Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Greenfield, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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 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 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...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail shadows the Black River for most of its 3.2-mile length in eastern Springfield to the border with New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The route originally carried an...
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 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 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 40 miles from Boston to Northampton...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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 Common Pathway travels 5.5 miles from the outskirts of Peterborough south to downtown’s Noone Falls area, paralleling US 202 and the Contoocook River for most of its journey. The small town of...
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 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 Squannacook River Rail Trail is presently 1.1 miles long, from Depot St. to Old Meetinghouse Road in Townsend, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the Greenville Branch of the Boston and Maine...
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 Toonerville Rail-Trail shadows the Black River for most of its 3.2-mile length in eastern Springfield to the border with New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The route originally carried an...
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 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 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 Common Pathway travels 5.5 miles from the outskirts of Peterborough south to downtown’s Noone Falls area, paralleling US 202 and the Contoocook River for most of its journey. The small town of...
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...
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail connects three communities in south-central New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Deering, and Bennington. The unpaved trail winds along the Contoocook River through rural...
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 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 40 miles from Boston to Northampton...
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...
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...
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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...
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
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 heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
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 Squannacook River Rail Trail is presently 1.1 miles long, from Depot St. to Old Meetinghouse Road in Townsend, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the Greenville Branch of the Boston and Maine...
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 Hoosic River Greenway spans 2.5 miles along the river’s east bank through the Village of Hoosick Falls. The gravel pathway follows the former route of the Boston Hoosac Tunnel & Western Railway,...
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 40 miles from Boston to Northampton...
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail connects three communities in south-central New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Deering, and Bennington. The unpaved trail winds along the Contoocook River through rural...
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...
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 first section of the Corkscrew Rail Trail opened in June 2015. It begins at Knapp Road in Stephentown and heads south under a shady tree canopy towards New Lebanon, near the New York/Massachusetts...
The Common Pathway travels 5.5 miles from the outskirts of Peterborough south to downtown’s Noone Falls area, paralleling US 202 and the Contoocook River for most of its journey. The small town of...
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...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail shadows the Black River for most of its 3.2-mile length in eastern Springfield to the border with New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The route originally carried an...
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 Squannacook River Rail Trail is presently 1.1 miles long, from Depot St. to Old Meetinghouse Road in Townsend, Massachusetts. The trail occupies the Greenville Branch of the Boston and Maine...
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 East Branch Trail is a 0.5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of the...
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
The Hoosic River Greenway spans 2.5 miles along the river’s east bank through the Village of Hoosick Falls. The gravel pathway follows the former route of the Boston Hoosac Tunnel & Western Railway,...
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...
Went from Keene to Troy Depot, passable, but very rocky, muddy and barely passable with a hybrid bike. Finding the trail out of Keene wasn't obvious - finding and following the blue diamonds on the trees helped. Crossing rte 101 is pretty dangerous. Toward Troy, there's a lot of what appears to be snowmobile trail maintenance going on making the trail difficult for biking, again dislodged rocks and lots of mud. Left Troy going to Fitzwilliam and the trail became unpassable with my wife's hybrid and difficult on my mountain e-bike. Big time wash-out on the trail that goes on forever. I recommend staying away from it at least this time of the year unless you like this kind of mountain biking...
We’ve ridden many rail trails in New England, and this is one of the best! Flat, wide, smooth and almost no one around. I If riding from South to North into Adams; the last 3 miles are downhill. My wife actually coasted for the entire 3 miles without pedaling or need to brake!! She was laughing the entire way. The downhill is so gradual, you can’t even see it’s downhill.
Had a very nice ride yesterday. The trail is well maintained and wide enough that you can pass safely. They are working to extend the trail into Pittsfield. If you find blinking tail light please let me know. Mine fell off my ¿! ¿
I'm reviewing the Southwick Rail Trail and Colombia Greenway Trail together as I rode up from the Farmington Canal trail and didn't see where one ended and the other began.
The two trials are smooth, relatively scenic, well-marked, avoid too many road crossings (especially nice when in a neighborhood), and are a pleasant ride for any skill level.
On its own, the Colombia Greenway trail might be a little short but it connects seamlessly to the Colombia Greenway Trail, and then to the Farmington Canal trail, that is not as much of an issue.
I'm reviewing the Southwick Rail Trail and Colombia Greenway Trail together as I rode up from the Farmington Canal trail and didn't see where one ended and the other began.
The two trials are smooth, relatively scenic, well-marked, avoid too many road crossings (especially nice when in a neighborhood), and are a pleasant ride for any skill level.
The Southwick Rail Trail is good in that it seamlessly connects on either end to other trails such that one could got for a metriccentury including it.
I wish I could give this 4.5 stars.
It is really two separate trails with a five-mile gap. I rode both sections. The bottom section was slightly nicer and might have squeaked out 5 stars on its own.
Most of the trail is shady and scenic. the pavement is generally smooth but a few roots. However, in the northern section it is not really well-marked and a bunch of times I needed to pull out my GPS, either to guess which way to go at a fork or as the poor marking meant I went off trail. The lower section has a part in northern New Haven where it is not kept up as well and there are lots of road crossings.
My wife and I tried this trail because it is a fairly short drive to Hoosick Falls. It is NOT your typical bike trail. It is gravel (hard packed crushed stone) but not difficult to ride on. We parked in a lot in town at the middle of the trail, rode north which was very nice and not too long. The north end is a bit desolate. We rode back and attempted to continue on the southern part, however it was not marked at all and we could not find any visible "access" point. We eventually made our way through the town and found a sign pointing us toward the trail.
This eventually brought us to the southern end of the trail near some little league ball fields. We rode northward again on gravel for about a mile when the gravel abruptly stopped. We spent 5 or 10 minutes contemplating whether to continue or not. Ahead of us was just grass, but not something that looked like a trail. After about 100 yards it became a mowed grass path which was definitely an old railroad bed, rather high with the river to our left and a ditch to our right. To say the least , it was NOT what we expected. This section was directly behind peoples homes and we were not even sure if we were on a trail at this point. It eventually went under a train bridge and came out where it was not marked at all, a few blocks from where our car was parked. To say the least, we wish we had read a review similar to this so we would have known what to expect. Hopefully this will help to inform someone else in the future.
Once we got to the Sanitation site north of Keene the trail wasn't more then a goat trail. Muddy, rocky narrow, and not very much fun. We turned around. Maybe it would be better from Walpole south.
This was moderate to difficult. But I am in my advanced 50s and over weight. It is 85% uphill, a lot of rocks. Not sure if all the rocks are from hurricane Irene or if it has always been rocky. A hiking stick was helpful for balance. My husband, same age, not over weight found it moderate to difficult, but navigated the rocks much more easily. The falls are incredible! Worth the hike.
Southern section very rough, significant ATV use (officially sanctioned). Washed out slopes can be unsafe with large cobbles, exposed bedrock, and washouts. If you manage to escape the ATVs it's quiet.
I live about 7 miles from the South Londonderry trail head and only wish the trail was better suited for my hybrid bike. The first 3 miles (approx) to the Winhall campground are in bad shape (dirt festooned with rocks, roots, ruts and mud puddles). I don't know when the article summary was written, but I have a different idea of what "well maintained" means. Those with mountain bikes or fat tire bikes should have a much easier time with it though.
The trail ride is sandwiched by a campground road for a couple of miles. It's asphalt, and other than navigating several speed bumps, is an easy ride to another dirt path on the Jamaica side. It's in better shape than the South Londonderry portion. It's not in great shape for riding either but very manageable.
The two dirt path portions follow the contour of the tree lined West River. The view is particularly vivid, particularly in Autumn, and a favorite spot to hike with my dog. As a bike trail though, it needs work.
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