Explore the best rated trails in New Bedford, MA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Upper Charles Trail and Old Colony Nature Pathway. With more than 41 trails covering 239 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...
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 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...
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...
Norwell is a suburb about 30 minutes' drive south of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Norwell Pathway, a 2-mile non-motorized trail that was constructed to give residents an alternative way to...
Cape Cod’s briny seaports, sandy beaches, delectable seafood, and diverse landscape of salt marshes, pine forests, and cranberry bogs can all be experienced from the 27.5-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
The developing Upper Charles Trail will one day total 24 miles, linking the communities of Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, Framingham, and Hopkinton along a former railroad bed. As of 2018,...
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 Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality...
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...
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 Old Colony Rail Trail, named after the eponymous railroad line that operated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, offers a serene journey through quiet Cape Cod beach towns. At 8 miles, the trail is...
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...
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 developing Upper Charles Trail will one day total 24 miles, linking the communities of Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, Framingham, and Hopkinton along a former railroad bed. As of 2018,...
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 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...
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...
The Phoenix Bike Trail cruises through a mixture of surroundings on its relatively short 4-mile journey from the heart of the historical Fairhaven seaport to woodlands and farms on the outskirts of...
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...
Constructed in 1967, the Province Lands Bike Trail is the first bike trail ever built by the National Park Service. The trail, located at the northern tip of Cape Cod, features steep hills, sharp...
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The Southwest Corridor Park (Pierre Lallement Bike Path) knits together neighborhoods in southern Boston from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain. Popular as a route for commuters as well as casual walkers,...
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 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 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 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 Old Colony Rail Trail, named after the eponymous railroad line that operated in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, offers a serene journey through quiet Cape Cod beach towns. At 8 miles, the trail is...
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 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 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 Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality...
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...
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 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...
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 Southwest Corridor Park (Pierre Lallement Bike Path) knits together neighborhoods in southern Boston from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain. Popular as a route for commuters as well as casual walkers,...
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 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...
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,...
Cape Cod’s briny seaports, sandy beaches, delectable seafood, and diverse landscape of salt marshes, pine forests, and cranberry bogs can all be experienced from the 27.5-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail....
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...
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...
Constructed in 1967, the Province Lands Bike Trail is the first bike trail ever built by the National Park Service. The trail, located at the northern tip of Cape Cod, features steep hills, sharp...
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 Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
Quiet, hidden trail. No obstructions and could navigate well on snowpacked gravel trail. Was a relaxing walk as there were no unleashed dogs or unmasked people.
The award-winning JAYCEE Arboretum and Corridor includes the welcoming 400 linear foot Esplanade filled with attractive (annuals & perennials) flowers, mini-trees, seasonal plants and 72 species of shrubs. Features include communal monuments, manicured playing fields and historic artifacts that form the portal entrance to the rugged state Senator Roch Riverwalk, a 1.3 mile wilderness trail of native vegetation, waterfowl and forest wildlife along Rhode Island's largest waterway, the Pawtuxet River and Watershed.This picturesque trail system is nestled along the all-important confluence of the north and south branches, the Pawtuxet River. Note: From time to time, a tree(s) or large branch(es) can fall prey along the Trail and should be reported to Park & Recreation authorities for disposition. The destination locations are situated along the West Bay/Washington Secondary Bikepath [quadrant of Warwick, West Warwick, Coventry & Cranston] within Riverpoint COMMUNITY Park - 110 Hay Street W. Warwick, R.I. 02893. The JAYCEE Arboretum and state Senator Roch Riverwalk, also crosses over (on-street) for a very short distance to access the newly-created (2007) West Warwick Riverwalk (a/k/a Pawtuxet River Walkway) for a trail length of about 0.5 mile(s), which runs behind the Riverpoint Village of the historic Royal Mills Apartment Complex - this will soon be an enhanced area for an Orchard and Trail system to the nearby Middle & High School Campuses parallel to factory Street upon Arctic Hill. The JAYCEES & Volunteers manage these (Arboretum-Corridor) properties that are public domain of the Town of W. Warwick. The JAYCEES coordinate a Spring Open Space celebration called, ECOLOGY DAY & PEACE PRAYER Ceremony usually on the first Saturday in May and the commemoration for the 9/11 Observance. This is addition to launching the annual Arbor & Earth Day events, a Community Program entitled, CORPORATE CARES DAYS and related projects - for schools, organizations, court-service - all open to the public!
I had high hopes for this trail, based on the description. In reality, it falls far short! There are downed trees and overgrown brambles everywhere. The further in you go, the more trash you see. About midway on the trail, we started seeing tent sites with significant trash. Although we didn’t see any residents in the five or six encampments, its obvious they are lived in. There was no clearly marked exit from the trail and you have to wander across a parking lot or two to find your way back to the entrance.
The trail has a lot of potential, but needs some serious upkeep.
Parked in West Warwick next to rev dept tennis courts. Hopped on trail right there. Rode in direction toward Coventry. Interesting mix of residential, industrial, mills, rural areas. Clean, level and super fun.
My husband and I rode the Upper Charles Trail from the Hopkinton start to the near end in Holliston this last Saturday in November 2020. What a pleasant surprise! We enjoyed very pretty scenery in Hopkinton, a great lunch at Oliva's Market in Milford, visited the brand new Boston Honey Company store in Holliston, and marveled at the historic Phipps Railroad Tunnel under Highland Street. The trail changes from asphalt to very rideable stonedust in Holliston. At just over 13 miles one-way, the trail is a great way to enjoy being outside and getting some great exercise to boot! I thoroughly recommend this trail to anyone who likes pretty scenery, and great stops along the way.
Rode the eastern section of this trail from the parking lot at the end of Adams St in Uxbridge to Grove St in Franklin, approximately 11 miles. For the first 3.5 miles the trail is part of the Blackstone River Greenway and is in excellent condition with smooth blacktop surface. You'll see cyclists, skateboarders, runners and walkers on this section. The improved trail ends in Blackstone at Canal St. Follow Canal St downhill, make a left onto St Paul St, then right on Main St, and left into Castle Hill Way. The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) resumes without markings at bend on Castle Hill Way. Surface now is packed dirt. Condition of trail worsens (sand, rocks, ballast) between Farm St and Center St in Bellingham. From Center St to Prospect St in Franklin, the dirt trail surface is groomed and in very good condition. The Prospect St bridge is now complete and the trail continues to Grove St in slightly rougher condition.
I definitely preferred this 11 mile Eastern section of the trail over the 12 mile Western section (in Part 1 of my earlier review).
I have done a couple of segments of the trail. One segment Starting in Franklin and going into Blackstone. Some parts of this trail were closed or almost impassible short of having a hardcore mountain bike not to mention that some segments are not marked at all. I have also done the segment from Rte. 98 in Douglass working east toward Blackstone there were segments that were in decent shape but there were others you can see that were rutted or still very wet given that we have been in a drought for a good chunk of the summer makes me concerned what they would be like if we had a normal amount of precipitation. Additionally, once I got near Rte. 146 the trail just seemed to disappear there were no markings to figure out where to go. Next time I will try and go from Douglass and work my way west and see how that goes. This trail has potential but needs a lot more work on it to be good.
Cycled approximately 12 miles of the trail from New Road in E Thompson, CT to RT 146 in Uxbridge, MA. The first few miles through the Douglas State Forest are in very good condition and patrolled by MA Dept of Conservation personnel. After that the trail begins to slowly deteriorate first with the surface becoming very sandy in places and then areas of ballast (large gravel) and standing water. The section from Chocolog Rd to RT 146 was challenging based on these surface conditions. You will need to look for a steep left turn down to RT 146 where singletrack runs alongside the roadway. Then watch for a steep right turn down onto Elmwood Road where the trail becomes interrupted for a short distance. To continue on the SNETT, make a left on Elmwood Rd to go under RT 146, then right onto Balm of Life Spring Road, right onto RT 146A, left onto Providence St, and finally left onto Adams St where it's possible to pickup the trail again continuing East.
I started at the historic fort phoenix on green street admiring the different architecture of the homes. Ride was easy, not crowded, just a bit too short. But a pleasant surprise after talking with fellow bikers. At the end of the phoenix trail, take a right onto Mattapoisett neck road, 1/2 mile on left is a cove, picnic tables overlooking the harbor. Continuing on Mattapoisett neck road 1.5 miles into a cul de sac, on the right there is a wooded trail you can bike to the water with a view of Brandt island.
The only reason i gave it a 3 was because i like a longer bike trail
I can't speak for the entire length of the trail, but the part by Melnea Cass Blvd is definitely unkempt. Cracks and bumps all along the pavement!
Flat surface with a places you can sit if need be. Beautiful this time of year.(OCT) can’t wait to explore the rest! Great for families, bikes and walkers.
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