There is a rail trail in central Massachusetts that runs alongside a clear river, crosses two wooden bridges deep in the forest, and somehow feels like a well-kept secret even though families have been walking and biking it for decades. The West Boylston section of the this trail sits on the former bed of the Central Mass Railroad, a line that once connected Boston to the heart of the state.
Today, the tracks are gone, replaced by a wide packed-gravel path that follows the Quinapoxet River through tall trees, past wildlife, and over those two bridges that give the trail its quiet, forested character. Whether someone is looking for a short walk or a longer outing, this trail delivers a lot without asking much in return.
A Railroad History That Ends With a Storm
Not every trail has a dramatic origin story, but this one does. A powerful hurricane in 1938 tore through central Massachusetts and destroyed several bridges along the 104-mile Central Mass Railroad corridor, eventually making it impossible to keep the line running.
The storm that ended the railroad is the same reason the trail exists today…