The Norwottuck Rail Trail is the place to get your cycle on. The trail head we chose was pretty far off the beaten path, but one glance at the packed lot and it was clear that this spot is regularly frequented by locals. For planning purposes, there are several places you can park your car along the way, making it conveniently accessible. The entire trail is paved which means you're sure to have a smooth ride. It's mostly flat too, so you can take it slow and chat while you ride, or you can floor it and really get that cardio going. What I enjoyed most were the changing vistas. From open fields, to bridges, through small towns and neighborhoods, the scenery is sure to keep boredom at bay. At one point, we passed through the University of Amherst, which we ended up exploring afterwards. It's always fun to stumble upon new trails and the Norwottuck Rail Trail is one we will be adding to the regular list. read more

Love walking on this trail! It's very peaceful and calm, just make sure to stay to the side when bikers are passing. Lots of people tend to walk on this path and the path extends pretty far which is nice. read more

Norwottuck Rail Trail - Parks Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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This was a great day and a fun trail. Not too crowded on the day that I went. People are pretty respectful to stay in their lanes and not wandering all over. Electric bikes, and some gas powered scooters were on the trail exceeding safe limits. This is the only issue I had with the trail. 11 1/2 miles each way. I started at the Belchertown trailhead. Approximately 30 spots for parking and maybe a few along the street. There's also random parking along the trail and some of the smaller towns. There is a cute stop along the trail for refreshments/food. That's about the 4 mile mark. read more

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This rail trail is my jam and a half. It stretches from downtown Northampton through to South Amherst (or the edge of Belchertown) with so much beauty to behold. Trees, rivers, forests, swamps. There are also areas to veer off the path onto marked nature trails or nature watching locations around mile 8.5. The Norwottuck rail trail has it all! -Unlike the Manhan Trail, during the summer months, the trees give so much shade along the paths making it perfect for the hot days. -Tons of benches to pause next to the trail if you need to catch a breather or simply feel like enjoying the sunshine. -The views over the Connecticut River are beautiful, especially at sun rise and sunset. Pinks, purples, and orange overtake the skies and it's just... *chef kiss* -The mile markers are helpful (and it starts counting off downtown near the Northampton train station), but they fade off around mile 9 in South Amherst. From mile 2-8ish, there are tall mile markers and then there are flat, in-ground quarter and three-quarter markers in between them. Useful until it cuts off around mile 9.75. -The trail (from the zero mile marker downtown to the end in South Amherst) spans a little over 12mi so going out and back will get you around 24. -I've seen some epically beautiful wild life around these parts. Black bears (and some cubs one time!), chipmunks, possums, otters, squirrels, snakes, you name it- I've probably seen it. Fun note: around mile 6.75 theres a little miniature scene of a living room/house that someone built and put up in a tree just above eye level. It's so fun. Keep your eyes peeled for it! :) read more

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The breeze on my face joyous fields of corn pass by my heart smiles at the sun. ____________________________ Here's a video of today's ride on this spectacular river valley trail: http://vimeo.com/102480587 read more

Norwottuck Rail Trail - Parks Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

I found this trail from Yelp when I was in Northampton for a program at Smith. I ran it every morning, even in the rain. There is a nice paved portion along the west side of the rail tracks as they approach the Northampton station that was just across the street from the Hotel Northampton. To get to the main Norwottuck Rail Trail from there, you either have to loop around through the neighborhood sidewalks (longer, legal way), or run on gravel a short bit, cross the tracks, and hop through a hole in the fence. I did that on a couple of the mornings, but by my last morning there was a sign saying not to... Or if you head west from there, you'll end up on the Northampton Bikeway, also a nice trail for running, though slightly more worn. The paved trail itself is well-maintained (free of debris, nicely mowed) with good signage. There are a few benches along the route. There are signals for crossing major roads. There is a beautiful bridge crossing the Connecticut River. Near the bridge, there is a trailhead & parking lot with lots of info about the trail and groups that use it. After cross the bridge, headed east, I did see some distance markers along the trail. Either they were intermittent, or I missed them, since I didn't see them at regular intervals (some were at a mile, some were at a quarter of a mile). read more

Overall, this was a great trail not a single flat tire was had by myself or my wife, though at the end of the ride there was a shard of glass in my wifes tire. The view as you cross the old bridge over Connecticut river is pretty darn nice. I would definitely ride this trail again. The only problem... It's over 2 hours away. read more

Pristine! Perfectly paved. Beautiful landscape. Flat grade. A treasure for sure. Not to be missed. Epic bridge bike at the Northampton side. read more

Norwottuck Rail Trail - Parks Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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I use the Norwottuck several times a week at least, all year round. Can't say enough about how convenient and pleasant it is for running. A great mix of shade, sun, flats, hills, woods, fields, and wetlands, and there are lots of dirt side paths and trails to explore east of Amherst. I'll use the newer, easternmost mile (south of Station Rd) as a link in a regular road bike route, but avoid everything west of there. I immediately got a flat tire the one time I biked on the portion with glass in the pavement. I won't do that again. When (if?) they ever get around to resurfacing it properly, this will easily be a 5-star rail trail. EDIT (8/3/15): It HAS been resurfaced, and it's great! read more

Probably the most scenic trail throughout Mass. I just loved all the bridge crossings and seeing the river nearby. It reminded me of a similar one in Nashua, NH. This place has convenient parking at several locations. We parked right in Amherst and did part of the trail. Pretty flat terrain so no trouble biking through here. read more

My boyfriend brought me here this past weekend to check it out. He said they recently re did the bridge that leads to the bike trail and goes over the water, so I wanted to check it out for sure. Let me tell you it's SO worth going. Especially if you are riding a bike.. The trail goes for miles my boyfriend said. Even if your just going for a walk (as we did) it's worth going just to check out this beautiful bridge they re-did. It's soooooo long & feels so sturdy and safe! You get to see a beautiful view of the water in 2 different spots too! If your looking for a walk or bike ride on a beautiful day, this is the place to go! Once we get me a bike we will definitely be going back to bike the trail! read more

Norwottuck Rail Trail - Me standing on the beautiful re done bike trail bridge - Parks Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

What a beautiful trail. Rented bikes and took them out for a spin for about an hour. Nice, flat , paved trail with really relaxing scenic views. read more

This bike trail is awesome!! It goes east for several miles. But that's no even the best part. You can also go west several miles and can go south all the way to Easthampton. If you head east towards Amherst the trail is straight and kid friendly. Going the other directions sometimes the trail goes on city streets and is not kid friendly in places. read more

I think this trail deserves a solid 5 stars. Fully paved the whole way. I come here to walk my dog and i really like that it has a good distance to it. It isnt so buggy like many other places. People are courteous enough. There are places for water and to refill air on your tires if you do bike. You can oversee the Connecticut river. I love going over the long bridge. Has grassy area all along the trail. The best part is there are trees all throughout the path so it's shady. Ample parking! read more

Thank goodness for the Norwottuck! It lets me abandon my gas-guzzler and instead take my bike for a joyride to Hadley, Amherst or points beyond. It's not a particularly difficult trail, which makes it great for me, and the view is amazing, especially over the bridge. I've never had an issue with glass shards in my tires, though I find the trail can be blinding when the sunlight hits it the wrong way. read more

The trail is beautiful, but the part from Amherst to Northampton is filled with glass and getting flat tires gets old. That is to say, they used GLASS as part of the material to create the trail itself (!!???!). I don't know what genius decided to use glass for this purpose, but it is one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. read more

Beautiful walk on this trail! It's nice and shady with trees. There is a breeze from the river. You can walk or bike it.

My rating of this trail might be hugely biased because it was the very first one I'd ever tried, but I have so much love for the Norwottuck. It's showing its age but it rivals the Nashua River rail trail in terms of beauty. This trail is rarely interrupted by roads (you don't have to cross route 9! the trail goes under it! imagine that!) and goes by a lot of beautiful farmland. There are plenty of rest stops and pit stop areas along the way, and if you start from Amherst (there's an extension on the UMass Amherst campus that links up to it) and bike towards Northampton, you're rewarded by a beautiful ride over the glorious Connecticut river. This rail trail is loved by locals for good reason, do yourself a favor and ride it at least once! read more

I love this bikeway... I mean, I WANT to love this bikeway. It goes exactly where I want to go in Hadley in Amherst, saving me from getting moved down on route 9 and instead routed past truly gorgeous farmland. But THE GLASS. I've gotten at least 10-15 flats on this thing and had to run Mr. Tuffy tire liners when I commuted on it every day. I've been informed by Mass Bike that the money for full repaving is there but the permit process is slow. Estimated time on full repaving is 1-2 years. :-/ read more

It's ok, pretty much a straight path with not much good views. I've only managed to make it 4 miles but the trail is longer. There's several benches along the way to sit and rest, public restrooms, and some buildings to stop by. It was about 3pm when I was there riding bike and I was already bitten couple of times by mosquitos. Over all it's okay, I'll definitely stop by again some time. read more

thanks to the powers that be for extending the bike trail in all directions!i really love it and can go from eathampton to belchertown and not ride on the road!beautiful in autumn under a canopy of foliage.very enjoyable read more

Beautiful bike trail! Simply one of my most cherished memories. It is well-marked and an easy ride. As it follows an old rail line, it is one of the best ways to see Northampton - plenty of interesting bridges and it goes through Look Park. Work it! read more

Love this trail! Very scenic and recently got a facelift (new wood on the bridge and new pavement).

Very excellent bike trail. It is now (August 2015) completely paved. Really beautiful 11 mile ride from Belchertown to Northampton including old rail bridge across Connecticut river. The Belchertown end is hard to find but worth the effort use Google maps for Warren Wright Rd. read more