Explore the best rated trails in Springfield, MA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Windsor River Trail and Mattabassett Trolley Trail . With more than 56 trails covering 517 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.
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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...
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 Columbia Greenway Rail Trail offers just over 2 miles of paved, tree-lined pathway through Westfield in southwestern Massachusetts. The trail runs from Main Street, across the Great River Bridge...
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 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...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
Visitors to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail will find the full splendor of the scenic Berkshires along this nearly 12-mile-long paved trail. The Ashuwillticook (ash-oo-will-ti-cook) follows MA 8 through...
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 Qunnipiac Linear Trail is an easy multipurpose path in Wallingford, Connecticut. The trail skirts Community Lake while traveling a heavily wooded corridor along the Quinnipiac River. It is one of...
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 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...
Where a trolley once ran, now you can too on the south bank of the Mattabessett River. The electrified trolley shuttled passengers from Berlin to Middletown and beyond. The smooth blacktop and an easy...
The Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
The North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
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 Charter Oak Greenway offers more than 16 miles of paved pathway through Hartford and its eastern suburbs. At first glance, the trail looks as if it is simply a highway side path, but the journey...
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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 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 Massachusetts Central Railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, but the 104-mile corridor is being reborn as a cross-state rail-trail. Currently, nearly 50 miles from Boston to Northampton...
The Rocky Hill Trail weaves through the tranquil greenery of the Burts Bog Greenway Conservation Area in Northampton, Hampshire County. The 121-acre peat bog is an ecologically sensitive site that's...
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 Southwick Rail Trail extends from the Massachusetts–Connecticut state line north to the Westfield town line and connects to the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. Along the way, it travels through...
The Rocky Hill Trail weaves through the tranquil greenery of the Burts Bog Greenway Conservation Area in Northampton, Hampshire County. The 121-acre peat bog is an ecologically sensitive site that's...
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
The well-maintained Canalside Rail Trail provides users with a variety of trestle bridges, views of waterbirds stalking fish and frogs, and gentle grades that alternate between open sky and forested...
The Charter Oak Greenway offers more than 16 miles of paved pathway through Hartford and its eastern suburbs. At first glance, the trail looks as if it is simply a highway side path, but the journey...
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The Rockville Spur, a section of Vernon Rails-to-Trails, is a stone-dust rail-trail stretching 4.2 miles into the heart of historical Rockville. The trail begins on Warren Avenue in Vernon, but you’ll...
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 Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
Coming in at just under 3 miles, the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is anchored by the towns of Winchester to the north and Torrington to the south. It occupies the right-of-way of the Naugatuck...
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, but the 104-mile corridor is being reborn as a cross-state rail-trail. Currently, nearly 50 miles from Boston to Northampton...
Over 2 miles from start to finish, this U-shaped trail meets both the commuting and the recreational needs of local residents in Middletown. The trail begins on Middle St, marked by a trailhead with a...
A dozen miles west of Connecticut’s capital of Hartford, the Farmington River Trail forms a 16.5-mile arc that connects to the larger Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on both ends. The rail-trail was...
The Bissell name looms large in this part of New England, and has been immortalized in multiple ways, including the Bissell Ferry, the Bissell Memorial Bridge and now, the Captain John Bissell trail,...
Visitors to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail will find the full splendor of the scenic Berkshires along this nearly 12-mile-long paved trail. The Ashuwillticook (ash-oo-will-ti-cook) follows MA 8 through...
Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail is 1.8 miles between Bloomfield and Simsbury. The trail is envisioned to someday act as a connector between the City of Hartford and the Farmington Canal Heritage...
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...
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 Windsor River Trail is a paved trail along the Connecticut River in Windsor Meadows State Park. The trail begins at the state park’s parking lot on E Barber St. The Captain John Bissell Trail,...
Paralleling the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders, which lie only a few miles away, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail is a beautiful paved wooded pathway along the former New York & Harlem Railroad...
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 Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail is 1.8 miles between Bloomfield and Simsbury. The trail is envisioned to someday act as a connector between the City of Hartford and the Farmington Canal Heritage...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
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...
Coming in at just under 3 miles, the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway is anchored by the towns of Winchester to the north and Torrington to the south. It occupies the right-of-way of the Naugatuck...
Visitors to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail will find the full splendor of the scenic Berkshires along this nearly 12-mile-long paved trail. The Ashuwillticook (ash-oo-will-ti-cook) follows MA 8 through...
The Catamount Trail offers 300 miles of backcountry skiing stretching across Vermont, from the Readsboro on the Massachusetts border, to North Troy near Canada. The trails are popular for winter...
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...
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 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...
The Bissell name looms large in this part of New England, and has been immortalized in multiple ways, including the Bissell Ferry, the Bissell Memorial Bridge and now, the Captain John Bissell trail,...
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, but the 104-mile corridor is being reborn as a cross-state rail-trail. Currently, nearly 50 miles from Boston to Northampton...
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
Over 2 miles from start to finish, this U-shaped trail meets both the commuting and the recreational needs of local residents in Middletown. The trail begins on Middle St, marked by a trailhead with a...
The Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
The Bridge of Flowers delights the senses of visitors walking among the trees and blossoms on the old trolley bridge spanning the Deerfield River, which connects two communities in northwestern...
The Qunnipiac Linear Trail is an easy multipurpose path in Wallingford, Connecticut. The trail skirts Community Lake while traveling a heavily wooded corridor along the Quinnipiac River. It is one of...
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 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 trail is so boring only 1 biker in the entire trail
This trail is not to be missed. I rode approximately 21 miles from Cumberland to Woonsocket. There is a parking lot on John Street at the site of the old Lonsdale drive-in. The trail is breathtakingly beautiful and well maintained. You are lulled into a calm feeling listening to the river. The surroundings rustic. It’s a mix of old and new from the railroad tracks to industrial buildings to modern buildings. There are minimal hills/inclines. My only negative is that the signage needs improvement. industribuilding
It took me 3 hours from Nashua NH to drive to this trail and it was completely worth it!!! As of 2022 I rode this trail from beginning to end and did not find a single bump, frost heave or pot hole, the smoothest paved trail I have ever been on. Then there is the scenery which is just spectacular and when fall comes the foliage in the Berkshires is going to be just great. The only issue I had was there was no parking at the trail terminus in North Adams, I parked on a city street there is parking directly on the other end in Pittsfield.
I want to take stars away from other trails to give this one an 8 out of 5, that's how nice it is! We rode this end-to-end and every inch of it is wide and smooth, with beautiful wooded surroundings, lakeside vistas, or quaint small town vibe (the Adams end.) If I had to find something to nitpick, it would have to be that we found the public restrooms on the north end to be closed when we desperately needed them. It was about 6pm on a Saturday at the time. But the fact that there are true restrooms (not porta-potties) on the north and south ends of the trail is a vast improvement over other trails we've been on.
We spent two days on the trail doing an out and back loop each day as we only had one car. I used a mountain bike; my wife had a Townie Go, with electric assist (both 2" wide tires). The first day we started at East Hampton, road 18 miles north and turned around. Great ride. The surface was cinders, maintained and smooth. There are no bathroom or water facilities. You really feel out in the woods and away from civilization - we saw no sandwich store or stops of any kind. But, a Super day in any case. Don't miss the covered bridge which is at the end of a down hill road adjacent to the trail (about 1.5 miles)
We stayed at the Daniel Rust B&B (cottage) which is well worth it. Very nice garden like yard. Room was clean, bright and good sized. Owners were very friendly. Unbelievable breakfast - better than home. Bikes were very safe kept outside our cottage.
Good food nearby - we went to the Hill top restaurant which was reasonable and offered good choices. It faces west for a very nice sunset.
Next day we started in Lebanon and parked near Kingsley road. Note the route from here has been changed. As you near the Willimantic river you cross a pedestrian bridge. At the end of the bridge the trail splits with the Hop river trail going left and the airline going right. No more dramatic drop off at the river or the remains of a bridge you can't cross.
Taking the Airline trail follow the river till you come to a rail yard. Go straight ahead riding on public streets behind old buildings. Follow Bike Trail signs and painted bike signs on the road (River road I think) till you get to the FROG bridge on Jackson St. Make a left, following the bike trail signs into a parking lot (referred to in the itinerary for day 2 parking) on the right side just past the bridge. Ride along the path away from the Frog bridge, the airline trail picks up at the far end of this parking area (it may be called a Green way on signs - not Airline. For a few miles the path is paved asphalt but then changes back to cinder.
We rode the next part of this trail for about 10 miles till we got to a road crossing with Parker Road. From here the trail became very narrow - single track and was very rough. Basically a combination of dirt with natural stones. It seemed unimproved - no sign of cinders or any serious trail work. We rode this for a mile or so then decided to turn around. Perhaps this was only a short section of nasty trail because the itinerary makes no mention of it.
This was a fun trail with the exception of the last section. The surrounding country side is beautiful and easy to navigate with your car. Food is plentiful and there are lots of antique stores and other neat things to see. This could be a really good ride during the fall foliage season. I'll be back.
Brutal…started at the trailhead in Douglas State Forest en route to the finish in Franklin…combo of compacted gravel, sand, asphalt, and river stone….
This trail is listed at 22 miles but my gps had it at 23.9 due to not taking into account the unconnected parts where you need to navigate main roads and streets(Millville 0.6 miles not on the map and Blackstone 1.0 miles not on the map). Start to finish back to start a 48 mile day.
Absolutely NO gain on this trail…you will be peddling for 99% of the ride due to little elevation changes…many erupted stones, fallen trees, and ‘porpoising’ swells along the track…oh and mud…
And there are only 3 locations to egress off if you have any problems along the way(Millville on rte 146a / downtown Blackstone / Bellingham near the Ri border near downtown Woonsocket)…other than that your in no man’s land…
Good point is that the paved greenway in Uxbridge is new and in excellent condition with great views and bridge trusses to cross…however there are trail sections with plenty of gnarly - one bike width only - narrow points to navigate(ie. Bellingham)
My son and I completed this end to end recently. You need plenty of patience as the directions and published maps are a joke…there are 2 areas that are “under construction” and say do not enter - feel free to ignore those…as this part of the trail is rideable but just awaiting a coat of asphalt on top of compacts clay/sand…to bypass would add another 5 miles to the voyage.
The best riders would be hard pressed to finish this coast to coast under 4hrs…you can make up time on the greenway but you will be constantly peddling on this beast of a trail if you wish to complete it…looking for a challenge and punishment this delivers…hydrate and stretch!
This is a well maintained trail. Great for little kids on bikes and walkers of all ages. A perfect example of a rail to trail conversion. There are places near both ends for lunch or a treat. There is no parking lot at the downtown end of the trail, but you could park at nearby O’Gara Field and access it from there.
(1) The continuous asphalt path south from Woonsocket to Central Falls is outstanding except for "missing" signage at Ashton Mills for southbound riders. You must turn right, but without any sign, quite a few cyclists on this trail for the first time, including me, continued straight on the path and wandered around the apartment parking lot and streets until we either looked back and saw bicycles riding from the left, or a kind soul told us to cross the river. There is a sign telling northbound riders crossing the river to turn left. (2) After the separate bikeway ends on the streets of Central Falls, turn signs are missing in both directions. I gave up trying to continue to Pawtucket at the Wyatt Detention Facility, though I am told the "trail" continues past it. There need to be signs at every turn where there is more than one option. It's especially confusing that there are brand new, well-marked bike lanes in Central Falls if you fail to turn left when you were supposed to but didn't know it. However, these lanes stop abruptly, leaving you downtown, blocks away from the trail.
I usually start just part the Farmington River Mini Golf, and head towards Canton. When the route shown ends at the nursery, is there a loop to get back to Farmington and not just go in reverse?Thanks.Dennis
Sad, if you want to bike it. closed at both sides and both sides are asking for donations. for what?
Rode 4 miles from Millers Rd parking in Southwick south over state line Into CT, turned around, went 4 miles north (1 mile short of Westfield). Southwick Trail is smooth as glass! All road crossings are well marked. Most enjoyable! Parking is ample, also.
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