Mass Central Rail Trail

Mass Central Rail Trail
Mass Central Rail Trail with stele thanking benefactors in Wachusett Greenways section, Oakdale, West Boylston
Length	60 miles (97 km) open, 94.5 miles (152.1 km) protected, 104 miles (167 km) when complete
Location	Union Station (Northampton) to North Station (Boston)
Began construction	1985 Alewife Linear Park, 1993 Norwottuck Rail Trail, 1997 Wachusett Greenways MCRT
Use	Hiking, bicycling, inline skating, wheelchairs, strollers, cross-country skiing, horseback riding
Difficulty	Easy
Season	Year-round
Surface	Stone dust, paved, dirt, unimproved
Right of way	Former Massachusetts Central Railroad, former Central Massachusetts Railroad, former Marlborough Branch of Fitchburg Railroad, Fitchburg Line, former Fitchburg Cutoff, Green Line Extension
Maintained by	Department of Conservation and Recreation, Wachusett Greenways, East Quabbin Land Trust, Clinton Greenway Conservation Trust, Northampton, Belchertown, Ware, Hardwick, West Boylston, Hudson, Cambridge, Somerville
Website	masscentralrailtrail.org finishtherailtrail.org
Trail map
Planned route of the trail

The Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) is a partially completed rail trail between Northampton, Massachusetts and Boston along the right-of-way (ROW) of the former Massachusetts Central Railroad and former Central Massachusetts Railroad. It currently has over 60 miles (97 km) open, and 94.5 miles (152.1 km) are open or protected for trail development. When complete, it will be 104 miles (167 km) long through Central Massachusetts and Greater Boston, forming the longest rail trail in New England.^[1] Many sections of the trail, including the Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail and the Somerville Community Path, have been developed as separate projects but serve as part of the complete Mass Central Rail Trail. The Norwottuck Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the build and operation of the MCRT, maintains an interactive map of the MCRT and other Massachusetts trails.^[2][3]