Rails-to-Trails-Conservancy - Rail-Trails New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont

O f the nearly 1400 rail-trails across the US, 142 thread through the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. These routes relate a two-part story: The first speaks to the early years of railroading, while the second showcases efforts by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, other groups, and their supporters to resurrect these unused railroad corridors as public-use trails.

Rail-Trails : N ew England highlights 60 of the regions diverse trails, each serving as a window on the communities the railroad once served. Some trails delve into the particular history of an area, such as Massachusetts Phoenix Rail Trail, named by local schoolchildren after Fort Phoenix, within sight of which the first naval battle of the American Revolution was fought in 1775. Other trails reveal New Englands industrial past, such as Rhode Islands Blackstone River Bikeway, which alternately parallels or follows the towpath of an extant historic canal along the river past 19th century textile mill villages.

Connecticuts signature trail and a key interstate link, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail traces the route of the long-defunct canal, which once stretched from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts. More than 40 miles of the planned 60-mile path are now open to trail users. Another favorite, the Air Line State Park Trail, crosses streams, brooks, and the Blackledge River, as well as a pair of dramatically engineered viaducts, each more than 1000 feet long.

Rail-trails in Maine are as varied as you might expect in a state this broad, ranging from Portlands sophisticated Eastern Promenade Trail, a rail-with-trail to routes that delve into the Aroostook County wilderness, where a moose may be your only companion on more than 100 miles of trails.

Expect a similar spectrum of experiences on New Hampshires trails, from the first few completed miles of the Cotton Valley Rail-Trail in Wolfeboro, Americas oldest summer resort, to the deep woods and beaver bogs along the Rockingham Recreational Trail. White Mountain National Forest provides both hikers and bikers with challenging and scenic routes, including the Ethan Pond and Thoreau Falls trails, honoring the naturalists who helped protect this once actively logged wilderness.

Winding through farmland and rolling hills, with the Green Mountains as a serene backdrop, Vermonts rail-trails invite you to immerse yourself in the simple rural lifestyle its residents embrace. Tracing Burlingtons charming waterfront en route to views of the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain, the Island Line Trail is the states must-see trail.

No matter which route in Rail-Trails: New England you decide to ply, youll be touching on the heart of the community that helped build it and the history that first brought the rails to the region.

Rhode Island leads the region in trail network creation, with Providence as its hub. Check out the stunning views of Narragansett Bay along the East Bay Bicycle Path, the states first rail-trail.

Rail-trails are multiuse public paths built along former railroad corridors. Most often flat or following a gentle grade, they are suited to walking, running, cycling, mountain biking, inline skating, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and wheelchair use. Since the 1960s, Americans have created more than 13,000 miles of rail-trails throughout the country.

These extremely popular recreation and transportation corridors traverse urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Many preserve historic landmarks, while others serve as wildlife conservation corridors, linking isolated parks and establishing greenways in developed areas. Rail-trails also stimulate local economies by boosting tourism and promoting trailside businesses.

A rail-with-trail is a public path that parallels a still-active rail line. Some run adjacent to high-speed, scheduled trains, often linking public transportation stations, while others follow tourist routes and slow-moving excursion trains. Many share an easement, separated from the rails by extensive fencing. There are more than 115 rails-with-trails in the US.