Find the top rated walking trails in Gardner, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Mine Falls Park in Nashua is a 300-acre-plus urban park with a network of approximately 9.7 miles of a variety of trail types. This forested park offers an extraordinary nature experience in the heart...
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...
When complete, the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will run for more than 5 miles on a former Boston and Maine Railroad corridor from connections with the Windham Rail Trail (north) and Methuen Rail 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...
The Manhan Rail Trail, well integrated into the local communities it serves, offers a pleasant ride or stroll. It conveniently weaves together parks, community points of interest, neighborhoods, and...
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 scenic Valley Trail spans 9 miles connecting Dover and Wilmington in southern Vermont along the Green Mountain National Forest. It provides a critical off-road pathway for bypassing State Route...
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The Southwest Corridor Park (Pierre Lallement Bike Path) knits together neighborhoods in southern Boston from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain. Popular as a route for commuters as well as casual walkers,...
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...
Methuen Rail Trail connects three communities in northeastern Massachusetts as it follows the route of the former Manchester and Lawrence Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The rail-trail's...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
The Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality...
The Piscataquog Trail, though only about 2 miles long, provides a vital off-road link between the communities on the western side of the Merrimack River (the West Side of Manchester) to several parks...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a...
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...
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 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 Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. Its connections to the...
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...
When complete, the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will run for more than 5 miles on a former Boston and Maine Railroad corridor from connections with the Windham Rail Trail (north) and Methuen Rail Trail...
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 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...
The Northern Strand Community Trail is part of the visionary and almost-complete Bike to the Sea plan to link Boston and the Mystic River to the seashore in Lynn, north of Boston. It currently runs...
The year 2017 marks 20 years since a rails-to-trails project was first mentioned in the Goffstown Master Plan, and thanks to work by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail and support throughout the...
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 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 New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
This exquisitely maintained trail slices through forested areas and wetlands for a wonderful experience in southern New Hampshire. The trail will eventually be part of the Granite State Rail Trail,...
Even though the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail traces the nation’s first narrow-gauge railroad for 3 miles from Bedford toward Billerica, the mostly crushed-stone path is plenty wide enough now to...
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 Piscataquog Trail, though only about 2 miles long, provides a vital off-road link between the communities on the western side of the Merrimack River (the West Side of Manchester) to several parks...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
The Roland Bergeron Bike Path runs about 6 miles alongside nearly the entirety of Albuquerque Avenue in Litchfield, NH. Completed in 2010, the 8-ft wide asphalt path averages about 5 yards in from...
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 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 Manhan Rail Trail, well integrated into the local communities it serves, offers a pleasant ride or stroll. It conveniently weaves together parks, community points of interest, neighborhoods, and...
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
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 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 South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
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,...
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The Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail brings at least two superlatives to mind: it’s one of New Hampshire’s longest rail-trails at just more than 28 miles, and it begins in Manchester, the state’s...
The Neponset River Greenway is a south Boston jewel, utilizing the best in design and construction standards as it winds through the Neponset River valley, offering a low-stress, high-quality...
The Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. Its connections to the...
The Piscataquog Trail, though only about 2 miles long, provides a vital off-road link between the communities on the western side of the Merrimack River (the West Side of Manchester) to several parks...
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Crossing through wooded areas and featuring magnificent wetland vistas, the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) offers an 18.3-mile trail adventure from Epping to Windham. The northern...
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 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...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
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 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...
Methuen Rail Trail connects three communities in northeastern Massachusetts as it follows the route of the former Manchester and Lawrence Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The rail-trail's...
Many commuters choose the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway for freedom from congested traffic in the northwest Boston suburbs. For others, the 10.1-mile paved trail between Cambridge and Bedford serves as a...
Extremely well maintained and there is a local org that has laid out a strategic plan for expansion of this trail. It's got a couple of lakes along the way to stop for a dip!
I've ridden all sections in Southbridge, Sturbridge and Brimfield. The last is most extensive as it allows several different routes in the same area. The surface runs from gravel to loose crushed stone to grass and mud depending on the area as well. Inexperienced or older riders may find some parts of the Brimfield trails difficult. But if one takes their time there are some marvelous water views of the Quinebog River and adjoining marshes on that end of the trail to enjoy. The Southbridge/Sturbridge end of the trail allows a 4 mile plus run from Westville Dam out to the Calcutt Bridge and back. Adding in the Westville Community Trail in the Westville Reservation (a narrow and winding one that runs the woods on the east side of the river) adds another .75 miles to the route approximately.
On Feb. 17, 2020, I walked from Smith Street, East Hampton west for 2.9 miles through the tunnel under Rt. 66 where the improved section ends. This section has a good surface of stone dust. There is only 0.25 mile gap between the final 0.7 mile section in East Hampton where that newer segment connects to the 2.3 mile long trail in Portland. There are plans to build a boardwalk through this section to make the connection, as the trail is a running stream with several inches of water.
The trail has a slight break at Main Street that is a bit confusing to navigate. When heading west, turn right on Main Street, cross Main Street at the light, and walk through the parking lot in front of the fire department building to pick up the trail.
At the eastern end of the trail, the bridge over the Willimantic River in Willimantic on the Hop River State Rail Trail received a new deck in 2019 and opened to the public in September 2019, thus making a direct connection to the Air Line Trail.
This trail starts out OK, but as you move further North, into to country the trail narrows and is less maintained. My biggest concern is there is not enough parking places, entrances , and no benches.
A short but nice trail. Pretty much a straight shot with no hills. Similar to the World War II Veterans Memorial trail in Mansfield, but with no benches and in need of a bit more TLC. The trail is made of crushed stone and in one or two places it is a bit too loosely packed which can make steering your bike a bit challenging. Also, there is some encroaching brush on either side of the trail, but it is minor and does not get in the way too much. Not too busy. You can go back and forth and probably see 2 or 3 other bikers, walkers, etc. The parking lot is located across the street from where the trail begins. Overall, a nice trail if you are looking for a quick ride through the woods.
Instead of the heavily used trails, l looked for one off the beaten path, so to speak. I found this trail searching for NH trails and was somewhat familiar to the area after going to Monadnock Speedway over the years. I didn't realize this trail runs across the entrance to it. After reading a bit, it seems it is partially a paved trail but only near Keene. Figured I would start at the southern end since it's only an hour from where I live. I found the parking area easy enough and figured I'd start the trail from there which is right across the street. I see that the trail goes south a little more but in all honesty, driving on the road getting to the parking area or after leaving, I couldn't see where you actually get to the trail end. Since it's only a quarter mile more, I didn't bother backtracking to figure it out. Trail is unpaved on the southern end and I had read a few people's comments about how they couldn't get past the speedway since the trail isn't maintained all that well in that area. I went up to where it crosses over Rt. 119 (short distance west from the intersection of Rt. 10) then rode back on the highway back to the parking lot. The trail is a mix of grass, gravel, some mud but not much, soft sand and the like. Looks like they just took the tracks out and cleaned it up a bit and said here you go. It wasn't all that difficult to get through the section I did which was about 8 miles, give or take. I used a hybrid bike and had no real issues. I wouldn't recommend a road bike at all. It was a fun ride, saw all the stuff people had mentioned about the old tracks, rail shed and covered bridge. It was a pretty cool ride. I didn't see any other bikers the whole time I rode through the area and only a 2 other people out walking. I did see a couple devices on the side of the trail which had cables running across it. It appeared to be devices to record how much usage, somewhat like you'd see driving a car across a road. Not sure why they are doing this, it's not like I think they're putting too much into this section if this is the state doing this recording. I wonder if by chance it was paved that it would bring more people in. However, I don't see where those using it would help economically since it's not going into any business areas. Some trails have businesses near it like ice cream stands or convenience stores but this section is not designed for that. Time will tell I guess. Maybe I'll go back next year to see if I can get past the race track area. A good Sunday ride through the woods.
I've ridden this trail several times. Most recently today with my wife. Good workout if you start at Rte. 85 by McDonald's and push hard to Lincoln Street in Marlborough then head back and ride to the terminus in Hudson by Riverside Gun Club. Good 10.2 mile run that can be done in an hour after work.
We rode from Bedford towards Boston and then returned via Lexington and Concord. Trail was an excellent pathway into Boston and had we had more time we would have continued into the city. Historically this trail is a gem waiting to be discovered.
The section from Route 122 in Woonsocket to Fox Run Rd in Bellingham is still undeveloped, rough, and even impassable in some sections. I'd advise to avoid unless you have a mountain bike and don't mind walking it.
I concur to the rough state of the trail just west of Route 146 too. Wet and walkable-only in some sections too.
Park in Glenallen St. parking lot in Winchendon. Ride trail towards Gardner. On the way you will see rivers and wetlands, and starting now, beautiful foliage. After riding that stretch, head toward downtown Winchendon. This is a short section but worth the little side trip as it skirts a pond that reflects the colorful foliage.
We started in Milford and first rode to Holliston. The trail starts paved and then turns into a crushed stone but is well maintained throughout. Returning to Milford we then rode the other side of the trail which is paved throughout. Overall the trail is quite nice and a great option for two shorter rides or one long ride. Road crossings were easy and the traffic was quite kind. We have ridden in 33 states now and can easily give this trail a 9 out of 10. I will be posting a YouTube video of our ride using the username PedalPushin AK.
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