Manhan Rail Trail

42°16′01″N 72°40′14″W / 42.2670°N 72.6705°W / 42.2670; -72.6705

Manhan Rail Trail
Manhan Rail Trail, Easthampton, MA
Length	6 mi (9.7 km)
Location	Hampshire County
Trailheads	Northampton Easthampton Southampton
Use	Walking, running, bicycling, roller blading, and cross country skiing
Difficulty	Easy
Season	year-round
Hazards	deer ticks, poison ivy, road crossings
Surface	Paved surface
Right of way	former railroad line
Website	manhanrailtrail.org/
Massachusetts
Location in Massachusetts

The Manhan Rail Trail is a rails-to-trails paved recreational trail and non-motorized commuter route located in the lower Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts in the town of Easthampton. The 6-mile-long (9.7 km) trail, completed in 2003, is part of the larger New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway that would extend from New Haven, Connecticut, to Northampton, Massachusetts. The trail, named after the Manhan River which it parallels, utilizes the bed of the former New Haven and Northampton Railroad, which served the industrial towns of the lower Pioneer Valley from the mid-19th century until 1992. It begins at the Northampton-Easthampton line near Route 10 and ends at Coleman Road, just over the Southampton town line. There are plans to extend the route south through Southampton and eventually to Westfield to connect with the Columbia Greenway.^[1]

The Manhan Rail Trail, universally accessible, is open to walking, running, bicycling, inline skating and, in the winter, cross country skiing. The trail also provides a non-motorized commuter transportation route linking Easthampton, Northampton, and Southampton, Massachusetts. The trail is part of the Commonwealth Connections greenway initiative which links it to the adjacent trails of the Mount Tom Range and the Arcadia Audubon Sanctuary.

The Manhan Rail Trail served the surrounding community for eight years as the location for Derrill's Race.^[2]