Massachusetts - Biking

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
Lanesborough, Cheshire, Adams, MA
Phone: 413-442-8928

Total Length: 11.2 Miles

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is a former railroad corridor converted into a 10-foot wide paved, universally accessible, passive recreation path. The trail runs parallel to Route 8 through the towns of Cheshire, Lanesborough and Adams, with the southern end of the rail trail beginning at the entrance to the Berkshire Mall off MA Rte. 8. and ending 11.2 miles north at the center of Adams. Cheshire Reservoir, the Hoosic River, and associated wetlands flank much of the trail offering outstanding views of the scenery and abundant wildlife. Parking lots and restrooms are available at selected locations along the way. Trail Map

Norwottuck Rail Trail
Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, MA
Phone: 
413-586-8706

Total Length: 11 Miles

The Norwottock Rail Trail is an 11 mile path linking Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst along the former Boston & Main Railroad, built in 1887. The path's level terrain provides safe passage for bicyclists of all ages and abilities and both ends of the path offer free parking for trail users – Elwell State Park on Damon Road in Northampton and Station Road in South Amherst. Historians believe that the Native Americans who lived here before the European settlers were called the Norwottucks. Translated, norwottuck means “in the midst of the river.” Public restrooms are available at the parking area at Elwell Recreation Area. Trail Map

Cape Cod Canal Bikeway
Bourne, Sagamore, MA

Total Length: 7 Miles

The service roads which parallel both sides of the Cape Cod Canal, partially maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, make for great scenic bicycling. Each service road is approximately 7 miles long, with parking areas, comfort stations and picnic areas provided at various access points along both sides of the Canal. The trail is relatively level, making it ideal for children and families. See map for access locations. Trail Map

Cape Cod National Seashore Bike Trails
Eastham, Truro, Provincetown, MA
Phone: 508-771-2144

Total Length: 1.6 miles, 2 miles, and 5.45 miles, respectively


The Cape Cod National Seashore maintains three bicycle trails ranging from 1.6 to 7.3 miles long. Use of motorized vehicles, including mopeds, on these paved trails are prohibited. Bicycles may be rented within the towns.

Nauset Trail in Eastham: This trail connects Salt Pond with Coast Guard Beach. It leads through pine and oak forest with vistas of Nauset Marsh along the way. This trail is wheelchair accessible, and can be shortened by starting or ending at the Doane Rock picnic area. From Salt Pond Visitor Center parking area through Doane Rock picnic area in Eastham, ending at the Coast Guard beach. Distance is 1.6 miles.

Head of the Meadow Trail in Truro: This level trail skirts the edge of a freshwater marsh and provides glimpses of the marsh and dunes. From High Head Road in Truro to Head of the Meadow Beach parking area (beach fees may apply). Distance is 2 miles.

Province Lands Trail in Provincetown: This hilly trail winds among beech and oak forests, sand dunes and freshwater ponds. The loop trail is 5.45 miles, with spurs to Herring Cove Beach (1.10 mile), Race Point Beach (0.5 mile) and Bennett Pond (0.25 mile). Access points are Beech Forest parking area, Province Lands Visitor Center, Race Point Beach parking area, and Herring Cove Beach. Beach parking fees may apply at Race Point Beach.
Trail Map

Cape Cod Rail Trail
Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, MA
Phone: 508-896-3491

Total length: 22 miles

The Cape Cod Rail Trail follows a former railroad right-of-way for 22 miles through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet. Its paved surface, few hills, and well-marked automobile crossings make it ideal for cyclists. The trail has a wide unpaved shoulder on one side to accommodate horseback riding, walkers, and runners.
There are many opportunities to get off the trail and visit a beach. Food and water are also readily available and public restrooms can be found at Nickerson State Park, Salt Pond Visitors Center at Cape Cod National Seashore, and the National Seashore Headquarters. Bike rentals are available at many points along the way. For people with disabilities, a limited number of hand-cycles are available for rent at specific bike concessions.
Free parking for trail users is available at The trailhead at Route 134 in South Dennis; Headwaters Drive in Harwich; Route 137 in Brewster; Nickerson State Park in Brewster; Orleans Center; Cape Cod National Seashore at the Salt Pond Visitors Center in Eastham, one-half mile from the Locust Road intersection with the trail; National Seashore at Marconi Area; the trailhead at LeCount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet. Trail Map

Falmouth Shining Sea Trail
Falmouth, Woods Hole, MA
Phone: 508-548-7611

Total Length: 10.7 miles

Starting just outside Falmouth Center, the Falmouth Shining Sea Trail provides a fairly level ride on paved bike path between Falmouth and Woods Hole.  The trail boasts some beautiful scenery, running through extensive salt marsh, cranberry bogs, and farmland, with beautiful ocean views. Access to the trail can be found on Locust Road in Flamouth. Trail Map

Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park Trail
Northbridge to Uxbridge, MA

Trail Length: 3.5 miles

The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park recalls the role of canals in transporting raw materials and manufactured goods between emerging industrial centers. Walk along restored sections of the Blackstone River Canal and Towpath from the River Bend Farm Visitors Center. Straddling the town line between Uxbridge and Northbridge is a 1000 acre natural area offering walking and hiking paths, canoe access, picnic areas and a broad expanse of the Blackstone River known as Rice City Pond, which is a great area for watching wildlife. Trail Activities: Biking, horseback riding, walking, cross country skiing.
Parking & Trail Access: Directions: Massachusetts Turnpike to exit 11; Route 122 south to North Uxbridge; set of lights; left onto East Hartford Avenue; follow signs. Trail Map

Rutland State Park
Route 122A
Rutland, MA
Phone: 508-886-6333

See Map

Rutland State Park is a 300-acre recreation area with developed facilities for fresh water swimming, picnicking, and boating. At Whitehall Pond, there is a swimming beach and adjacent picnic area. Uses includes paddling, fishing, hiking, hunting (with restrictions) mountain biking, cross country skiing, and walking.

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
125 Arborway

Boston, MA
Phone: 617-524-1718

This 125-year-old Boston city park and Harvard research center was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and has a wonderful set of paved roads that are mostly closed to motorized traffic. Peters Hill, on which you now have to walk the last 200 feet to the summit, provides the best grounded view of Boston from within its boundaries. Trail Map

Bike Trail at Wompatuck State Park
Union Street
HIngham, MA
Phone: 781-749-7160

Total Length: 12 Miles


Wompatuck State Park is named for a 17th century Indian Chief whom the colonists knew as Josiah Wompatuck, and was later used by the U.S. military during World War II as an ammunition depot. Bicyclists who venture to Wompatuck State Park will find 12 miles of paved bike trails flanked by a peaceful wooded campground. One of the park’s main attractions is Mt. Blue Spring, a natural source of fresh drinking water to which visitors can help themselves at no cost. Trail Map

Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-223-8666

See Map

This state park is part of the 34-island Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area. The islands can be reached via a 45-minute ferry ride from downtown Boston. Islands offer shell and slate beaches. Lovells Island has a swimming beach. Bumpkin Island has slate and shell beaches.

Carson Beach
William J. Day Blvd.
South Boston, MA
Phone: 617-727-5114

See Map

This sandy beach, maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, is one of the best swimming beaches in the area, with nearby public amenities and great views of the harbor. New sand, new walkways, benches, lighting, shade shelters and award winning landscaping have helped to make Carson Beach a popular destination. "Mother's Rest" and its fishing pier have also been rehabilitated, making for a beautiful picnic area with a fantastic view of the Harbor. Life guards. To reach the beach on the subway take the Red Line to JFK/UMass. Or use the bus on routes 5, 8, 11, 16, or 41. Parking available.

Charles River Bike Paths in the Charles River Reservation
Boston
Phone: 617-626-1250

Total Length: about 18 miles

This 14-mile loop follows both banks of the Charles River from the Museum of Science in Boston to Watertown Square in Watertown. The quality varies from 12 feet wide with center stripes to 4 feet wide with 6-inch drops at the edges. In some places it is barely wide enough for one bicycle to pass another; in others, there are separate bicycle and pedestrian paths. The path can be entered at any point on the Cambridge and Watertown sides, from all but the Longfellow and Boston University bridges on the Boston side, and from footbridges over Storrow Drive. The Urban Parks Division of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) manages and maintains this path.
The state has extended the path upstream through its Upper Charles Reservation, which runs from Watertown to South Natick. The project includes an extension to Bridge Street in Watertown on both sides of the river; an extension almost to Moody Street on the south side of the river, and a new bridge over the Charles between Newton and Watertown between Bridge and Farwell Streets. Trail Map

Dorchester Shores Reservation (including Malibu Beach, Victory Road Park, Tenean Beach)
Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA  02125
Phone: 617-727-5290

See Map

Malibu Beach, Victory Road Park, and Tenean Beach provide the public with coastal access along the extended mouth of the Neponset River. Malibu Beach offers protected swimming and bathhouse. Victory Road Park is a passive park with indigenous planting on a reclaimed landfill. Tenean Beach is a popular swimming beach with playground facilities, tennis and basketball courts. Nearby Savin Hill Beach, restored to its original Olmsted Brothers design, has a tot lot, baseball fields and protected swimming. Together these facilities are an important link in the continuous pathway and greenway system from Castle Island in South Boston to the Neponset River. Open year-round, dawn to dusk.

Emerald Necklace Parks
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-522-2700

This is a series of links between parks from the Public Garden to Franklin Park, also passing through Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmsted Park, Riverway, and Arnold Arboretum. Distances by sections:
Public Garden, at Charles Street to Charlesgate East: Round trip is 2.5 miles
Back Bay Fens Loop from Boylston Bridge to Ave Louis Pasteur: Round trip is 1.6 miles
Riverway Loop from Fenway T Station to Netherlands Road: Round trip is 1.5 miles
Leverett Pond Loop (Good for families with small children): Round trip is 0.7 mile
Jamaica Pond Circumference is 1.5 miles
Arnold Arboretum’s Hunnewell Bldg. to Peter’s Hill Summit: Round trip is 3.5 miles
Franklin Park Walking Loop is 2.5 miles
Trail Map

Mystic River Reservation -- Mystic Lakes -- Sandy Beach
Off Mystic Valley Parkway
Medford, Somerville, Everett, MA
Phone: 617-727-5380

Open year round, dawn to dusk. The banks of the Mystic River are almost entirely publicly owned from the Amelia Earhart Dam at the mouth of the Mystic Lakes. The property includes:
Mary O'Malley Park. The park has striking views of the harbor and the Tobin Bridge over the Mystic River. A boat landing and shelter are located on an historic granite pier and a wind sculpture by William Wainwright enlivens the waterfront. Tennis courts and a large open lawn area for concerts and picnics are also available.
Torbert Macdonald Park. Macdonald Park has an award-winning landscape design of the meandering paths, trees and open lawns provides space for rest and enjoyment as well as bicycling, jogging, walking and informal games in a riverside setting.
Draw Seven Park. The Draw Number Seven Railroad Bridge, which once crossed the Mystic River, gave this park its name. This park provides field game space for Somerville and adjacent communities. Draw Seven Park offers nine acres of parkland including two soccer fields, a bikeway/walkway, a picnic area with shelter and beautiful landscaping.
Mystic Lakes. Today the Mystic Lakes are popular for freshwater swimming at Sandy Beach. Special sailing programs are available at the Tufts University Boathouse. The Upper Mystic Lake is for non-powered boats only. The Lower Mystic Lake is for power boats with no wake. Information about Shannon Beach: 617-727-5380.

Quincy Shores Reservation
Quincy Shore Drive
Quincy, MA  02205
Phone: 617-727-5290

See Map

Quincy Shore Drive links Wollaston Beach with Caddy Memorial Park and Moswetuset Hummock. The 2.3-mile beach is popular for its jogging/bicycling trail and swimming. Caddy Park on the southern end of the beach has over 15 acres of fields and marsh as well as a play area, lookout tower and picnic tables. Moswetuset Hummock, on the beach's northern end, is a mixture of woodland trails and open marshland. The site which has a short loop trail, offers views of Quincy Bay and 144-acre Squantum Marsh. Open year round, dawn to dusk. Bathhouse open July to September.
Directions: by MBTA: Wollaston Beach - Red Line to Wollaston Station, walk to Hancock Street, turn right and walk one block to Beach Street or take Wollaston Beach/Ashmont bus #217. Caddy Park - turn left on Beach Street and continue on Quincy Shore Drive. Moswetuset Hummock - Red Line to North Quincy Station, MBTA Bus #211 to Squantum, exit at East Squantum Street and Quincy Shore Drive, proceed to the small wooded knoll 200 yards east.

Riverbend Park
Memorial Drive
Boston

Total length: 1 mile

Riverbend is not a park, but rather the informal name for a one-mile stretch of Memorial Drive in Boston from Eliot Bridge to Western Avenue that is closed to vehicle traffic on Sundays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. from the last Sunday in April through the second Sunday in November.

Southwest Corridor Park
Along the Orange Line of the MBTA
Back Bay in Boston to Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, MA
Phone: 617-727-0057

Total length: 6 miles

The Southwest Corridor Park is a 4.7 mile, 52-acre, linear park stretching from the Back Bay to Forest Hills. It links the neighborhoods of South End, Back Bay, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain with a street-level, green open space for parkland and recreation. Approximately a quarter of the parkland is decked over the railroad tracks. Adjacent Streets, starting from the Boston Back Bay T station, include Carleton Street, Columbus Avenue, Tremont Street, Centre Street, Lamartine Street, Amory Street. Adjacent to Arnold Arboretum at the southern end. Trail Map

Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Wasque Reservation, East Beach
Dike Road (on Chappaquiddick Island adjacent to Martha's Vineyard)
Edgartown, MA  02539
Phone: 508-627-7689

See Map

Chappaquiddick Island’s eastern edge is a barrier beach that extends for seven miles from Wasque Point past the Cape Poge Lighthouse to the Gut. The refuge offers 14 miles of beachfront and oversand vehicle and walking trails. Facilities include picnic tables, bike rack, restrooms, which are open May 30 to October 30. Fresh water is available by hand pump at the Wasque and Mytoi parking areas. Annual over-sand vehicle permits available for qualified vehicle owners. Tours include a natural history tour, a wildlife kayak or canoe tour, a fishing discovery tour, and Cape Poge Lighthouse tour. Entrance fee May 30 to October 15; free to pedestrians off season. Open year-round, daily, 24 hours. Gatehouse open May 30-October 15, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Manuel F. Correllus State Forest Bike Paths
Barnes Road
Edgartown, MA
Phone: 508-693-2540

Total length: 15 miles

Correllus State Forest occupies over 5,100 acres in the center of Martha's Vineyard. It is managed for passive recreation, mostly hiking and cycling on its 15 miles of bike paths. Trail Map

Assabet River Rail Trail
Hudson, Marlborough, MA
Phone: 978-562-2989

Trail Length: 5.6 miles

The Assabet River Rail Trail flanks the scenic Assabet River for 5.6 miles (with plans to expand to 12 miles in the future) through the towns of Hudson and Marlborough. This 12-foot wide, paved trail is great for bicyclists who want a forested, scenic ride, with minimal traffic crossings. The trail crosses over the river several times, at one point over an historical, wrought iron railroad bridge. Cyclists can pick up the trail in Hudson along Route 62, where a restored 1921 blue caboose marks the trailhead parking area. Other trail parking areas are: 157 Washington Street at Rite Aid Pharmacy in Hudson; 417 Main Street in Hudson; 40 Hudson Street in Marlborough. Trail Map

Nashua River Rail Trail
Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable
, MA
Phone: 978-597-8802

Total length: 11 Miles

In 1848, the Worcester & Nashua Railroad opened for business with over 46 miles of track between Worcester and Nashua, New Hampshire. In 1982 the route was shut down for good, and it would be 20 more years until the Mass Highway Department completed what today is the Nashua River Rail Trail, built on the railroad’s former path, stretching 11 miles through the towns of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. The trail offers a 10-foot wide paved surface for the entire length, and is open to pedestrians, bicyclists, inline skaters, wheelchairs, and cross-country skiers. The trail is popular for it’s scenic overlooks, impressive foliage in the fall, and for its access to commuter rail service between Boston and Fitchburg. Trail Map

The Bruce Freeman Trail
Lowell, Chelmsford, and Westford, MA
Phone: 617-347-541

Total Length: 6.8 miles

The first phase of this proposed 25-mile rail trail is a 6.8 mile stretch connecting the towns of Lowell, Chelmsford, and Westford. When finished, the rest of the trail will link Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury, and Framingham -- following the 25-mile route of the old New Haven Railroad Framingham & Lowell line. Trail Map

The Minuteman Bikeway
Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, Cambridge, MA
Phone: 617-542-2453

Total Length: 10.13 miles

The Minuteman Bikeway passes through the historic area where the American Revolution began in April 1775. Built by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on an inactive railroad, the trail is often used by local residents as a convenient, eco-friendly way for commuters to reach train stations. The path is 12 feet wide, plowed in the winter time, and includes lots of stops for refreshments and/or restrooms at Depot Park in Bedford, the Lexington Visitor’s Center, Alewife Station, and nearby business districts along the bikeway. Trail access in Bedford is available at the intersection of South Road and Loomis Street (exit 31B from I-95); at Lexington Center and Arlington Center, and at the Alewife T-Station. Trail Map