Explore the best rated trails in Pawtucket, RI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Fresh Pond Bikeway and Upper Charles Trail. With more than 72 trails covering 469 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.
_209436_st.jpg)
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...
_209436_sc.jpg)
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 Chelsea Greenway was built to accompany the extension of the Silver Line between Boston and its northern suburb, Chelsea. The asphalt multiuse trail begins at the Eastern Avenue MBTA station and...
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 Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail runs on the corridor once occupied by the Southbridge & Blackstone line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, transforming a corridor once designed to link rural...
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...
Even though the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail traces the nation’s first narrow-gauge railroad for 3 miles from Bedford toward Billerica, the mostly crushed-stone path is plenty wide enough now to...
The Northern Strand Community Trail is part of the visionary and almost-complete Bike to the Sea plan to link Boston and the Mystic River to the seashore in Lynn, north of Boston. It currently runs...
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...
Bruce N. Freeman was a Massachusetts state representative from 1969 to 1986. Beginning in 1985, he championed the creation of a bike path that would run along the former Penn Central railroad line...
The Charles River Bike Path, also referred to as the Charles River Greenway, offers a paved, 22-mile route from Boston to its western suburbs. The trail is also part of a larger, developing network...
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...
The Air Line State Park Trail winds nearly 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. The pathway is...
The Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
Throughout history, the Blackstone River has been an important waterway, from its use by American Indians who fished its once-abundant salmon to its role as a major artery for the transportation of...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
The Swampscott Rail Trail is a developing rail-trail in the North Shore community of Swampscott. The trail, when complete will extend two miles through the heart of the town ending with a seamless...
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 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 Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
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 Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail runs on the corridor once occupied by the Southbridge & Blackstone line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, transforming a corridor once designed to link rural...
Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a...
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...
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 Quarries Foot Path offers a wooded 1-mile hiking route in western Quincy, about 10 miles south of Boston. Begin your adventure on the south side of Ricciuti Drive, which borders Quincy Quarries...
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 overall goal of the Grand Trunk Trail in south-central Massachusetts is to connect the communities of Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Southbridge by trail. Currently, two sections of the trail are...
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...
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...
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...
It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amid the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts...
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...
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 South Spencer Rail Trail runs for less than 2 miles from downtown Spencer to an area south of town near Spencer State Forest. The path, which is also known as the Depot Trail, occupies a former...
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...
The Air Line State Park Trail winds nearly 55 miles from the northeast corner of Connecticut, where the state borders Massachusetts, down to East Hampton in the heart of the state. The pathway is...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
The Cochituate Rail Trail (CRT) is a multi-use trail that will run from the Village of Saxonville in Framingham to Natick Center, a distance of 4 miles. The segment in Framingham was completed and...
The Swampscott Rail Trail is a developing rail-trail in the North Shore community of Swampscott. The trail, when complete will extend two miles through the heart of the town ending with a seamless...
The URI (University of Rhode Island) Bike Path provides a safe conduit for students, faculty and staff to commute to and from school via the William C. O'Neill Bike Path. The asphalt, two-lane path...
The Quinebaug River Trail exists in two segments in northwest Connecticut. The northern section parallels Park Road and Tracy Road for about 2 miles in an industrial section of Putnam with few trail...
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...
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 Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 8.6-mile paved trail, though long-range plans...
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...
Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a...
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 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...
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...
Throughout history, the Blackstone River has been an important waterway, from its use by American Indians who fished its once-abundant salmon to its role as a major artery for the transportation of...
It’s hard to pick a favorite season to experience the Hop River State Park Trail, set amid the dense forests of Eastern Connecticut. Sections of the 20-mile rail-trail dive through steep rock cuts...
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...
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...
Connecting the cities of Watertown and Cambridge, the 2-mile 12ft-wide paved Greenway runs along the former corridor of the B&M Railroad’s Watertown Branch. The southern end of this multi-use trail...
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 Westville Lake Community Trail offers a short, scenic excursion along the east bank of Westville Lake in Southbridge. Much of the crushed-stone pathway is under a lush tree canopy. Along the way,...
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...
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 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...
Fantastic trail!!, especially in middle in Acton,Westford, Carlisle and east Chelmsford. Lots of great parking, electric road crossings with buttons, portapotty, many ice cream shops and restaurants close by. Who could want more? We tried West View Creamery in Acton, delicious. Recommended!
Beautiful trail through woods and small towns…paved path, some work needed but what a fun day!!!
From main lot at Recreation Center offf Breakneck Rd., there is large picnic area, immaculate bathrooms, and boat launch. There are about million roads and trails it seems if you've never been there before, but the only complete trail is, apparently, to take trail heading to your right at top of parking lot (which is actually part of Grand Trunk Trail?) passing the picnic pavilions. That goes 1/4 mile on left side of river to the dam, with an Eagle Scouts mini-nature meadow project along the side. Cross the dam, or linger, as it is a great view, and follow the Westville Community Trail down the other side back to the parking lot. Shortest trail I've been on yet, but seemed longer with the dam to explore. Not sure about the Grand Trunk portion that heads west -left-from the recreational parking lot into the woods, as it had a LARGE downhill dirt path near its beginning which I wasnt willing to try to get back up later.
Began at Railroad Ave/Mill Rd, Dudley lot, headed north, dirt track, but mainly smooth. At W. Dudley Rd, no signage, so go left on the road 100 feet to a great weir waterfall with bridge on a curve, at end of bridge is the larger parking lot and boat launch, on Quinebaug river, which is behind an old, but still used warehouse/factory, and it's absolutely lovely there. However, the trail there becomes a narrow track, so my hybrid bike wasn't really up to it, but bringing the dog back once for a walk was fantastic. A rural back roads route to reach the Mill Rd parking is possible, too, through Oxford and Nichols College on Healy Rd, which is lovely also.
This is an interesting trail. I started at Fino park, and went towards Milford. It was actually an enjoyable ride given it was not just straight and level. Turned around and took the other side. Straight as and arrow and not very exciting. Though it was hot most of it is under the tree canopy. It’s a little confusing in the middle. However, I think that was more me than the trail. I’d definitely do it again and did have a good time. It’s worth the drive.
Hands down one of the better rail trails. Smooth packed white limestone trail. Trail was in great shape. I’d say 95% of the trail is shaded-great on a hot summer day. I only found one place to get water and snacks. It was near Andover as the trail crossed a road you could see the highway very close by and a gas station and Dunkin’ Donuts right there only 200 yards off the trail. Overall a great, smooth and very pretty ride!
we’ve only done less than 16 miles total at north end, but really enjoyed it, yes, it’s dirt/crushed gravel, but mostly smoother than some asphalt sections elsewhere. We currently have hybrid road bikes. Pomfret pavilion park is cute and Towns of Pomfret & Woodstock are extra beautiful. Trail is woodsy and shaded, saw turtles and hawks. Ate at Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret which was very busy, lots of outdoor parking and sports or hot rod cars and motorcycles to ogle at, great cake. Nice parking lot at south end of Thompson section. Bring lots of bug spray in July, though.
Rode the length and back at height of peak season at peak time of day, a Saturday evening, while trail was crowded, everyone was cooperating with rules of the road and apparently having a nice experience. This is my husband’s favorite trail, as he says, great trail, paved, scenery and an ice cream at the end, what more could you want? Well, I could return during the day sometime to do some shopping!, but other than that…!
A few bumpy spots on northern half, great otherwise. Lovely ride north to South and back. I would recommend parking at the Lowe's vs the Dunkin Donuts
7/9/22 - 85F, partly cloudy, windy
I wanted to go check out the Airline, Northern section - I’d heard things were happening over the past few years, but I hadn’t been out there in a few years.
Well, yes! A few things have changed greatly for the better. I parked at the Pomfret Train Station and instantly noticed that there is a beautiful new bridge over Rte 169. Nice Job CT Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP)! Very pretty (I didn’t take a photo, but there is a photo on Google Maps). I had high hopes for the trail surface northeast bound, but as a couple of reviewers have mentioned, it is still pretty rough. I was riding a gravel bike with 42mm tires, softly inflated, and didn’t have much trouble, but this section would be much more joyous on a fat bike or suspended MTB with 2.5“ - 4” tires. There are long stretches of nice dirt double track, but it periodically degrades into 1.5” “crusher run” gravel for some stretches where CT DEEP has put down some fill to stop erosion. Well done, this was definitely needed. The road crossings have been greatly upgraded. Eastbound riding toward Putnam, there is now a beautiful new overpass at Day Road (I think that’s the name), Wright’s Crossing is a grade crossing with a marked crosswalk, and then there are beautiful new culverts at Holmes, Modock and River Rd., and another marked grade crossing at Town Farm Rd. After Town Farm Road the trail continues, but then just short of the Quinebaug river…it just ends with a pretty big drop off to the access road for the Town of Putnam Waste Water Treatment Plant next to the Quinebaug River. I know from previous rides (and other reviewers have mentioned) that there is a nice bridge across the Quinebaug which can take riders into Putnam (ice cream, coffee shops, hot dogs) but there is giant “disconnect” in getting to this bridge from the trail.
The trail surface between the Pomfret Train Station and Putnam, however, is evolving. As I mentioned, in more than a few spots it is very rough. The grade has all been cleared and drainage provided so it stays relatively dry though. This is a huge improvement from the last few years when, by any assessment, long sections of the trail were completely impassable and those that weren’t were overgrown, rough, wet, bug infested muck holes. I’m sure that CT DEEP is working on improvements as budget and staffing permit, so I’m not going to whine, however, if you go, take a fat bike or mountain bike. Don’t need to mention - there are no services after leaving Pomfret, so bring everything you might need or want, including a charged phone, and insect repellent to ward off the mosquitos later in the afternoon.
CT DEEP and Ashford, Pomfret and Putnam Depts of Public Works have obviously been spending some cash on this trail, and I for one, am happy about it. Just need to improve the surface a little, and make that connection to the Quinebaug Bridge in Putnam. These improvements will continue the evolution of the Airline Trail to be one of CT’s and the nation’s best
Love everything about this bike path, but even here while riding my bike which is a pedal assist bike I was shocked as I was verbally attacked by a cyclist who passed me calling me very vicious names when she realized I was on a pedal assist bike. I ride my bike on eco the lowest setting. I’m not going to make any excuses for riding a pedal assist bike because I’m older and just enjoy the ride better. I don’t understand why when I’m riding respectful of pedestrians and other riders that I was verbally attacked. I could not find info online regarding banning pedal assist bikes on this path.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_17076_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
