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Print Friendly MapThe 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 communities in New England to accomplish that goal by different means. Plans are in the works to hopefully extend the trail to fully connect through Thompson, CT, and back across the state line into Webster, and the trail is part of the route of the even more ambitious Titanic Rail Trail project, which would form over sixty miles of trail between Franklin and Palmer. For now, the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail offers just over five miles of trail on a variety of natural surfaces - biking may be difficult depending on your tires and when it rained most recently, so keep that in mind before hitting the trail.
The trail follows in the footsteps of the railroad along the tranquil Quinebaug River, traversing largely flat and wooded land on its way northwest from the Connecticut border to the town of Southridge. Keep your eye out for local wildlife along the way, as the area teems with deer and a variety of critters. An additional segment of the rail trail is open from the southern end at the state line in Dudley to Hill Street in Webster. A great place to go for a quiet walk in the woods, and a great route to get some quality mileage on your run, the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail will hopefully become an asset for the entire region as the trail continues to grow.
Parking is available at the trailhead in Dudley on Mill Road, just east of State Route 131. Additional parking is available along the trail in West Dudley, on W Dudley Road at the boat launch area.
Began at Railroad Ave/Mill Rd, Dudley lot, headed north, dirt track, but mainly smooth. At W. Dudley Rd, no signage, so go left on the road 100 feet to a great weir waterfall with bridge on a curve, at end of bridge is the larger parking lot and boat launch, on Quinebaug river, which is behind an old, but still used warehouse/factory, and it's absolutely lovely there. However, the trail there becomes a narrow track, so my hybrid bike wasn't really up to it, but bringing the dog back once for a walk was fantastic. A rural back roads route to reach the Mill Rd parking is possible, too, through Oxford and Nichols College on Healy Rd, which is lovely also.
Came to ride our bikes to find the trial is closed
I was looking for a relatively easy trail near home to start off the season with and I found it! From the beautiful lakes along the way to the running water area (see pictures!) this was a lovely trail and I enjoyed it. I parked on Mill Road in Dudley; the parking area was easy to find! When deciding which way to go just don’t go toward the bench. Go instead toward and through/beyond the yellow gate instead. Only go the other way if you’re curious to see the rail ties discussed in another post on this site. Please know too that, even when heading through the yellow gate, way on the other side from about a mile to the end are some rocks that make traveling with the bike a real challenge (four stars for this reason). It’s worth the difficulty though if you’d like to go to the mall area at the end of the trail since you may want to eat/use the bathroom and then head back (there’s a Big Y, McDonald’s, etc.). Again, lovely trail and the middle area with the lakes makes it all worth it!
I was looking for a relatively easy trail near home to start off the season with and I found it! From the beautiful lakes along the way to the running water area (see pictures!) this was a lovely trail and I enjoyed it. I parked on Mill Road in Dudley; the parking area was easy to find! When deciding which way to go just don’t go toward the bench. Go instead toward and through/beyond the yellow gate instead. Only go the other way if you’re curious to see the rail ties discussed in another post on this site. Please know too that, even when heading through the yellow gate, way on the other side from about a mile to the end are some rocks that make traveling with the bike a real challenge (four stars for this reason). It’s worth the difficulty though if you’d like to go to the mall area at the end of the trail since you may want to eat/use the bathroom and then head back (there’s a Big Y, McDonald’s, etc.). Again, lovely trail and the middle area with the lakes makes it all worth it!
Beautiful day. Yes I got off a few times to kick the poop into the woods since I don’t have a horsey bag. But there were plenty of places either rock stump or bench to mount up from. Met lots of people enjoying the day hiking or fishing. Glad i found and can’t wait to be back again
the parking lot appears to divide the trail in half, but the section directly connected to the parking lot is not a good bike trail. Most of it is covered in decomposing rail ties and it makes for an advanced but short ride before the trail ends abruptly. The way to go is on the other side of the street from the parking lot. Its a nice flat trail most of the way. The trail has a range of materials: grassy, sand, packed dirt and large crushed stone. I would recommend for a child who has a little experience on trails, not a true beginner.
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