Norwell Pathway

Norwell Pathway

Massachusetts

5 Reviews

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 connect from downtown to the town's schools and recreational assets. The trail starts on Circuit Street at Donovan Fields, 50 acres of agricultural and conservation lands. The fields that make up the property are leased for farming.

The trail starts off as a two-lane asphalt path but switches to boardwalk as one enters the forest from the edge of the first field. This switch of trail surfaces happens multiple times in your journey, as the trail travels through serene and picturesque woodland, wetland and fields. Norwell Middle School is at about the mid-point of the trail. The pathway emerges from the forest a final time onto a residential street known as Cushing Hill Road. You can connect to the high school by heading west on Cushing Hill Road (note: this is not on a separated bikeway) up to South Street.

The aforementioned downtown connection comes courtesy of Forest Street, back on the east side of the trail. By taking the sidewalk along Forest Street, you can get as far as Gaffield Park, 1.2 miles east of the Circuit Street trailhead. A planned off-street connection will complete help users access downtown but for now, cyclists have to share the road with vehicular traffic on River Street to reach the town center.

Parking and Trail Access

There is a parking lot on Circuit Street just south of and across from its intersection with Pleasant Street (107 Circuit Street, Norwell, MA). You can also park at Norwell Middle School (328 Main St, Norwell, MA) and head out in either direction. There is no parking at the west end.

Norwell Pathway Reviews

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Best of the South Shore

July 2022 rhylandkeller98

I fell in love with running on this trail. Paved with a few wooden bridges. Rarely too crowded, and nice shade underneath the trees. Some elevation change toward the end, but nothing extreme. The pathway itself isn’t super long, but there are lots of roads nearby that it branches off into. Highly recommend going for a run/walk here in autumn!