List of rail trails in Massachusetts

This list of rail trails in Massachusetts details former railroad right-of-ways in Massachusetts that have been converted to trails for public use and proposed rail trails where trails exist but have not been fully established.

Massachusetts has at least "69 rail-trails, covering 347 miles. A massive new project proposed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, called the Landline, seeks to connect these trails, creating a 1,400-mile network of greenways and foot trails within the Boston region. When finished (currently 45 percent of the greenway network and 60 percent of the foot trail network is complete), the network would bring trail access within a half mile of three-quarters of the region's residents, and 92 percent of residents would be within one mile of the nearest trail or path."^[1]

Established rail trails[]

Alewife Linear Park (Cambridge)
^[2]
^{[citation needed]}
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (12 miles in North Berkshires)
Assabet River Rail Trail southwest end (5.8 miles, Hudson to Marlboro) completed, & northeast end 3.4 miles (from South Acton station (MBTA) through Maynard to Stow)
^[3] (Bedford) a.k.a. Narrow Gauge Rail Trail
Blackstone River Bikeway (near Worcester) a.k.a. Blackstone River Greenway
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Lowell to Framingham)
Canalside Rail Trail (Turners Falls)
Cape Cod Rail Trail (Dennis to Wellfleet)
^[4] (Newburyport)
^{[citation needed]} (Westfield)
^[5] (Danvers)
East Boston Greenway
^[6] (Salisbury)
Fitchburg Cutoff Path (Belmont to Cambridge)
^[7] (Salisbury)
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
Lower Neponset River Trail a.k.a. Neponset Trail a.k.a. Neponset River Greenway
Manhan Rail Trail (Easthampton)
^{[citation needed]} a.k.a. Marblehead Rail-Trail
^{[citation needed]}
Methuen Rail Trail^[8] (Methuen)
Minuteman Bikeway (Bedford to Cambridge)
Nashua River Rail Trail (Ayer to Nashua, New Hampshire)
^{[citation needed]}
^[9] (Gardner to Winchendon)
^{[citation needed]} (Plymouth) a.k.a. Seaside Trail
^[10] (part of the Mass Central Rail Trail)
Norwottuck Rail Trail (Northampton to Belchertown) a.k.a. Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail
Old Colony Rail Trail (Harwich and Chatham)
^[11] (Fairhaven) a.k.a. Phoenix Bike Trail
^{[citation needed]}
Quequechan River Rail Trail^{[citation needed]} (Fall River)
^{[citation needed]}
Reformatory Branch Rail Trail (Bedford to Concord) a.k.a. Reformatory Branch Trail
^{[citation needed]} (New Bedford)
Shining Sea Bikeway (Falmouth to Woods Hole)
Somerville Community Path
^{[citation needed]}
Southern New England Trunkline Trail
^[12] (Southwick) (connects with Farmington Canal Heritage Trail)
^{[citation needed]}
^[13] (Holliston) (Milford) a.k.a. Holliston Rail Trail^[14] a.k.a. Milford Rail Trail^[15] (Milford Branch)
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
^{[citation needed]}
^[16]

In planning/under construction[]

Bay Circuit Trail
^[17] (Newton to Medfield)
Chelsea Greenway
^[18] (Natick Center to the Saxonville section of Framingham, crossing Lake Cochituate)
East Coast Greenway
Farmington Canal Trail (connects with Southwick Rail Trail)
^[19]
^{[citation needed]}
Mass Central Rail Trail (Northampton, working toward Boston) a.k.a. Wayside Trail [1] [2] (Central Massachusetts Railroad)
^[20]
Northern Strand Community Trail
^[21]
^[22]
Watertown Branch Railroad (Watertown Greenway)

References[]

^ "How to make the most of New England's rail-trail system" https://www.boston.com/travel/travel/2018/08/15/how-to-make-the-most-of-new-englands-rail-trail-system
^ "Amesbury Riverwalk Trail". Amesbury Trails.
^ "Guide to the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail" (PDF). Friends of Bedford Depot Park. October 5, 2001.
^ "Clipper City Rail Trail, Newburyport". Coastal Trails Coalition.
^ "Danvers Rail Trail". Friends of Danvers Recreation.
^ "Eastern Marsh Trail, Salisbury". Coastal Trails Coalition.
^ "Ghost Trail, Salisbury". Coastal Trails Coalition.
^ "Methuen Rail Trail".
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Work begins on new Southwick bicycle trail".
^ "Home - Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail". www.milfordtrail.org.
^ "Holliston Rail Trail". Friends of Holliston Trails.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "World War II Veterans Memorial Trail". TrailLink.
^ "The Bay Colony Rail Trail | Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. - Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr". baycolonyrailtrail.org.
^ "Cochituate Rail Trail".
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Mattapoisett Rail Trail". TrailLink.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "MassDOT Blog - The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation".

[1] "How to make the most of New England's rail-trail system" https://www.boston.com/travel/travel/2018/08/15/how-to-make-the-most-of-new-englands-rail-trail-system

[2] "Amesbury Riverwalk Trail". Amesbury Trails.

[3] "Guide to the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail" (PDF). Friends of Bedford Depot Park. October 5, 2001.

[4] "Clipper City Rail Trail, Newburyport". Coastal Trails Coalition.

[5] "Danvers Rail Trail". Friends of Danvers Recreation.

[6] "Eastern Marsh Trail, Salisbury". Coastal Trails Coalition.

[7] "Ghost Trail, Salisbury". Coastal Trails Coalition.

[8] "Methuen Rail Trail".

[9] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[10] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[11] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[12] "Work begins on new Southwick bicycle trail".

[13] "Home - Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail". www.milfordtrail.org.

[14] "Holliston Rail Trail". Friends of Holliston Trails.

[15] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[16] "World War II Veterans Memorial Trail". TrailLink.

[17] "The Bay Colony Rail Trail | Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. - Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr". baycolonyrailtrail.org.

[18] "Cochituate Rail Trail".

[19] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[20] "Mattapoisett Rail Trail". TrailLink.

[21] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. Retrieved 2011-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[22] "MassDOT Blog - The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation".

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