Explore the best rated trails in Palmer, MA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Upper Charles Trail and Windsor River Trail . With more than 59 trails covering 543 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.
First: be aware that a recent storm has washed out a section of the trail about 2 miles from the Ayer parking lot in Sept 2023. People are portaging past it, but some set-ups might not work in this situation. That said, this is a great trail. Plenty of parking at many points along the way, some even have EV chargers!
I would hate for people to avoid this lovely trail because of reports of the washouts. By using the trail map from this app or even Google maps you can easily find nearby roads that allow you to ride around the closed sections. We had a lovely 18.7 mi ride today and we’re able to keep cool because of lots of shade even though it got up to 90 degrees! They were repairing the bridge on the road to the Slate Covered Bridge, but they paused work to let us cross. It will be repaired very soon.
I rode the trail from Pittsfield to the end in North Adams and back on 8/5/23. The trail is paved and in good condition and restrooms at the Pittsfield trail head were clean and working fine. Nice scenery including lakes and the Berkshires- I was able to finally identify Mt Greylock after the morning clouds had dissipated. The grade is gentle and I was able to keep up a consistent pace for the ride.
I rode from Ayer to Nashua and back over 2 hours on Labor Day morning. It is a pleasant ride on a level grade and I was able to keep up a steady pace for the whole ride. The trail is asphalt and in sections there are uneven areas where possibly tree roots have displaced the pavement. It is a big improvement over the last time I rode in several years ago. At that time there were many small conical mounds projecting 2-4 inches above the pavement, again presumably due to tree roots. I hit one one that was in the shadows and was bounced clear off the bike. All those spots have been repaired as far as I could tell. 4 stars because of the pavement issues but a very nice and scenic ride (even accounting for the grouchy local man moving brush in a wheelbarrow along the trail who responded to my "good morning" with a "get screwed").
A mix of sand, packed gravel and flooded trail. Rather challenging terrain that required skilled navigating the trail . It was in horrible condition. The brewery in winchendon was wonderful, but you need to bushwhack through the trail and into an abandoned factory’s parking lot.
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!
Nice trail, kept in good condition. Tree lined with lots of shade perfect for a summer day
Asphalt smooth and trail is terrific. Easy, flat trail with some water views passing Silver Lake/Pittsfield.
A nice 5 miles to a huge wash out shutting down the trail. We bypassed the closure using the road for 1/2 mi. Only to find another sign saying trail closed. Turned around , do not plan on going more than 5 mi from Keene! Frankie
Wonderful! the section north of Keene is just great. I admit there are a very few spots that are a little rough or a little wet but for 99% of it, anyone with even limited experience will enjoy it. I would not recommend this trail for a road bike although there are sections that are smooth enough for one. The only part that was a little concerning was near the landfill just north of Keene but that was only 2 tenths of a mile long and if concerned, you could easily walk your bike through that area. But honestly, the entire trail was great with several spots offering spectacular views. The surface is mixed depending on the area, some areas had grass while others were course sand. There were a couple rocky areas but those spots are few and very short.
I think folks have to temper their expectations. This isn't the Farmington Canal Trail and isn't trying to be. This is a nice, well paved track for exercise and actual transportation. It provides a bike link from Newington and the southern end of West Hartford to downtown New Britain that previously didn't exist. For that I'm super happy. West Hartford has a decent bike network that connects into Hartford, so now there is a semi-cohesive bike network that spans from downtown Hartford all the way to New Britain with stops in between. New Britain is booming (by New Britain standards) so there's actually a lot to visit at the end of the trail, like the art museum, breweries, restaurants, etc. I wish the Multi-Use Trail extended all the way to the Elmwood or even Hartford stops, but it's useful the way it is now. It's not all that scenic but there's still a decent amount of greenery and it's pleasant to ride. It's next to the busway and train tracks, but the train is relatively far away, and the buses are not noisy or especially polluting (they are hybrids).
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