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Townsend, MA Horseback Riding Trails and Maps

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Name
Length
Most Popular

Air Line State Park Trail

60.3 mi

State: CT

Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Blackstone River Greenway

31.6 mi

State: MA, RI

Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Border to Boston Trail

44.1 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Derry Rail Trail

3.6 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Grand Trunk Trail

6.9 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Haggetts Rail Trail

2 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Mass Central Rail Trail

64 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Medfield Rail Trail

1.3 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail

7.5 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Gravel

Nashua River Rail Trail

12.4 mi

State: MA, NH

Asphalt

New Boston Rail Trail

3.9 mi

State: NH

Dirt

New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway

9.6 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone

Northern Rail Trail

59 mi

State: NH

Cinder, Crushed Stone

Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail

5.7 mi

State: MA

Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass

West River Trail (Windham County)

16.1 mi

State: VT

Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Windham Rail Trail

4.3 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail

21.4 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Cheshire Rail Trail (Cheshire Branch Rail Trail)

42.4 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail

7 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Harrisville and Hancock Rail Trails

6.1 mi

State: NH

Dirt

Accordion

Marblehead Rail-Trail

3.34 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Mason Railroad Trail

6.7 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Gravel, Sand

Potanipo Rail Trail (NH)

2.7 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch)

18.3 mi

State: NH

Dirt, Sand

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch)

28 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Southern New England Trunkline Trail

21.8 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone

Squannacook River Rail Trail

3.7 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone

Stevens Rail Trail

1.65 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Brookline Rail Trail

4.5 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail

5.65 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Granite Town Rail-Trail

3 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail

7.8 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Dirt

Jay McLaren Memorial Trail

2 mi

State: MA

Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area Trail

3.4 mi

State: MA

Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Barker Road Trail

0.9 mi

State: MA

Dirt, Grass

Henniker & Hopkinton Rail Trails

6.7 mi

State: NH

Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Potanipo Rail Trail

3.4 mi

State: MA, NH

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Potanipo Rail Trail (MA)

1.7 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Trail Image	Trail Name	States	Length	Surface	Rating
	Air Line State Park Trail The Air Line State Park Trail winds 60.3 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 nearly...	CT	60.3 mi	Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	153 reviews
	Blackstone River Greenway 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...	MA, RI	31.6 mi	Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt	99 reviews
	Border to Boston Trail The Border to Boston Trail is a developing trail network that will stretch 70 miles between the New Hampshire border and Boston—providing a continuous route for a variety of non-motorized uses...	MA	44.1 mi	Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt	48 reviews
	Derry Rail Trail This exquisitely maintained 3.6-mile paved rail-trail slices through forested areas and wetlands for a wonderful experience in southern New Hampshire. About the Route Starting at the southern...	NH	3.6 mi	Asphalt	27 reviews
	Grand Trunk Trail The overall goal of the Grand Trunk Trail in south-central Massachusetts is to connect the communities of Brimfield, Sturbridge, and Southbridge by trail. There are two longer sections of trail, in...	MA	6.9 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	10 reviews
	Haggetts Rail Trail 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...	MA	2 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass	5 reviews
	Mass Central Rail Trail 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. The Mass Central Rail Trail runs for 64 miles between...	MA	64 mi	Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	95 reviews
	Medfield Rail Trail Built along the former Bay Colony Railroad line, the Medfield Rail Trail stretches between Ice House Road in the Town of Medfield to the town's border with Dover. Running primarily through woods, the...	MA	1.3 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone	2 reviews
	Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail 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...	NH	7.5 mi	Asphalt, Gravel	22 reviews
	Nashua River Rail Trail 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...	MA, NH	12.4 mi	Asphalt	163 reviews
	New Boston Rail Trail 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,...	NH	3.9 mi	Dirt	9 reviews
	New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway The New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway is an 9.6-mile rail-trail with a crushed-stone surface that stretches between Portsmouth and the North Hampton/Hampton border. Following a former Pan Am Railways...	NH	9.6 mi	Crushed Stone	5 reviews
	Northern Rail Trail The Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion, spanning 59 meticulously maintained miles, weaving along corn and hay fields, lakes, wetlands, and numerous historic sites,...	NH	59 mi	Cinder, Crushed Stone	77 reviews
	Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail 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...	MA	5.7 mi	Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass	6 reviews
	West River Trail (Windham County) 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...	VT	16.1 mi	Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	15 reviews
	Windham Rail Trail 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. The trail is 4.3 miles...	NH	4.3 mi	Asphalt	49 reviews
	Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail Closure Notice: Due to flooding, the Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail is closed from Pine Street to Sawyer's Crossing Road in Swanzey. Please see NH State Parks for more up-to-date information. The...	NH	21.4 mi	Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt	46 reviews
	Cheshire Rail Trail (Cheshire Branch Rail Trail) The Cheshire Rail Trail connects Fitzwilliam, Troy, Keene, Westmoreland and Walpole. The 42.4-mile trail has a mostly gravel and dirt surface. The rail-trail plays host to a variety of uses,...	NH	42.4 mi	Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	48 reviews
	Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail 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...	NH	7 mi	Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	14 reviews
	Harrisville and Hancock Rail Trails Harrisville and Hancock Rail Trails run for 6 miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris Center...	NH	6.1 mi	Dirt	2 reviews

Accordion

Marblehead Rail-Trail 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 3.34-mile trail knits together a...	MA	3.34 mi	Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	23 reviews
Mason Railroad Trail The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New HampshireMassachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...	NH	6.7 mi	Ballast, Gravel, Sand	19 reviews
Potanipo Rail Trail (NH) Following the Nissitissit River through the woods, the Potanipo Rail Trail offers beautiful river views and launch sites for canoes or kayaks. Composed of two segments, the multi-use path is roughly...	NH	2.7 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	1 reviews
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) 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...	NH	18.3 mi	Dirt, Sand	16 reviews
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch) 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 runs from Manchester, the state’s...	NH	28 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand	66 reviews
Southern New England Trunkline Trail 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...	MA	21.8 mi	Asphalt, Ballast, Crushed Stone	67 reviews
Squannacook River Rail Trail The Squannacook River Rail Trail is 3.7 miles long, from Depot St in the center of Townsend, MA, to the Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area in Groton, MA. The trail occupies the Greenville Branch of the...	MA	3.7 mi	Crushed Stone	3 reviews
Stevens Rail Trail The Stevens Rail Trail is part of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, which follows the historic Concord-Claremont Railroad corridor. Located about a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail...	NH	1.65 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	3 reviews
Brookline Rail Trail The Brookline Rail Trail winds through the New Hampshire woods and passes by several small bodies of water, including the Potanipo Pond. The rail-trail has two segments, known as the Brookline Rail...	NH	4.5 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	1 reviews
Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail Following the historic Concord-Claremont Railroad corridor, the Concord–Lake Sunapee Rail Trail will eventually connect communities from Concord to the southern point of Lake Sunapee via a multiuse...	NH	5.65 mi	Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	2 reviews
Granite Town Rail-Trail The Granite Town Rail-Trail runs for 3 miles in Milford, New Hampshire. Portions of the route are unpaved and surfaced with sand, gravel, and/or dirt, while short concrete sections can be found along...	NH	3 mi	Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand	4 reviews
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail 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...	NH	7.8 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt	11 reviews
Jay McLaren Memorial Trail Nestled in the woodlands on the northern end of Merrimac in the far northeastern corner of Massachusetts, lies the beautiful Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. The town, once known as West Amesbury, had a...	MA	2 mi	Dirt, Grass, Gravel	3 reviews
Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area Trail Note: This rail-trail is prone to frequent flooding and may be challenging to navigate at times. The rail trail through the Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area begins at the Massachusetts Bay...	MA	3.4 mi	Dirt, Gravel, Sand	11 reviews
Barker Road Trail Barker Road Trail begins on the town line between North Andover and Boxford in northern Massachusetts, not far from the New Hampshire border. From there, the pathway continues through dense woodlands...	MA	0.9 mi	Dirt, Grass	0 reviews
Henniker & Hopkinton Rail Trails The Henniker Rail Trail is an unpaved single-track path that follows a former rail corridor for 2.3 miles. The rail-trail picks up east of the former passenger station. Situated south of the Town of...	NH	6.7 mi	Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand	0 reviews
Potanipo Rail Trail The Potanipo Rail Trail is composed of three segments across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Running through the woods along a former a rail corridor, the trail parallels the Nissitissit River for a...	MA, NH	3.4 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	0 reviews
Potanipo Rail Trail (MA) Paralleling the Nissitissit River as it runs through the woods, the Potanipo Rail Trail heads south towards Pepperell from the New Hampshire-Massachusetts state border. The Massachusetts section of...	MA	1.7 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	0 reviews

Recent Trail Reviews

Pine Tree Brook Path

Good for little kids Mountain Biking

August, 2026 by andrew.magruder

My 6 and 9 year old grandsons rode the 2.5 round trip with maybe 100 feet of walking their 20” mt bikes over rough spots and a couple of logs. The trail is 95% shaded. We parked on Breck Rd and crossed Thacher Rd to the trailhead. Lafayette Rd has a large circle at its end by Pope’s Pond that you clearly can park at.

Air Line State Park Trail

geminird review misleading

August, 2026 by atclaw

This rider was going Northeast from Willimantic towards Hampton NOT Southwest from Willimantic to East Hampton. Having ridden both stretches I can say his description is completely wrong about the gorgeous and open riding Southeastern route and not completely wrong but somewhat overly harsh about his route which can get iffy for stretches.

Northern Rail Trail

Could Use More Investment

August, 2026 by trylondm

I was involved with the development of this trail so my review is somewhat biased. The eastern half in Merrimack County (Danbury to Boscawen) is in beautiful shape (due to federal financing) with a nice stone dust surface. The western half (Grafton to Lebanon) is much more scenic but was done mostly by volunteers with some local funding so has a highly variable surface, great in areas and poor in others.

Highlights include the trail in Lebanon as it crisscrosses the Mascoma River, in Enfield where it runs several miles alongside Lake Mascoma and downtown, and all of Merrimack County thanks to its trail surface.

I dearly wanted to give it a 5-star rating but had to admit that it was a bit of a slog going through the central (and high point) towns of Grafton and Orange. Wish the state of New Hampshire would put some resources into this trail, which would truly make it a premiere destination and top-rated trail.

Accordion

Charles River Bike Path

Skip the Western End

August, 2026 by trylondm

This trail gets better and better as you get closer to downtown Boston. It also gets more crowded. Very scenic with lots of views of the river and such, but as always in Boston, there will be detours here and there due to construction. Probably gets better the more times you ride it and get to know its quirks. Not a trail if you are looking for speedy biking due to the number of pedestrians, runners, and other folks - it is certainly well-loved by Bostonians!

Western end beyond the Galen Bridge to Waltham gets squirrelly with odd and sometimes confusing routing and signage - not recommended unless you've got all day like I did.

Nashua River Rail Trail

Still a 5 Star Trail

August, 2026 by trylondm

Yes, the comments about all the root heaves along the paved trail are true, but otherwise a very attractive ride. The TrailLink description is very accurate. Might be special in foliage season.

Upper Charles Trail

Tale of Two Trails

August, 2026 by trylondm

Biked end to end today. Best described as two very different rail trails that are joined by a squirrelly connection.

Holliston (eastern) end is beautiful stone dust surface. It can be soft in places but is a terrific, well-maintained trail with excellent historical signage (think Casey at the Bat) and an unusually attractive short tunnel. Trail is long and straight and crosses several swampy water features chock full of flowers and wildlife. Sadly, the trail ends abruptly at the Holliston border with Sherborn with a short connector to a small parking lot.

The Holliston segment changes to pavement at the Milford town line and adds another mile or so to that segment. After that, there are a number of road crossings (some major) and sidewalks to make it to the main Milford rail trail.

The Milford segment is better described as a paved bike path that spends some time on a former railroad bed. The pavement is generally excellent, with only a few root heaves. It too is very attractive and an enjoyable ride as it winds through the woods and beside a lake. After an easier-than-expected crossing of the I-495 corridor, the trail continues north for another mile or so of rail trail until ending at the Hopkinton border.

All in all, each segment gets a 5 rating, each for very different reasons. The connection between the two is less interesting and makes the end-to-end experience less desirable. But credit where credit is due: Massachusetts drivers were invariably polite and respectful of the warning lights at all flashing road crossings. I'm not sure I could say the same about drivers in my home state.

Methuen Rail Trail

Important future connection

August, 2026 by dh7yh9mwbz

Pretty nice, short portion of paved trail. I parked at IHOP to check it out, lots of parking. Methuen did a good job with their section, now is time for Lawrence and Salem to pave their sections to connect with Windham and Derry. With just this one section finished it is likely only locals that currently use it but it will be great when it is part of the larger network.

Londonderry Rail Trail

Good piece to larger network

August, 2026 by dh7yh9mwbz

I have ridden the Methuen/Salem/Windham/Derry links of this former rail line and today did this section. It is flat, nicely paved with good parking options, traveling through some suburban and commercial stretches, a few wooded areas, even past a former reservoir but is mostly uninteresting. However, when the missing pieces are connected, and the embarrassingly poor Salem section is finally paved it will be great to travel all the way from the Lawrence, MA line to at least Manchester airport and then hopefully on to Lebanon some day.

Mass Central Rail Trail

Hadley to EastHampton- Norwottuck Rail Trail

August, 2026 by jlwinetrout

Beautiful 1st ride on the Norwottuck Rail Trail. We parked at the Marshalls in Hadley (trail starts right behind the building) and road a little over 10 miles into EastHampton and back. It was a very easy ride (my 1st ride of this length) on asphalt.

Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail

Rough ride

July, 2026 by mroschella

Trail lacked any evidence of maintenance. Rode from Hinsdale to Winchester.

Nashua River Rail Trail

Nice but bumpy

July, 2026 by ellenkillam

I haven't been on this trail for a few years so was disappointed to find there is still an issue with bumps from tree roots and small sink holes. I did not do the entire trail because of this. It is too bad because it is a nice trail.

Old Eastern Marsh Trail

Beautiful experience

July, 2026 by 62lark

Rode this trail today (7/17/26) in combination with several other adjacent trails. Smooth, well-paved, lots of rest stops, beautiful marsh lands, continued onto the Clipper City trail at the southern end in Newburyport. One of the nicest trails I've ridden.

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