Find the top rated trails in Spencer, 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.
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Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
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...
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 Harrisville Rail Trail runs for just under two miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris...
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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...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
The South Bay Harbor Trail will one day connects several Boston neighborhoods—Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, and Fort Point Channel—to the Boston Harbor. Currently, the route offers...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
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 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...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
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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 Spicket River begins in Derry, New Hampshire, through Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts, before draining into the Merrimack River. Like many mill towns of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the...
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Stretching east from Northampton, the 10-mile Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail connects the towns of Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst. Part of the Connecticut River Greenway State...
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...
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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 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 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...
The North Central Pathway will one day stretch 16 miles between the cities of Winchendon and Gardner in northern Massachusetts, primarily along a former railroad right-of-way. Three open sections...
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 Haggetts Rail Trail is a short, but sweet unpaved trail located on the periphery of Haggetts Pond, the local reservoir for the nearby town of Andover. Built on part of the former line of the...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
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...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
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...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
Canalside Trail begins at McClelland Farm Road and heads north on the former NYNH&H Railroad, crossing the Connecticut River near its confluence with Deerfield River. Approximately a half mile north...
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 health and fortunes of Lowell have been intimately tied to the Concord River for hundreds of years. This tributary of the more famous Merrimack River continues to be at the heart of the local...
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...
You won't get lonely on the Minuteman Bikeway. The nearly 10-mile rail-trail through suburban Boston is one of New England's most popular trails. Warm summer weekends in particular bring folks of all...
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 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...
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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...
50 Quarries have operated in Quincy, "The Granite City", since 1826. This trail provides a short tour of the railway corridor where the stone was carried from the Quarries.
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...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
The Spicket River begins in Derry, New Hampshire, through Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts, before draining into the Merrimack River. Like many mill towns of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
The North Central Pathway will one day stretch 16 miles between the cities of Winchendon and Gardner in northern Massachusetts, primarily along a former railroad right-of-way. Three open sections...
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 Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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The Cheshire Rail Trail stretches for nearly 33 miles between Route 12 near Bookseller Road and the New Hampshire–Massachusetts state line at Route 12. In Keene, the trail includes a beautiful stone...
The scenic Monadnock Branch Rail-Trail travels for just over 7 miles from Webster Street in Jaffrey near the ball field to the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border. From Jaffrey to Rindge the trail is...
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...
Great trail. It's a solid distance with few stop signs. It does need maintenance in some parts as tree roots are making it bumpy but other than that it's solid.
Hi All,
Per "Record Journal" Newspaper New Section of "Farmington Canal Heritage Rail Trail" (Curtiss St & Kane St) to Lazy Lane. Happy Trails, RVC (tn) "Zenith"
I had a great time riding this trail last Sunday. I started in Pomfret from the old railroad station parking lot on Railroad Street.
I rode 7.5 miles, then reached a very long section which was covered in rocks that were sharp edged, about 1 1/2inches on a side. I took a break and enjoyed the view over the wetland area there. I was just able to ride over that rocky section on my cross bike, but it was a rough and uncomfortable ride. It went on for around three miles!!
I'm curious to know why this one section is prepared so differently from the rest of the trail.
I rated the Air Line trail a 4 of 5 stars. When I previewed my review, it showed more like 15 stars. Why is that?
The 0.65 mi. extension of the trail from Curtis St. to Lazy Lane is now open although the connection from the old end of the trail at Curtis St. still requires crossing a tricky intersection. Lazy Lane is now the best place to start in Southington as there is a big new parking lot and that location provides easy access to and from Rt. 10 off the I-84 Queen Street exit. It is now 8.5 miles of continuous very well paved and completely off road trail from Lazy Lane in Southington to Rt.68 (West Main St.) in Cheshire. If you take the short .75 mile ride down Willow St. off of West Main St. to the Cornwall St. entrance of the trail you can get back off road very quickly. I rode the first .75 mile section of the trail south from Cornwall St. to Higgins Road to make it a nice 10 mile one way trek from Lazy Lane but I was surprised to see how many cracks there were on this part of the trail. They were all pretty much filled in but since they are very frequent and extend completely across the trail it was not very comfortable riding for a road bike. In contrast I don't recall seeing a single divot on the 8.5 mile section from Lazy Lane to Rt. 68. Another interesting aspect of this 10 mile section of the trail is that the first 4 miles headed south provides no shade at all in the September mid-afternoon and then the next 6 miles starting at about Rt. 322 is almost completely shaded. On a nice mid-70's afternoon that lack of shade in the beginning was actually very comfortable but I imagine it is kind of hot on a mid-summer afternoon. The contrast between the 2 sections of this 10 mile route makes for a great ride as those changes also parallel the route starting urban and turning almost rural by route end.
Was searching high and low for a long trail like this for long runs. Went here for the first time this past weekend and it completely surpassed any expectations I had. Everyone was super friendly! The views were amazing. Will be even more beautiful in the fall. Can't wait to keep running here and bringing my dog along as well!
What a difference a year makes. I reviewed this trail back in June 2016 with only nice things to say. The ride has nice views along the Blackstone River. The few bumps that I encountered last year has definitely increased. The only work done on these very large bumps is spray paint them so you see them before you get injured by hitting them. I found that the area with the biggest problems are between the 2 overpasses (rt116 and rt146). But they are really everywhere.
We use tour bikes. As of summer 2017 'very few' tree roots. It was mostly smooth the whole way! Well paved. Could really make great time on this trail! Good for work out. Super straight trail. Very few spots are bumpy but most were marked. Some pretty views near the river. We missed the covered bridge near Pepperill.
Start at Gardner Veterans Arena (45 Veterans Dr Gardner, MA) (Parking available)
1. Exit the Arena parking lot to the rear right hand side of the arena. Bike on paved trail on right shore of Crystal Lake about 3/4 of a mile to Green St Trail Parking lot (across from the windmills at Mt Wachusett Community College)
2. Go left out of the lot and Ride North on Green St for about a mile, passing the Community College on your right, for about 1 mile, to the intersection with Rt. 140
3. Turn left onto Rt. 140 (EXCERCISING EXTREME CAUTION IN CROSSING THIS VERY BUSY ROAD !) and proceed roughly half a mile to the 2nd leg of the paved trail on your right.
4. Follow the paved trail roughly 6 miles to the end of this leg at Old Gardiner Rd.
5. Go right down Old. Gardner Rd just over a half a mile to the intersection with Spring St.
6. Turn right onto Spring St and proceed roughly 800 ft (.15 miles) to N. Ashburnham Rd. and turn left onto to it.
7. In 600 ft you will see the entry to the 3rd leg of the paved trail, so turn left onto it.
8. Follow the trail roughly 3 miles to the end behind the derelict Goodspeed Machinery Factory. You are 1 block off the main drag in Winchendon.
Total distance one-way is roughly 11 miles
Towns (Gardner & Winchendon) need to update the outdated trail maps and add signs to guide bikers at the end of the paved sections to find the next leg ! Would be 4-5 stars if this was done !
Hope this helps ! P3
We did the southern portion from Rt. 122 to Rt. 62 and found it fairly bland. At the beginning, the signage weas unclear as to whether bicycling was even allowed (another trail user said he'd seen cyclists often.) We found the surface conditions to be unpredictable for non-hard core bicycling, with some very soft stretches and other areas with embedded rocks and roots, as well as some wet spots and standing water (that could be skirted on the edges). The landforms, flora and fauna, and railroad evidence were unremarkable; the trail was unusually straight and level, even for a former railbed. There were a number of other ungated paths, trails and actual roads intersecting and/or crossing this trail, several of which provided vehicular access for vehicles potentially up to Jeep size. We didn't encounter ATV's or dirtbikes on our ride, but saw clear evidence of them, and we saw cars parked on the ends of the marked trail at several of these intersecting points so it is not clear who the intended users are supposed to be. The day we were there it was very quiet and peaceful, so if you are looking for miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles and you hit it as we evidently did, this trail's for you.
I rode from Farmington to Mass. three times , Cheshire to New Haven one time, and Cheshire to Southington twice. I rode Farmington River Trail to Simsbury via Farmington Canal Heritage Trail several times. I am getting excited waiting for the 9.1 mi connection between Southington and Farmington. It has been an enjoyable summer of 2017 riding. Yes I am a member and intend to be for a long time. Great job to all involved.
Hi All,
Work has begun on (New Section) (Curtiss St Jct Kane St) to Lazy Lane (Southington, CT). However it won't be open until they fix the dangerous street intersections of (I believe Curtiss & Kane) (Was written in the new paper). Very Dangerous. Will be nice to have a new section! (When Done)
Happy Trails, Russ C
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