| New England National Scenic Trail | |
|---|---|
 The summit of Mount Norwottuck in the Holyoke Range provides a panoramic view of the Pioneer Valley. | |
| Length | Approx. 215 miles (346 km) |
| Location | Central Connecticut and western Massachusetts |
| Designation | National Scenic Trail |
| Trailheads | South: Guilford Harbor, CT North: MA-32, Royalston, MA |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | Mount Grace, 1,617 ft (493 m) |
| Lowest point | Long Island Sound, Guilford, CT, 0 ft (0 m) |
| Difficulty | Moderate to strenuous |
| Season | Spring to Fall |
| Sights | Mount Tom Range, Connecticut River, Oxbow, Holyoke Range |
| Hazards | Severe weather Tick-borne diseases Mosquitos Yellowjackets Biting flies Poison ivy Venomous snakes |
The New England National Scenic Trail (NET) is a National Scenic Trail in southern New England, which includes most of the three single trails Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Mattabesett Trail and Metacomet Trail. After the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail system, the trail is sometimes called the Triple-M Trail.[1] The 215-mile (346 km) route extends through 41 communities from Guilford, Connecticut, at Long Island Sound over the Metacomet Ridge, through the highlands of the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, to the New Hampshire state border. (The remainder of the M-M Trail to the summit of Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire is not included in the designation.) This includes a now (2013) complete connector trail (the Menunkatuck Trail) from the southernmost location of the Mattabesett Trail (in northern Guilford, Connecticut) to the sea (Long Island Sound) and a deviation of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts, to lead the trail through state-owned land instead of largely unprotected land.[2]
The trail is administered by the National Park Service, and managed by two non-profit and member-volunteer based organizations: the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Connecticut, and the Appalachian Mountain Club in Massachusetts. The trail is maintained by the volunteers of these organizations. It became an official unit of the National Park System in 2023.[3]
- ^ "New England Trail Map". NewEnglandTrail.org. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ "The New England National Scenic Trail Designation Act. H.R. 1528/S. 923" (PDF). Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ Hunter, Marnie (December 8, 2023). "These three US long-distance trails are now national parks". CNN. Retrieved December 23, 2023.