Find the top rated bike trails in Reading, 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.
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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...
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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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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The Blackstone River Greenway (previously known as the Blackstone River Bikeway) is a 3-mile trail that represents the first open segment of the Massachusetts portion of a pathway that will eventually...
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 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 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 Peanut Trial is a distinct trail in the town of Newton that spans one-mile. This rail-trail was meant to connect to the Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. However, due to a controversial lawsuit by land...
The trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed stone-dust pathway follows a former rail bed through Topsfield, meandering...
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 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 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...
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 newly open Bradford Rail Trail occupies the former Pan Am rail lines, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the...
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 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 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 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 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 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...
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 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...
Alewife Linear Park is a beautiful paved trail stretching 2 miles east from the Alewife T-station in Cambridge to Cedar Street in Somerville. The park came about after the Massachusetts Bay...
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 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...
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 trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed stone-dust pathway follows a former rail bed through Topsfield, meandering...
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 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...
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...
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 Haggetts Rail Trail is a short, but sweet unpaved trail located on the periphery of Haggetts Pond, the local reservoir for the nearby town of Andover. Built on part of the former line of the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 Bridge Street Bike Trail begins near Curtis Park and travels south through downtown Salem, closely following the Bridge Street Bypass. The short trail runs through residential, retail and...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
The Whitney Spur Rail Trail runs from just north of the MBTA’s Cohasset Station through dense woodlands to the edge of Wompatuck State Park. The corridor was originally a spur off the Old Colony...
Alewife Linear Park is a beautiful paved trail stretching 2 miles east from the Alewife T-station in Cambridge to Cedar Street in Somerville. The park came about after the Massachusetts Bay...
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...
We are from Chicago and rode this trail. We found it very pleasant even dodging rain drops. The trail is clean and smooth with a moderate amount of traffic. Most traffic seemed to be commuter traffic. We enjoyed the historic portions of the trail and loved Lexington along the way. The old commuter coach at the Bedford Station is a nice touch of the days the trail served as a rail line. We did ride the trail from end pint to end point however after the Bedford Station the trail seems to be less marked and resorts to street traffic. All in all a great inter urban commuter trail.
Having just tried the SNETT for the 1st time, I was very disappointed. The review from July last year is still the situation ... the trail was amazing for a few miles, quite stunning all around though for this section the path was clear and maintained. While no standing water, the trail narrowed to a walking path at best in many places. I also abandoned somewhere in Bellingham. I'll try another leg next time.
I've used the Hopkinton/Milford/Holliston trails that have great trails - wide, gravel or paved, & no obscure entry/exits - so my benchmark is quite high. Hoping for another good local option!
Tried it out with dat wheel bike- I like a smoother ride for relaxation and to enjoy scenery.
Danvers trail is flat (like it was rolled recently) and very well maintained. Packed small cinder/gravel, it was already drained and dry less then 24 hours after a rain. South 2 miles does cross a lot of roads, though crossings are well marked and the cars are polite enough to stop. Personally, I'd skip the southern 2 miles and instead just keep going into the 'Topsfield Linear' trail. Both trails have a lot of sun....they're not very shady so consider that on a hot sunny day. My ride was during the week...very little traffic.
I love the community path - the art, the kids, the people hanging out. It seems really well used.
Of course the path just ends. There's a not totally horrible way (with kids) to get to the Museum of Science aka the Charles River Path from the end of the community path. We took a side street to Central Ave., then the bike line on Somerville to Union Sq., crossing via sidewalks. Then the bike lane on Somerville Ave, with a RT on Medford, to School, to Thorndike. The Medford Street portion goes underneath a train bridge with fast traffic, but there is a bike lane. Considered Webster > Cambridge St. to get around that, but the last part of Webster is a Show for kids.
Started on this trail (by the noted parking), with a goal of connecting to the MBT. We found the trail very smooth and well maintained, not crowded (even on a weekend) and very pleasant. Not long enough for a ride by itself, but definitely a more interesting way to start your Minuteman experience.
Dateline: Tuesday, June 26, 2018.
Beautiful sunny day, about 85 F.
I started from the Traillink suggested parking lot in the East Providence. The first 3 to 4 miles were in suburban street bike lanes until I got to Lonsdale. Then the trail became wonderful and completely off-road. So choose your parking area carefully. This trail is definitely worth a long drive (3.5 hours for me) and a repeat visit. As much as I love the ocean views of the East Bay Bike Path, I liked this trail better. Nice job Rhode Island.
Caution. After visiting many bike trails thanks to TrailLink, my only complaint is that some of the parking areas need to be reviewed more carefully. Always take the address/directions/GPS to more than one parking lot and visit the TLink site just before departing for any updates. I drove 2.5 hours to Windsor Locks, CT to find out the entire trail was closed temporarly, and my only parking lot address closed for the entire year. But I will go back, because the trails themselves have not let me down.
Combined with the Danvers and Peabody trails the result is a lovely ride through woods and wetlands. Plenty of parking at the Topsfield end. The trail is well marked and the street crossings all have crossing lights. The grade is nearly flat for an easy ride!
I ride a recumbent trike. At the beginning of the Salem bike path there are three sets of post to block vehicular traffic I guess, but the posts are not wide enough for recumbent trikes. I had to lift my trike sideways and angle it so I could get it past the barriers. I ended up going back route 114 so I wouldn't have to pass the post on the way home. I will not ride my trike there again.
they still use old fashioned stanchions & raised brick lane dividers. my Wife crashed twice & broke her wrist 2 days ago. the stanchion she crashed into is reportedly (by a town employee) the site of multiple SERIOUS crashes (Pond St, Chelmsford)
also, there are other multiple poorly designed issues such as at some road crossings
do yourself & your family a favor & stay off this trail
I live near one of the main stopping points for this Rail Trail. It's gorgeous in any and every season. I noticed a lot of people saying there isn't a stopping point from Ayer until you get to Pepperell - don't forget about Groton! If you stop near the bus depot and go up the road, there is a health food place with some GREAT smoothies as well as a Dunkin' Donuts and a convenience store. From Pepperell to Nashua, there aren't any major stops, but there is a vending machine with a few chairs if you bring a couple dollar bills!
Overall, this is a great, family-friendly, small town Rail Trail. It cuts through some of New England's best small towns (in my entirely biased opinion) and both terminal points are worth a little look around (though Ayer might be more accessible, especially with kids!).
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
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