Find the top rated walking trails in Westwood, 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.
The Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 8.6-mile paved trail, though long-range plans...
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...
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...
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 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 Mattapoisett Rail Trail is a work in progress. As of autumn 2011, it runs for just more than 1 mile between Reservation Road at Mattapoisett Harbor and the Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven, joining...
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...
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 New Bedford Covewalk, like the HarborWalk further east, sits atop the hurricane barrier built to protect New Bedford residents from storm surges during extreme weather. Even when it's nice out...
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 Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
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 Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
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 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 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 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...
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 Phenix-Harris Riverwalk, a short trail built on a former rail bed purchased from Penn Central Railroad, connects West Warwick and Coventry, two towns on the outskirts of Providence. The dirt...
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...
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...
Quonset Point Bike Path is a fantastic two and a half mile trail. The Quonset Point Bike Path is a part of the beautiful town of North Kingstown.The Quonset Point Bike Path is paved and off road and...
The rail-trail through the Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area begins at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station near downtown Newburyport, a coastal...
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...
Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway may not be very long, but it's jam-packed with attractions. Along the paved pathway, you can access five parks, be wowed by public art, stop to smell the flowers in...
Though the idea for a Cape Cod Canal goes back to the settlers of Plymouth Colony, the waterway didn’t begin construction until 1909. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took over operation and...
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 Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 8.6-mile paved trail, though long-range plans...
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 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 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 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...
With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...
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 Trolley Trail runs through Plainfield and is a key link the East Coast Greenway. Plans are to use this trail as a link between the Moosup Valley State Park Trail and the Airline State Park...
The Tri-Community Greenway follows the route of the Boston and Lowell Railroad and its Stoneham Branch, originally built to serve Stoneham’s shoe factories and provide passenger service. The trail...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 8.6-mile paved trail, though long-range plans...
The Air Line State Park Trail winds nearly 55 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...
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...
With spectacular maritime views and an abundance of coastal wildlife, the East Bay Bike Path offers a spectacular New England experience. Inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009, the route...
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 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 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...
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 Washington Secondary Bike Path offers just over 19 miles of paved trail from Cranston (Providence’s southwestern neighbor) to Coventry. The rail-trail, Rhode Island’s longest, follows the former...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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 Quarries Foot Path offers a wooded 1-mile hiking route in western Quincy, about 10 miles south of Boston. Begin your adventure on the south side of Ricciuti Drive, which borders Quincy Quarries...
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
If you are using a manual or electric wheelchair, park at the Fruit Street entrance (airport end). If you park in the municipal lot, you will need to cross a busy street and go over a small patch of grass/gravel to get to the path. This trail is flat, smooth, and the people (and their dogs) are friendly!
I had high hopes for this trail, based on the description. In reality, it falls far short! There are downed trees and overgrown brambles everywhere. The further in you go, the more trash you see. About midway on the trail, we started seeing tent sites with significant trash. Although we didn’t see any residents in the five or six encampments, its obvious they are lived in. There was no clearly marked exit from the trail and you have to wander across a parking lot or two to find your way back to the entrance.
The trail has a lot of potential, but needs some serious upkeep.
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.
Parked in West Warwick next to rev dept tennis courts. Hopped on trail right there. Rode in direction toward Coventry. Interesting mix of residential, industrial, mills, rural areas. Clean, level and super fun.
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.
Rode the eastern section of this trail from the parking lot at the end of Adams St in Uxbridge to Grove St in Franklin, approximately 11 miles. For the first 3.5 miles the trail is part of the Blackstone River Greenway and is in excellent condition with smooth blacktop surface. You'll see cyclists, skateboarders, runners and walkers on this section. The improved trail ends in Blackstone at Canal St. Follow Canal St downhill, make a left onto St Paul St, then right on Main St, and left into Castle Hill Way. The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) resumes without markings at bend on Castle Hill Way. Surface now is packed dirt. Condition of trail worsens (sand, rocks, ballast) between Farm St and Center St in Bellingham. From Center St to Prospect St in Franklin, the dirt trail surface is groomed and in very good condition. The Prospect St bridge is now complete and the trail continues to Grove St in slightly rougher condition.
I definitely preferred this 11 mile Eastern section of the trail over the 12 mile Western section (in Part 1 of my earlier review).
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 .
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