Find the top rated bike trails in Ipswich, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Middleton Rail Trail is a trail project along the former Essex Railroad. When complete, the trail will stretch 4.5 miles through the town, and perhaps join the Danvers Rail Trail. Phase I of the...
The Clipper City Rail Trail is part of the Coastal Trails Coalition, which is developing in the four towns of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury along the Merrimack River and will...
The Marblehead Rail-Trail appears on maps as a Y resting on its side, connecting Marblehead and Salem in the north and the city limits of Swampscott in the west. The 4-mile trail knits together a...
The World War II Veterans Memorial Trail opened in Mansfield in 2004 after several decades of advocacy by local rail-trail supporters. The trail rests on an abandoned corridor once served by the Old...
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...
The Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
The Border to Boston Trail connects the communities of West Peabody, Peabody, Danvers, Topsfield, and Boxford in northeastern Massachusetts. The long-term goal for the trail is to continue it north to...
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails...
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...
_17076_sc.jpg)
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,...
Although less than a mile, the trail running through Salisbury Beach State Reservation offers lovely views of the beaches off the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, just a few miles south of the New...
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,...
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 developing Upper Charles Trail will one day total 24 miles, linking the communities of Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, Framingham, and Hopkinton along a former railroad bed. As of 2018,...
The Malden River Greenway is part of the Mystic Greenways trail system, which also includes the Wellington Greenway and the Mystic River Greenway. When completed, it will run along the Malden River...
Norwell is a suburb about 30 minutes' drive south of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Norwell Pathway, a 2-mile non-motorized trail that was constructed to give residents an alternative way to...
_185168_sc.jpg)
Although only a grassy, hard-packed dirt pathway, the route along the Salem-Beverly Canal (also known as the Grand Wenham Canal), is scenic and peaceful. The old canal, built in 1917, lies between two...
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...
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 South Bay Harbor Trail connects several Boston neighborhoods—Lower Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, and Fort Point Channel—to the Boston Harbor. The trail spans nearly 4 miles from Ruggles...
_175266_sc.jpg)
The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
The Clipper City Rail Trail is part of the Coastal Trails Coalition, which is developing in the four towns of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury along the Merrimack River and will...
The Pine Tree Brook Trail travels alongside the brook in Milton, Massachusetts. The path travels through woods and residential neighborhoods for a distance of about 1.8 miles, and it connects to the...
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,...
Although only a grassy, hard-packed dirt pathway, the route along the Salem-Beverly Canal (also known as the Grand Wenham Canal), is scenic and peaceful. The old canal, built in 1917, lies between two...
In the southeastern outskirts of Boston, the Hanover Branch Rail Trail connects the communities of Abington and Rockland. (Locally, the trail’s east and west halves are sometimes referred to as the...
The Amesbury Riverwalk (also known as the Powwow Riverwalk) carries visitors between a resurgent waterfront district on the Powwow River to a modern shopping center on the outskirts of this historical...
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built...
The Charles River Bike Path, also referred to as the Charles River Greenway, offers a paved, 22-mile route from Boston to its western suburbs. The trail is also part of a larger, developing network...
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails...
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 World War II Veterans Memorial Trail opened in Mansfield in 2004 after several decades of advocacy by local rail-trail supporters. The trail rests on an abandoned corridor once served by the Old...
The Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
The Chelsea Greenway was built to accompany the extension of the Silver Line between Boston and its northern suburb, Chelsea. The asphalt multiuse trail begins at the Eastern Avenue MBTA station and...
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...
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 North Bank Bridge, which opened in 2012, provides a safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle connection between Cambridge's North Point Park and Paul Revere Park in Charlestown. Spanning 690...
The Salisbury Rail Trail Connector, also known as the Gillis Rail Trail Connector, is a 0.3-mile link between two rail-trails: Salisbury's Old Eastern Marsh Trail and Newburyport's Clipper City Rail...
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...
The Border to Boston Trail connects the communities of West Peabody, Peabody, Danvers, Topsfield, and Boxford in northeastern Massachusetts. The long-term goal for the trail is to continue it north to...
The Mystic River Greenway is part of the Mystic Greenways trail system, which also includes the Wellington Greenway and the Malden River Greenway. When completed, the trail will connect the...
The North Bank Bridge, which opened in 2012, provides a safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle connection between Cambridge's North Point Park and Paul Revere Park in Charlestown. Spanning 690...
More and more, airport lands near previously under-used rail corridors are being transformed from largely neglected vacant lands into urban greenways. These new vibrant spaces are used not only by...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The health and fortunes of Lowell have been intimately tied to the Concord River for hundreds of years. This tributary of the more well-known Merrimack River continues to be at the heart of the local...
The World War II Veterans Memorial Trail opened in Mansfield in 2004 after several decades of advocacy by local rail-trail supporters. The trail rests on an abandoned corridor once served by the Old...
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...
Although short, the scenic Gloria Braunhardt Bike Path travels through forests and pastures full of birds and wildlife. The asphalt pathway parallels the eastern side of the present-day Interstate 95...
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...
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...
Norwell is a suburb about 30 minutes' drive south of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Norwell Pathway, a 2-mile non-motorized trail that was constructed to give residents an alternative way to...
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...
The Swampscott Rail Trail is a developing rail-trail in the North Shore community of Swampscott. The trail, when complete will extend two miles through the heart of the town ending with a seamless...
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built...
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 Pine Tree Brook Trail travels alongside the brook in Milton, Massachusetts. The path travels through woods and residential neighborhoods for a distance of about 1.8 miles, and it connects to the...
The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
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...
Quiet, hidden trail. No obstructions and could navigate well on snowpacked gravel trail. Was a relaxing walk as there were no unleashed dogs or unmasked people.
I've noticed some criticism of this trail that I think would be unfair. It's clearly not among the most enjoyable if one compares it to riding the Battle Road Trail, but it's conveniently located. I know these trails closer to cities with higher population are most often paved, but this would be superb if it were dirt. I love the rocky section and the section closer to Lynn that's still dirt, ironically the parts that receives the most criticism.
When you want to ride your bike, and you're close to the Everett area, this trail provides a path half way to Salem MA without having to bike streets that aren't very "bike friendly".
The southern sections I agree aren't the greatest of scenery and there are a few street crossings, but there are some relatively peaceful areas on that section. And the northern half has some wonderful areas surrounded by trees. Call me an optimist but I can't complain about minor details of a path that's in a location that really needed a path for cyclists. I heard a rumor that it's going to be extended soon--a path that took us closer to Salem or Peabody would be ideal, but it's incredibly handy and I live nearby it. I've never seen it crowded or have high traffic. There are quite a few stops on the south section if you need a store or to avoid some bike-commuter street traffic in the Everett to Malden areas, so what's NOT to like.
My friends and I ride hardtails through there and really do enjoy it. I'd prefer a dirt trail instead, one more friendly to a full sus' frame, but for that it gets only 4-stars from me lol! ANY trails/paths in these more populated cities are HIGHLY welcomed and speaking for myself, sincerely appreciated. Ride it the FULL distance south to north (it's short, like 8 miles) and see how you'll enjoy it even more if you haven't ventured to the northern half. At the traffic intersections just be careful, which isn't a big deal for someone like myself that bikes through Boston all the time.
~JSV
Great trail. Wonderful walk but, caution, it reads as 3 miles on the surface. It is actually 7. Once you read all the detail you see that 4 miles more through Brookline.
The portion of the trial from I-95 to Hayfield St has substantially degraded for cyclists. A small portion of trail floods for a good portion of the summer (thank you beavers!). The flooded portions can be walked around.
New in 2020 are sand and rock obstructions in which your tires sink and it is impossible to continue pedaling without walking a bit. Maintenance on this trail is sufficient for vehicles, walkers and the utilities, but my mountain-style bike struggles.
It is an interesting trail otherwise in the middle of know-where. Pity.
My husband and I rode the Upper Charles Trail from the Hopkinton start to the near end in Holliston this last Saturday in November 2020. What a pleasant surprise! We enjoyed very pretty scenery in Hopkinton, a great lunch at Oliva's Market in Milford, visited the brand new Boston Honey Company store in Holliston, and marveled at the historic Phipps Railroad Tunnel under Highland Street. The trail changes from asphalt to very rideable stonedust in Holliston. At just over 13 miles one-way, the trail is a great way to enjoy being outside and getting some great exercise to boot! I thoroughly recommend this trail to anyone who likes pretty scenery, and great stops along the way.
Consider this a great way to travel between two lovely towns rather than a picturesque trail with stunning views all the way. However take in a great view from the end of the bay at the Lead Mines area. In summer hundreds of fishing and pleasure boats are moored between the towns of Salem and Marblehead . If ,coming from Salem , you take the right spur to Swampscott the trail ends and there isn’t much to see like there is in Marblehead or Salem. In Marblehead make sure you visit the old fort and gun battery .
Where this trail starts in downtown Nashua is not a great area. We biked it recently to get access to the Mine Falls Park. About half way down the trail is better but would probably have to park on a street. If you are looking for a nice bike ride I suggest the Nashua River trail. Mine Falls is nice but you are in the minority if you are biking. There are a lot of walkers.
One of my favorite rides anywhere. Gives a great feel for the city and connects easily to other urban paths. I live far out in the northwest suburbs but I try to get in here every week or two. Great scenery, great path, lots of activities, well maintained and constantly improved. I generally start in Waltham, take the south side in and north side out. Usually, I go past the MOS and through North Point Park, over the North Bank bridge to Paul Revere Park and from there into the North End and waterfront, virtually all off the streets. Can't recommend the Charles River Path too highly.
Starting from Everett, MA the trail is well paved and an easy ride. However, there are frequent road crossings, some of which are quite busy. After leaving Malden, the paving gives way to an uneven surface covered with rough gravel. As the ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, I dismounted, admired Rumney Marsh and returned to my starting point.
I can't speak for the entire length of the trail, but the part by Melnea Cass Blvd is definitely unkempt. Cracks and bumps all along the pavement!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_175266_st.jpg)
_185168_st.jpg)
_17076_st.jpg)
