Explore the best rated trails in Swampscott, MA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Heritage Trail (NH) and Swampscott Rail Trail . With more than 98 trails covering 531 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.
We hit this little trail on a warm afternoon when we had two hours unscheduled. The Leominster end was fine and the Fitchburg end was rather a rough neighborhood. We were riding tandem, so the many stops were slightly vexing. We spent most of the ride shifting down to dismount or shifting up from dismounting. There were plenty of dining options all along the route, and ice cream at the parking spot. Room for 6 cars, but plenty more right at the municipal Carter Park. At 0.2 miles, we smelled something really good. Ate lunch at Taqueria El Amigo 2. It was a very nice little Mexican restaurant with pineapple, mandarin, and other interesting sodas. The food was very good.
The Methuen Rail Trail was beautiful, but short. Strongly recommend it if in the area.
To extend the ride, we connected to the Spicket River Greenway.
We only went half way, into Lawrence.
Spicket River Greenway trail was filled with homeless people, trash / litter, and bad smells. We felt VERY unsafe and turned around.
Not Recommended
This is a paved and well-marked trail that starts at the Alewife MBTA Red Line station in Cambridge, where the is a parking garage, and runs north & northwest through Arlington, Lexington and Bedford. It's been well used for years by people out for a walk, cyclists out for a pleasant ride, families, and bike commuters. Once past Arlington Center and across Massachusetts Ave., the trail runs through a tunnel of trees as it goes past suburban back yards, village centers and conservation land. There are lots of access points and places to hop off and get food and something to drink, and numerous benches along the trail where you can take a break. Toward the end, you cross a bridge over Interstate 95/State Route 128 heading into Bedford.
First off. . . Glad that they finally did something with that stretch of track. I use to ride my mountain bike along them. The trail itself is very nice, clean and wide. To echo, what others have stated, why too many stops and stoplights. Definitely a great walking path. Also, it just ends. . . You get to the end at Fourth St - Fitchburg and the signage tells you to take a left, then a right, onto Middle St. then a right onto First St and it just ends?! I hope the complete more.
Just did this trail today from Range Road in Windham to Derry. This is a great trail and was surprisingly not that busy for July 3rd. One tiny observation, we attempted to start at the Willow St. parking area in Salem across from Dodge Grain. Things have changed there since the Rail Trail map was done, there is no parking anywhere there now. Some company has signs saying non-company business parkers will be towed. Thus we went north. However, it looks like there is an empty lot at the Main St. - Central St. intersection across from the Depot Museum in Salem. It looks to be safe to park there and the rail trail is a few steps away.
Started from India point park and it isn’t marked where to. We lost the “route” many times because of no signage. Very bumpy, wouldn’t call it a scenic ride.
Ok, I recently purchased a ‘24 Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 axs gravel bike. This section of trail is absolutely amazing. Roughly 26.3 miles round trip from West Boylston to Rutland. Starting in West Boylston, Ma you head west. The trail is hard packed dirt. Smoother than most roads in Mass! ¿ No, seriously! Just be careful, this section up to the I-190 bridges, there’s usually a lot of traffic. Especially people with doggos. Some more cognizant than others. But once you cross under the bridges, no dogs are allowed and the traffic thins out. The best section is at the parking lot on Mill St - Holden. It’s packed gravel and as wide a road. It meanders up to the mail Trail and is packed gravel all the way until you hit construction on the trail. So much fun!!!
Not even really a rail trail. You are biking under double electric lines. There is no posting at the Pond Street entrance. Also, a quarter mile in, there is a no trespassing sign right on the trail so you have to take a longer loop around on surface streets to get back under the power lines. Not scenic at all. I've done about 18 trails throughout MA and NH and this is the worst trail I have been on. Why is this even listed here?
This trail is very near our home. We’ve watched it evolve since we used to walk along the railroad tracks. It has taken a long time to develop, but we love it and appreciate the improvements that keep coming. We walk and bike there often. Looking forward to when we can bike all the way to Somerville on one end and Nahant on the other tx Bike To the Sea!!!
Just did this trail today with my wife and 2 friends. We're all in our 70s. We had fun but were taken by surprise when we hit the end... the trail just ends and it's necessary to ride back a hundred yards to a road to get off the trail.
We plodded along the Lynnway to the traffic circle at Nahant Road then rode south along Nahant Beach to the Tides restaurant for beer, fried clams, and mussels. On the way back after lunch we rode on the hard-packed beach back to the traffic circle then worked our way back to the Northern Strand Community Trail back to where we parked at Rivergreen Park in Everett. We had too much sun and the rush hour was approaching so we skipped the ride over to the Encore Boston Harbor Casino.
The marshes were an unexpected surprise in this densely-populated area. We visited America's largest model train store. And the aroma of coffee and baked bread was so welcome.
Watch out for the electric scooters. The people riding them go too fast (and they don't wear helmets).
The reason I gave four stars and not five is the many road crossings and traffic lights. We found it helps to press the button to cross.
We have been riding this trail for at least seven years. I am surprised to be the first reviewer. Topsfield Linear Common trail is one of the most consistently scenic trails I have ridden in eastern Massachusetts. At some point it merges with the Danvers Rail Trail so maybe most of the reviews are there. On Saturday, we parked in Topsfield Center as usual, across from St. Rose of Lima Church (that is the easiest way to find the parking lot via GPS) and decided to go north, which in the past was not at all finished and became quickly impassable. But to our surprise, work had been done on this part of the trail since we last checked, so we were able to ride the full two miles to the end in Boxford. You can't go any further because Rte. 95 is in front of you. In Topfield, it is still a narrow packed dirt trail, but the grass on both sides has been mowed. When you cross over to Boxford, the trail becomes small gravel. At the very end, for a short distance, it reverts to dirt track.
We returned to Topsfield and rode south. You pass the fairgrounds, then the Ipswich River, and The Wenham-Danvers swamp, which has a lovely .3 mile scenic scenic boardwalk through the swamp. We were probably on the Danvers trail by now. We went as far as the playground which purports to be in Wenham, and has a place to refill your water bottle as well as equipment for kids.
The part of the trail from here to the end of the Danvers trail is, to my mind, not so scenic, so I have stopped riding it.
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