Find the top rated trails in Putnam, 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)
_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...
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...
The Charter Oak Greenway is a paved, multi-use trail connecting parks with residential and commercial areas. The trail runs for 11 miles between Bolton and downtown Hartford, though there is currently...
Running north from the Yale University campus in New Haven through the heart of Connecticut, the multi-use Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, when completed will stretch uninterrupted more than 80 miles...
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...
The Cheney Rail Trail follows part of the corridor of the South Manchester Railroad, built by the Cheney brothers in 1869. The line was a 2.5-mile spur from the main Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill...
A part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
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...
_75158_sc.jpg)
In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
The Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
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...
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...
Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts, from Main st, across the Great River Bridge over the Little River to the...
_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 Hop River State Park Trail is one of Connecticut's longest rail-trails. Narrow cuts and a lush tree canopy make for enjoyable visits year-round. Near its western end is the Charter Oak...
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 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 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 Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway is an important non-motorized transportation corridor and local recreation trail, linking Waterplace Park and the Providence Place Mall in Providence...
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...
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...
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 part of Connecticut's first bus rapid transit line, the CTfastrak Trail serves as recreational and multi-use path for walking and bicycling between Downtown New Britain and Newington Junction. The...
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...
In central Massachusetts, the Norwottuck Rail-Trail (formerly the Northampton Bikeway) runs between New South Street in Northampton and the neighborhood north of Look Memorial Park in Florence....
The Chicopee Center Canal Walk offers a short pleasant route in Chicopee, a small city on the outskirts of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. The pathway closely follows the slow-moving canal and...
The Redstone Rail Trail is built on the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Armory Branch, which in turn is a former branch line of the New York & New England RR. Its name comes from the numerous...
The Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which will one day run 21 miles along the river, currently has two open segments. The longest stretches 3.7 miles from the Chicopee town line to the South End...
The Stratton Brook State Park Trail presents a great way to work up an appetite for a picnic at Stratton Brook State Park, the first state park in Connecticut to be entirely wheelchair accessible. The...
This unpaved state-owned trail is open for public use from Coldbrook to Baldwinville. An on-road detour is necessary through the village of Baldwinville, but the right-of-way is open for public use on...
_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 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...
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 Charter Oak Greenway is a paved, multi-use trail connecting parks with residential and commercial areas. The trail runs for 11 miles between Bolton and downtown Hartford, though there is currently...
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 Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
The Southwick Rail Trail is now complete from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line, where it continues south as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. On the north end, the trail extends to the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
_49887_sc.jpg)
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk March 1–November 30." The 4.5-mile Windsor Locks Canal Trail follows the Connecticut River and the Windsor Locks...
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 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...
Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts, from Main st, across the Great River Bridge over the Little River to the...
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....
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 Charter Oak Greenway is a paved, multi-use trail connecting parks with residential and commercial areas. The trail runs for 11 miles between Bolton and downtown Hartford, though there is currently...
The Stratton Brook State Park Trail presents a great way to work up an appetite for a picnic at Stratton Brook State Park, the first state park in Connecticut to be entirely wheelchair accessible. The...
The Upper Charles Trail will one day span more than 20 miles, connecting the communities of Milford, Ashland, Hopkinton, Sherborn and Holliston along a former CSX rail bed. The trail is being...
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...
The Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which will one day run 21 miles along the river, currently has two open segments. The longest stretches 3.7 miles from the Chicopee town line to the South End...
_132529_sc.jpg)
Thanks to skilled engineers with the former Hartford, Providence, & Fishkill Railroad, the pretty Vernon Rails-to-Trails overlooks ravines and streams and passes between rock walls verdant with ferns...
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...
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...
The rugged and beautiful Reformatory Branch Trail meanders more than 4 miles through three natural areas: Elm Brook Conservation Area, Mary Putnam Webber Wildlife Preserve, and Great Meadows National...
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...
This is not a super long trail but since it is pretty much all up hill going from Hudson to Marlboro, it still gives you a work out. That being said you should start in Hudson so the way back is down hill.
We did not go on the trail that starts in Maynard because it was closed.
I parked on Sasseville Way in Marlboro and headed toward Hudson with my pooch. We walked only for about a mile and a half, but met nice people, and other dogs as well. It was well marked, clean, and even had a few trash cans along the way!
It has been reported that a large bear was seen on the trail section between Hop River Rd. and Parker Bridge Rd. in Columbia.
Checked this out today to see if my wife would enjoy it...the good news is she will! Her 'complaint' about the East Bay trail was that it felt narrow (compared to the Shining Sea trail in Falmouth).
This is nice and wide w/ one exception where they give notice that it narrows (and even then it's still pretty wide).
The last 3-4 miles in Coventry had a steeper incline than the rest of the trail. As a result, I think when I bring my wife (not an avid rider) I'm going to park behind the Coventry PD (near Station St.) and head south first to get the incline out of the way and then head back up north past the PD as far as she feels comfortable.
At the southern end, the Summit General Store was a good stop. I didn't get anything to eat at the counter, just some trail mix and cold drink but it was convenient. I did see several folks stopping in for lunch while I was sitting there.
The break after Route 122 in Blackstone now picks up at the parking lot off of Canal Street, near the corner of St. Paul Street. Going west from this point is about 3 miles of wide graded asphalt trail. The old Triad Bridge has been redone and is a safe beautiful crossing. I saw a lot of people--walking, riding bikes, pushing strollers, even skateboarding--when I rode this section a few Sundays ago.
But at the end of this section is Route 146 (a limited access divided highway) and there are no signs telling you how to cross it or to get back on the trail on the other side.
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.
As others mentioned a little bumpy from roots. Parking on south end is just beyond an old factory building. Turn down single lane road just before canal. There looks to be a gate across the trail, but there is a bike opening to the right. North end has nicer parking in a small park. Some historical info about canal in park. Trail continues north beyond park. Not sure how far it goes.
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.
Beautiful, mostly flat trail along the Seekonk River and Narragansett Bay that ends at a small town with wonderful restaurants for lunch. If you are only looking for a snack, a coffee shop (with restrooms) situated in a refurbished station house is 1/3rd of the way. The trail boasts the best in bird sightings including Osprey, Egret, Swan, and American Goldfinch. Many small side trails deviate from East Bay in case you want to go exploring. Parking located at two possible places off of I-195 in Providence. The first exit, which is a little confusing and limited near India Point Park (Gano Street) requires bicycles to negotiate a quiet neighborhood after crossing the Seekonk, which can be confusing. There is another parking lot off Riverside (2nd exit). Either way, it is worth the trip.
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).
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
_136346_st.jpg)
_75158_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_132529_st.jpg)
_49887_st.jpg)
