a busy crossing, warning signs alert drivers to slow down and visibility for both trail users and drivers is good. Once crossed, the trail continues past Brooks Park in Harwich Center where there are restrooms and water bottle fill available (in season). Approximately 1.2 miles from this point, the trail reaches its western end at the next roundabout where it connects with the Cape Cod Rail Trail from the north and west.
This trail is a mixed bag. I mean literally you can expect to see everything from nice paved road, to chunky, rocky eroded sand, and everything in between. A fair amount of light gravel and packed clay and dirt for fast gravel riding. some sandy parts where you’d benefit from a wider tire. some chunky rocks and eroded sections. If you’re doing the whole thing, gravel or hybrid bike at the least. Wider tires and suspension are recommended. I did this on a gravel bike with relatively narrow all terrain tires and it was great most of the time but definitely not optimal for the roughest sections. overall this ia great trail to learn gravel riding and test your bike’s capabilities.
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