Find the top rated trails in Norton, 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.
_79657_st.jpg)
_113607_st.jpg)
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 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...
Opened in 1967, the Province Lands Trail was the first bike trail created by the National Park Service. The pathway is a challenging trek, with steep hills, sharp turns and tunnels with low...
The Assabet River Rail-Trail provides a forested escape from the surrounding urban bustle. Traveling 5.6 miles (with plans to expand it) the trail connects the towns of Hudson and Marlborough and...
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...
_137741_sc.jpg)
Although only a grassy, hard-packed dirt pathway, the route along the Salem-Beverly Canal (also known as the Grand Wenham Canal), is scenic and peaceful. The old canal, built in 1917, lies between two...
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...
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 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 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...
_0_sc.jpg)
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 Nashua River Rail Trail is a beautiful and peaceful rural trail extending through the Massachusetts communities of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The trail continues into New Hampshire...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
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,...
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...
_113607_sc.jpg)
The Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) represents a big undertaking in this tiny state: The 11.8-mile trail running between Woonsocket and the outskirts of...
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...
Nearly 6 miles of the Northern Strand Community Trail, which follows the former Boston and Maine Railroad, are open to the public. Although this includes two disjointed trail segments, once Revere...
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 Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park recalls the role of canals in transporting raw materials and manufactured goods between emerging industrial centers. Walk along restored sections of...
The Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail shares its trailhead at Depot Park in Bedford with the Minuteman Bikeway and Reformatory Branch Trail. Serving mainly as a commuter route, this trail extends just...
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 Nashua River Rail Trail is a beautiful and peaceful rural trail extending through the Massachusetts communities of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The trail continues into New Hampshire...
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 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...
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 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...
_79657_sc.jpg)
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 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 Bridge Street Bike Trail begins near Curtis Park and travels south through downtown Salem, closely following the Bridge Street Bypass. The short trail runs through residential, retail and...
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...
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...
Alewife Linear Park is a beautiful paved trail stretching 2 miles east from the Alewife T-station in Cambridge to Cedar Street in Somerville. The park came about after the Massachusetts Bay...
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,...
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 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...
Opened in 1967, the Province Lands Trail was the first bike trail created by the National Park Service. The pathway is a challenging trek, with steep hills, sharp turns and tunnels with low...
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 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 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 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 Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
Grand Trunk Trail is part of a larger trail network, the Titanic Rail Trail, which will stretch more than 60 miles through south-central Massachusetts and the northeastern corner of Connecticut along...
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 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...
Danvers Rail Trail follows the historic Newburyport Railroad that used to carry goods and passengers between Danvers and Boston in the late 1800s. The abandoned corridor extends just over 5 miles from...
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...
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...
The Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) represents a big undertaking in this tiny state: The 11.8-mile trail running between Woonsocket and the outskirts of...
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...
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...
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 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 trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed gravel and stone dust pathway follows an abandoned rail bed through Topsfield,...
Independence Greenway offers 8 miles of trail in three disconnected segments through western Peabody. The rail-trail follows the abandoned Salem and Lowell Railroad and offers nice views. It passes by...
The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park recalls the role of canals in transporting raw materials and manufactured goods between emerging industrial centers. Walk along restored sections of...
Nearly 6 miles of the Northern Strand Community Trail, which follows the former Boston and Maine Railroad, are open to the public. Although this includes two disjointed trail segments, once Revere...
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...
Wish I had read the reviews before wasting my time driving out. Maybe someday this will be a nice bike trail, but that day is a long way off for it's current condition. It is basically an abandoned rail trail that locals must use for dirt bikes and some mountain biking. There is no established, groomed trail, it is sandy, rocky, and muddy. There are trees across the trail in some areas. It does start off paved for maybe a half mile, but that paved section is full of graffiti. Once you get to the end of the paved section, you have to figure out where to pick the trail back up as there are no signs anywhere. If I could have given a negative star, I would have.
I started at the East Providence parking area and rode to Colt State park. It's actually a very nice ride from EP to about the beginning of Barrington. That's when the large bumps start and also a lot more intersections. So hold on and go slow because you will be rewarded ending at Colt. And for a little added mileage, coming from EP, take a right at the sign for Crescent Park. It's only about 1/2 mile from the bike trail. Worth the stop. Take a break and take a ride on the Carousel if it's open.
Rode 30 miles today (including some trails in colt state park). Coming from Pennsylvania where the Rail Trail in our town is a poorly maintained gravel trail...this was wonderful. I have honestly never ridden a nicer trail. Yes there are cracks and bumps along the way, but with my hybrid bike with front shocks it was a very pleasant ride. Sure it is all in your perspective and what your use is for the trail, but from my perspective this trail was an absolutely wonderful experience.
jonbower & rectrike summarize my concerns exactly. We rode this on 8/6 and there was only one section that had the root bumps marked (orange cone & paint). There were several bumps that warranted similar treatment.
And, it was pretty busy late AM, several times had to slow down to a stop in order to let traffic clear.
On the plus side, it's still got some great views (hadn't ridden this in ~10 years. The Del's stand is a great spot to stop.
We parked in Colt Park which was really convenient and went to Quito's in Bristol for lunch (and ice cream across the street).
Several have commented on the section of trail between Lake St., Bellingham and Prospect St., Franklin that was upgraded in June, 2017. Great!
You might like to know that west of this section and the improved trail to Center St, the one mile of rough trail between Fox Run Road and the new Route 126 tunnel is now under design. This includes a new parking area just east of Route 126.
It is state policy to add improved sections to existing improved sections.
Also, a DCR manager was quoted in the Boston Globe recently as saying that design work on the trail over the Blackstone Viaduct to the RI border would begin this fall.
It is important to realize that DCR has to jump through many hoops before construction can begin. But, keep pushing for results!
I just road my beach curser down this trail yesterday and it was GREAT! Hardly any hills at all, which is great when you only have a one speed bike. The views were beautiful as well. Very nicely shaded. I didn't make it all the way down to the beach, but I plan on going back Thursday to make a day trip out of it!
There are road crossings, especially on the Hudson side of the trail, but they are very manageable. The path description doesn't do this path justice. It's a nice ride with frequent benches to take a break. There are hills especially going from Hudson to Marlboro. Enjoy!
Nice ride with shade and some pretty spots. Ponds, railroad bridges, tunnels. Go from urban to country. East/west has incline all the way but ride back quick.
It's another awesome bike path on the Cape. Watch out for frost heaves and roots causing bumps. It could also be a little overgrown out of the season but it's usually in pristine condition between May and October (when it's also pretty busy).
Many are commenting on the fill at Prospect Street in Franklin now that the state has improved the trail west of there. The plan is to replace the fil with a tunnel. The money was provided in the Environmental Bond bill of 2015. But, Governor Baker has not released the funds. So, blame him. Or better yet, write to him.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
_137741_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
