Massachusetts Trail Resources

 

Massachusetts Agencies

 

Massachusetts DCR Greenways and Trails Program: www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/greenway/index.htm

Trails in MA state forests, parks, and reservations organized by type and then region: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/trails.htm

National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides trails as well as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation; see refuges in Massachusetts: www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Massachusetts.html

National Park Service units in Massachusetts: http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/state.cfm?st=ma

Statewide trail map in GIS format. Shows actual, underway and planned trail projects: www.state.ma.us/mgis/biketrails.htm

 

 

Massachusetts National Recreation Trails

• Browse all National Recreation Trails in Massachusetts: There are 183.75 miles of NRTs in Massachusetts and 16 trails!

Visit Massachusetts's "Featured" National Recreational Trails for the most recently designated trail(s)

Visit the National Recreation Trails website to learn more about the NRT program and access over 1,200 NRTs from across the country

 

Massachusetts Bicycling and Mountain Biking

 

Mountain bike trails with detailed maps and descriptions from Massachusetts mountain biking books at Trails.com:

• Mountain Biking Trails in Massachusetts

Bike rides on roads and paved pathways from road biking books at Trails.com:

• Road Bike Rides in Massachusetts

Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts works on mountain bike issues as well as events and rides: www.BikeMassachusetts.Org/

East Coast Greenway is a project to link seabord states with trails and on-road routes; information is available for all traversed states: ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL: www.greenway.org/ma.php

New England Mountain Bike Association has a descriptions of Places to Mountain Bike in Massachusetts: www.nemba.org/ridingzone/places-me.html

Massachusetts Equestrian Trails

 

Bay State Trail Riders Association works for the development of a system of all-purpose trails throughout New England: www.bstra.org/

The Horse and Travel site provides a list of Massachusetts horseback riding trails with links: www.horseandtravel.com/states/massachusetts_horse_trails.html

 

Massachusetts Greenways and Community Trails

 

Amherst Conservation Department maintains 25 trails including the Robert Frost Trail and has maps available at 4 Boltwood Ave., Amhert MA 01002 or contact conservation@amhertsma.gov

Andover Trails Committee has a guidebook to Andover's walking trails, events, and volunteer opportunities: www.andovertrails.org/trails.html

Much of Boston HarborWalk linking the water's edge to the city's open space system from East Boston through Dorchester is complete: www.bostonharborwalk.com/placestogo/

East Boston Greenway Project is part of Boston Natural Areas Fund, the Trust for Public Land's "Greenways to Boston Harbor" initiative, and the Neponset River Greenway Project: http://www.bostonnatural.org/gwyEB.htm

Cape Cod Trails Conference site includes Long Walks on Cape Cod, Contacts for Hikes on Cape Cod, and Scheduled Hikes: www.cctrails.org

Cape Cod Pathways is a network of walking trails linking the 15 towns on Cape Cod: www.capecodcommission.org/pathways/

Coastal Trails Coalition plans a 30-mile trail network linking Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury: http://coastaltrails.org

Concord River Greenway will connect downtown Lowell to Shedd Park and Rogers Fort Hill Park as part of the Bay Circuit Trail: www.lowellma.gov/depts/dpd/projects/concord

Housatonic River Walk is a greenway trail in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, created by community volunteers: www.gbriverwalk.org

Construction on the Northern Strand Community Trail from Medford to Lynn began in the fall of 2007. Go to www.biketothesea.com/ and click on "The Northern Strand Trail"

Wachusett Greenways works for trails and open space in the towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling, and West Boylston: www.wachusettgreenways.org

Williamsburg Woodland Trails is a project begun in 2002 to identify, improve, and sign the town's existing trails: www.williamsburgwoodlandtrails.org

Massachusetts Hiking Trails

 

Hiking trail maps, hike descriptions, and topographic maps at Trails.com:

• Hiking Trails in Massachusetts

Walking trail maps, descriptions, and topographic maps at Trails.com:

• Walking Trails in Massachusetts

Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club has trip reports, events, and contacts: www.amcberkshire.org/

Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club: www.amcboston.org/

Southeastern Massachusetts Chapter of the AMC has hiking information: www.amcsem.org

Wapack Trail runs 21 miles from Mount Watatic in Ashburnham, MA, to North Pack in Greenfield, NH, one of the oldest interstate trails in the Northeast: www.wapack.org/

Worcester Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club has trip reports, events, and contacts: www.amcworcester.org/

American Volkssport Association year-round walking and Volkssport Event Calendar

 

Massachusetts Long-Distance Trails

 

Hiking trails along the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Massachusetts at Trails.com:

• Appalachian Trail Hiking in Massachusetts

Appalachian Trail runs 90 miles through the Berkshires of Massachusetts

Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway extends through 34 towns in Eastern Massachusetts and will be 200 miles long when finished: www.baycircuit.org

East Coast Greenway is a project to link seabord states with trails and on-road routes through ME, NH, Massachusetts, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL: www.greenway.org/ma.aspx

Metacomet-Monadnock Trail is a volunteer-maintained 114 mile trail from the Metacomet Trail on the CT state line to Mt. Monadnock in NH: http://amcberkshire.org/mm-trail

Midstate Trail is a 92 mile hiking trail extending from Rhode Island through central Massachusetts to the Wapack Trail in New Hampshire: www.midstatetrail.org/

Taconic Crest Trail, 35 miles long, extends south from Vermont back and forth along the MA/NY border: www.berkshirehiking.com/hikes/taconic_crest.html

Warner Trail is a 30 mile woodland trail from Canton MA to Diamond State Park in RI: http://www.amcsem.org/warner.html

Massachusetts Off-Highway Vehicle Trails

 

Western Massachusetts ATV Association has information on maintenance projects, events, and trails to ride: http://www.westernmassatv.org/

New England All Terrain Vehicle Association has photos, events, clubs, and riding areas: http://neatva.tripod.com/

New England Trail Riders Association includes contacts, news, and events: www.netra.org

Whitcomb Summit provides accommodations and riding in the vicinity. Note that it has outdated information on ATV-friendly locations: www.whitcombsummit.com/ATV_Trails.htm

Massachusetts Rail Trails and Canal Trails

 

Rail-trails including maps, access points, and history from rails-to-trails books at Trails.com:

• Rail-Trails in Massachusetts

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the central-northern Berkshires stretches 11 miles from Lanesborough to Adams, with restrooms available along the way: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/asrt.htm

Assabet River Rail Trail will connect Marlborough to Maynard. The six miles of the trail in Marlborough and Hudson are finished, and several walkable sections are available in Stow, Maynard and Acton: www.arrtinc.org/

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, begun in Oct. 2007, will be 25 miles long from Lowell to Framingham, and for nonmotorized use: www.brucefreemanrailtrail.org/

Cape Cod Rail Trail runs 22 miles through from Dennis to Wellfleet: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/ccrt.htm. More on trailside business and accomodation is at: www.trailsfromrails.com/cape_cod_trail.htm

Friends of the Community Path in the Boston area aim to extend the Minuteman Bikeway/Linear Park from Somerville to Lechmere Square and the Charles River: www.pathfriends.org

Central Highlands Conservancy plans to purchase former railroad corridors to preserve them for trail use: www.chc-llc.org/

Coastal Trails Coalition works for the Coastal Trails Network, a 30-mile system of bicycle and pedestrian trails linking
the Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury: www.coastaltrails.org/j1/

Grand Trunk Trail Blazers work with 14 towns, states of MA and CT, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a 60-mile rail trail from Palmer to Franklin, MA: www.grandtrunktrailblazers.org/

Manhan Rail Trail will be an 8 mile multi-use path stretching from the southern border of Easthampton MA to downtown Northampton: www.manhanrailtrail.org/

The 104 mile Massachusetts Central rail line, abandoned in 1938; is being reassembled to connect dozens of communities: www.MassCentralRailTrail.org

The paved Nashua River Rail Trail is 11 miles long, connecting Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The entire trail is open to pedestrians, bicyclists, inline skaters, wheelchairs, and cross-country skiers, and from Groton Center to the NH border there is an additional gravel path for horseback riding: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/nash.htm

Norwottock Rail Trail, part of the Connecticut River Greenway State Park, runs ten miles through Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/nwrt.htm

Topsfield Rail Trail Committee: the Trail runs four miles from Wenham to Boxford town line along former Danvers to Newburyport rail line: www.topsfieldtrail.org/

Wachusett Greenways , a grass roots team of volunteers, is working to expand a network of trails and open spaces linking the towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling and West Boylston; current big project is the 30-mile planned Mass Central Rail Trail: www.wachusettgreenways.org

Massachusetts Snow Trails

 

Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts site has events, trail reports, and news: www.sledmass.com/

 

Massachusetts Waterway and Boating Trails

 

Connecticut River Water Trail, in Connecticut River Greenway State Park, runs from the Greenfield line to Hadley and Hatfield: www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/crgw.htm

Canoeing, water trails, and other flatwater paddling routes on lakes and rivers at Trails.com:

• Canoeing and Water Trails in Massachusetts

Whitewater Kayaking and Rafting, with maps and launch points at Trails.com:

• Whitewater Kayaking and Rafting in Massachusetts

Sea kayaking routes with maps and launch points from kayaking books at Trails.com:

• Sea Kayaking Routes in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Statewide Advocacy and Resources

Massachusetts Explorer's Guide has local maps for trails, parks, wildlife areas, and camping: http://www.ctxguide.com/new_england_003.htm

Accessible and Assessed trails in MA state forests, parks, and reservations: www.mass.gov/dcr/universal_access/a-trail.htm

Every rail trail in Massachusetts (built or not) is mapped in the GIS layer at: www.mass.gov/mgis/biketrails.htm

 

Massachusetts State Trails Program

 

Recreational Trails Program: Providing funding to all 50 states for grants programs and program management
State Trails Program contacts in all 50 states

Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation

 

Fishing reports, maps, photos, and videos for every fishing spot in the USA: http://www.hookandbullet.com/s/fishing-massachusetts/