Explore the best rated trails in Ware, MA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Appel Way Trail and Common Pathway. With more than 65 trails covering 576 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 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 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 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 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...
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk April 1–November 14. Eagle nesting activities can delay the opening of the southern trail head in Windsor...
The Nashua River Rail Trail stretches from southern Nashua, New Hampshire, to downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, connecting to the towns of Pepperell and Groton. The trail is built on the former rail...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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,...
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...
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 Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
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...
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 Squannacook River Rail Trail is presently 1.8 miles long, from Depot St. in the center of Townsend, MA, to the Harbor Church parking lot in Townsend Harbor. The trail occupies the Greenville...
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 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 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 Nashua River Rail Trail stretches from southern Nashua, New Hampshire, to downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, connecting to the towns of Pepperell and Groton. The trail is built on the former rail...
The Hartford Riverwalk is a charming network of paved pathways for cyclists and pedestrians that runs along the banks of the Connecticut River through the state capital. The trail provides an off-road...
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 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 Reformatory Branch Trail connects the historical towns of Bedford and Concord along a nearly 4-mile dirt path through wildlife refuges that ends a short distance from the North Bridge, the...
The Squannacook River Rail Trail is presently 1.8 miles long, from Depot St. in the center of Townsend, MA, to the Harbor Church parking lot in Townsend Harbor. The trail occupies the Greenville...
Note: Per the State of Connecticut's website, the trail is open from dawn to dusk April 1–November 14. Eagle nesting activities can delay the opening of the southern trail head in Windsor...
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 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...
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...
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...
More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic route, planned to be paved in the future, offers a...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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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 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 West River Railroad, which once followed its namesake river for 36 miles, began passenger service in the late 1800s as a way to trim the two-day voyage between Brattleboro and South Londonderry to...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
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 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 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 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...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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 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...
The Reformatory Branch Trail connects the historical towns of Bedford and Concord along a nearly 4-mile dirt path through wildlife refuges that ends a short distance from the North Bridge, the...
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Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
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 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...
If you want a quick ride, this is your trail. Enjoy!
My wife and I rode our recumbent trikes on the entirety of this trail on a Saturday evening. For the most part, we encountered only walkers. And based on the surface condition of the trail, I understand why. The pavement has deteriorated and is full of root-bumps and small dips. It was a very rough ride.
I would recommend this trail for walkers, joggers, or cyclists if you've got a bike/trike with a suspension. The bulk of the trail is on the old towpath between the river and the canal, so other than the north and south ends, you are separated by water from the rest of the world. This makes for a quiet, relaxing, and scenic trek. The northern terminus near the parking lot, which also forms a "T" with the CT 190 bridge, and the southern terminus by the renovated mill building are new and in great shape. All we need now is for Connecticut to resurface the original portion... even stone dust would be better than the broken pavement.
We continued on to the MA/NH line and connected to Cheshire Trail to Keene, switched to Ashuelot and connected to The Fort Hill in Hinsdale, NH. Gardner to Brattleboro via Keene! All good trails.
I went here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. What a lovely place! This is a paved trail that follows the river and has a nice playground and picnic area at one end. There are various sculptures related to Abraham Lincoln along the way. It was very relaxing to stroll along the water. The views of the bridges and the Hartford skyline are stunning. Will definitely return!
Encountered a closure north from Hurricane Rd. Not sure how far, but sign says until the end of June. Unfortunately my favorite section!
On e Bikes; trail to north from Windham generally passable but long wet areas (eventually turned around) and trail a bit rougher than going south from Willimantic. The south trail is in much better shape and had inviting scenery with streams, farms and wetlands/lakes + virtually no wet areas on trail. Went to RT 87 (about 8 miles) from Willimantic. Plan to do this again and go further.
Good trail, nice but it is 4-5 miles of asphalt. If anyone knows were it extends to LMK.
Great trail and very scenic. All paved and pavement in very good shape. Parked at lot on New Britain Ave. and went NW to Collinsville and then to Rte. 44 in Canton. Then rode trail back to start.
10 miles each way. Very enjoyable journey. 90%+ of ride is on nice wide trail. First half of trip is constant, gentle up gradient. Ride back about 60% faster since going mostly gently downhill along river.
Parked at lot on Railroad St off of 44. New parking lot and pavilion with new overpass for trail over main road. Took trail NE to Town Farm Rd. and then streets into Putnam. Trail in this section gets average rating of 2+. Trail base is coarse rock (1.5" +) with washed out ruts. Somewhat bumpy ride. Only good for bikes with wider tires. In Putnam went south on Putnam River Trail (excellent paved trail) south to bridge over Quinebaug River. Crossed river climbed up steep hill to get to old rail trail and took this back to starting point.
Next went SW from rail station on trail to Covell Road. This section of trail in very good shape. Hard packed gravel base. I'd rate this a 4. Easy going for most bikes.
I usually park at the lot at the corner of Red Oak Hill dr. and New Britian ave. and head north. You go thru Unionville then to Collinsville where you can stop for a drink and bite to eat. You can go back to your car from there (16 miles round trip) or continue on to Canton and even farther. Well, maintained, great scenic views of the Farmington River rapids. It can get crowded on weekends. During the week, is perfect.
Dangerous, poison! Stay away and tell your friends to do the same. ¿
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