Massachusetts

1,400-Mile LandLine Plan Is Building Active Transportation Momentum in Boston

Posted 08/29/18 by Alan Ibarra in America's Trails, Building Trails | Tagged with Community Events, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Design Strategies, Health and Active Living, Local Organizing, Massachusetts, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations, Walkability and Bikeability

Weekly summer Landline ride at the newly rebuilt trail and boardwalk around the Needham Reservoir in Massachusetts | Photo by David Loutzenheiser

The Boston area is expected to undergo some noteworthy change in the near future thanks to the LandLine Vision Plan—a newly proposed plan by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) that aims to complete a 1,400-mile connected network of regional trails and greenways and spur new opportunities for active transportation and recreation across communities.

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The 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway provides a tranquil experience in Cape Cod, one of New England's popular summer destinations. | Photo by Leeann Sinpatanasakul, courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Beautiful Inspiration: From Sea to ‘Shining Sea Bikeway’

Posted 07/16/18 by Leeann Sinpatanasakul in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Featured Magazine Articles, Massachusetts, Trail Communities, Trail Destinations

Even now, some of my fondest childhood summer memories are of making the drive to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for a week’s vacation with my extended family. The only bikeway on Cape Cod to feature a seaside section—is the perfect way to combine both summer treats, trail and beach, for an unforgettable experience.

Chicago Lakefront Trail | Photo by TrailLink user kristincreager

Best Trails of 2017 According to You!

Posted 01/25/18 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Success Stories, Health and Wellness, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, California, Circuit Trails, Connected Systems, Demand for Trails, Ecology and Environment, Encouraging Trail Use, Hall of Fame, Health and Active Living, History Happened Here, IHTC, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Route of the Badger, TrailNation, Vermont, Walkability and Bikeability

America has an amazing collection of multiuse trails with scenery and experiences as diverse as the country itself. More than 3,800 trails are currently included on TrailLink.com, our nationwide trail-finder database—and more are added every week. Here, are the top 10 most-viewed trails by the 7 million+ trail enthusiasts who visited the website last year.

Eldorado Bicycle and Walking Path in Illinois | Photo by Gary Wilhelm

Rail-Trails Honoring America’s Veterans

Posted 11/09/17 by Cindy Barks in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Featured Magazine Articles, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire

In addition to their value for recreation and transportation, rail-trails provide public spaces to share our collective culture and history. In recognition of Veterans Day, we’ve highlighted three rail-trails that offer quiet, reflective places to honor and remember our country’s servicemen and women.

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

A View From … New England in Autumn

Posted 10/13/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Trail Destinations, Vermont

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.

Mass Central Rail Trail | Photo by Ryan Cree

Seven Stunning Sights From RTC’s New England Mapping Trips

Posted 08/17/17 by Suzanne Matyas in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, Biking, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Trail Destinations, Vermont, Walkability and Bikeability

Proud mountains, roaring seashores, tranquil lakes, forests with forget-me-not foliage, scrumptious chowders and wicked-awesome trails—yes, we’re talking about New England. These are just a handful of the attractions the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) team was lucky enough to experience while out mapping trails for our latest round of guidebooks covering Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. A time-honored and beloved tradition at RTC, our annual mapping trips allow us to experience trails throughout the country—up close and in person.

Photo courtesy The Shared Experience | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Rail Trail

Posted 07/06/17 by Laura Stark in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Best Of, History Happened Here, Massachusetts, Trail Destinations, Trail of the Month

Nestled in an iconic vacation destination about 75 miles down the coast from Boston, the flavor of the Cape Cod Rail Trail is pure summertime: sun-warmed beaches, sparkling waves, refreshing swimming holes and state park campsites nestled among the pines and oaks.

High Trestle Trail | Photo by Milo Bateman

10 Bucket-List Biking Trails

Posted 03/28/17 by Suzanne Matyas in Trail Use, America's Trails | Tagged with Best Of, California, Encouraging Trail Use, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, OpeningDay, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Trail Destinations, Virginia, Washington

And while every trail offers its own unique experience, there are some that are so extraordinary that they truly rise to the top. So, saddle up your two-wheeled steed and celebrate Opening Day on April 8 on one of these bucket-listers!

The Minuteman Bikeway | Photo courtesy Madeleine Ball | CC by 2.0

The Minuteman Bikeway (A Revolution on Two Wheels)

Posted 04/22/15 by Paul Bloomfield in America's Trails | Tagged with Massachusetts, Trail Destinations

Special thanks to The Independent for allowing us to republish this great travel article by Paul Bloomfield, first published on Monday, April 20, 2015, and originally titled "Cycling in America: A Revolution on Two Wheels." A patriot's journey from Boston to Lexington 240 years ago marked the start of a rebellion. Paul Bloomfield followed his route.

Photo © Rachel Napear/Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau

Bikeway Brings Global Attention to Boston

Posted 10/28/14 by Orhan Belding in America's Trails, Trail Use | Tagged with Massachusetts, Tourism and Economic Stimulus, Trail Destinations

In September, RTC heard from one of our friends at the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau in Massachusetts. They were seeking to roll out the red carpet for a travel writer from the U.K. on a mission to experience Boston by bicycle. It was a unique chance to promote The Hub's world-class trail network, and recognition that local officials taking cycle-tourism seriously.

Photo © www.gravoc.com

In Massachusetts, Trails Top List of What Local Residents Want

Posted 07/18/13 by Carl Knoch in Success Stories | Tagged with Demand for Trails, Massachusetts, Trail Communities

For many of the early years of the rail-trail movement, supporters of trail development often had to work pretty hard as salespeople of sorts - convincing a skeptical community that if they would build a trail people would use it and love it and the local area would benefit in a myriad of ways. Back in the days when there wasn't the data and compiled experiential evidence, the promises of these benefits had to be taken on faith, which made the task all that harder for those rail-trail advocates.