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Two cyclists ride away from the camera across a long, rust-red iron truss bridge converted from a former railroad span. Diagonal lattice girders frame the view overhead and along both sides; a wooden plank deck and chain-link railings line the path. Summer foliage fills the gaps between the trusses on a bright, partly cloudy day.
Outdoors · Trail
Converted Boston & Maine railroad bridge on the Norwottuck Rail Trail between Northampton and Hadley, Massachusetts, July 2007. Photo by John Phelan, source, CC BY 3.0.

Norwottuck Rail Trail

Northampton, Hampshire County

Category
Trail
Town
Northampton
County
Hampshire
Length
11 mi

The Norwottuck Rail Trail is an 11-mile paved path following a former Boston & Maine rail corridor from Northampton through Hadley and Amherst to Belchertown. Opened in 1993 and now officially the Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail, it remains one of the most-used recreational paths in Western Massachusetts.

The trail crosses the Connecticut River on a converted rail bridge between Northampton and Hadley, the centerpiece ride of the route, with long views up and down the river.

Trailheads

  • West end: Elwell State Park at Damon Road in Northampton, where the trail meets the Northampton Bikeway and (via the 2017 tunnel underpass) the Manhan Rail Trail to Easthampton.
  • Hadley: Mountain Farms Mall and Lawrence Plain Road crossings.
  • Amherst: Station Road and South East Street crossings.
  • East end: Warren Wright Road in Belchertown, at the edge of the Amherst College Wildlife Sanctuary beaver pond.

What to know

  • Paved and mostly flat; suitable for bikes, strollers, and wheelchairs.
  • Leashed dogs welcome.
  • Open sunrise to sunset.
  • Plowed stretches are popular for winter walking; cross-country skiers use ungroomed sections after fresh snow.
  • The trail can be busy on warm-weather weekends, especially around the Connecticut River bridge.

Sources