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America’s Trails

A View From … New England in Autumn

By: Laura Stark
October 13, 2017

Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail in Vermont | Photo by Dennis Coello
Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail in Vermont | Photo by Dennis Coello

In the northernmost reaches of New England, nature’s autumn spectacle begins to whisper through the trees of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire in late September before peaking mid-October. Fall comes later to the states farther south—Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island—generally arriving in mid-October and lasting to early November. The region has an abundance of extraordinary rail-trails on which to experience this temporal artwork at a stroll or gentle roll. We’ve listed some of our favorites here.

New Hampshire

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail in New Hampshire | Photo by Jack Shine
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail in New Hampshire | Photo by Jack Shine

While it begins in New Hampshire’s largest city, Manchester, this 26.5-mile rail-trail quickly whisks explorers into hardwood and coniferous forest, past the shores of beautiful Lake Massabesic. The Portsmouth Branch of the rail-trail is for the adventurous, as it is secluded and unpaved. Mid-trail, in Raymond, a restored train depot and historical locomotive, caboose and boxcar are reminders of the corridor’s past as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

Learn more about the trail on TrailLink.

Vermont

Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail

Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail in Vermont | Photo by Neil A. Gerdes
Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail in Vermont | Photo by Neil A. Gerdes

Travelers will be rewarded for taking a ride along this trail in the crisp autumn air as they pedal under a canopy of radiant orange and yellow. Loosely paralleling its namesake river, the 26-mile crushed-stone pathway makes its way from the charming town of St. Albans nearly to the Canadian border.

Learn more about the trail on TrailLink.

Connecticut

Larkin State Park Trail

Larkin State Park Trail in Connecticut | Photo by John M. Joy
Larkin State Park Trail in Connecticut | Photo by John M. Joy

Get ready for one of the prettiest rides you may ever undertake. Nestled in the western woodlands of Connecticut, this unpaved rail-trail offers a remote and peaceful escape. The pathway is just a smidge over 10 miles and winds through picturesque rock cuts and wildlife-rich wetlands.

Learn more about the trail on TrailLink.

Maine

Four Seasons Adventure Trail

Four Seasons Adventure Trail in Maine | Photo courtesy TrailLink user Brockharmon
Four Seasons Adventure Trail in Maine | Photo courtesy TrailLink user Brockharmon

Although this trail has “four seasons” in its name, once you visit in the fall, you may not want to go any other time of year. The central Maine rail-trail links five towns, two rivers and three lakes over the course of 26 miles. True to the “adventure” part of its moniker, the route is gravel surfaced and traverses varied terrain, including woodlands, wetlands and pastoral landscapes.

Learn more about the trail on TrailLink.

Massachusetts

Mass Central Rail Trail (Norwottuck Branch)

Mass Central Rail Trail (Norwottuck Branch) in Massachusetts | Photo by Robert Bissell
Mass Central Rail Trail (Norwottuck Branch) in Massachusetts | Photo by Robert Bissell

As a paved pathway connecting the college towns of Northampton and Amherst, this rail-trail makes nature easily accessible. Making the most of its 10-mile distance, the trail begins with a magnificent 1,492-foot iron bridge over the Connecticut River, offers views of Mount Holyoke in the distance, crosses two more bridges and provides birdwatching opportunities in adjacent wetlands.

Learn more about the trail on TrailLink.

Find additional information about these trails—and more than 100 others—in our New England rail-trail guidebook series. Visit railstotrails.org/guidebooks for details.

Laura Stark headshot, courtesy Stark 2024
Laura Stark

Laura Stark is the senior editor for Rails to Trails magazine, responsible for highlighting trails and the people working hard to support them across America.

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