ASSABET RIVER RAIL TRAIL
ACTON-MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: October 26, 2024
Length: Marlborough-Hudson Section; Southern Section; 5.5 miles
Stow Section; Central Section; 1.8 miles
Maynard-Acton Section; Northern Section; 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Marlborough Section; Moderate. Paved rail trail, but hilly.
Hudson Section; Easy. Paved, flat rail trail.
Stow Section; Moderate. Flat, hard packed dirt & grave rail trail. Drainage issues; avoid after heavy rains.
Maynard-Acton Section; Easy. Paved, flat rail trail.
Directions:
To start from Rawlins Street parking in Marlborough [Southern Section/Southern End]; From I-495, take exit 63A to Route 20 east. After you pass by the lake on your right, bear left at the traffic light on W Main St (Route 20). When you enter downtown Marlborough, Route 20 veers right, stay straight on Main St. Take your first left onto Rawlins Street. Parking located here. More parking located on Main Street and Newton Street.
To start from the Wilkins Street (Route 62) parking lot in Hudson [Southern Section/Northern End]; From I-495, take exit 67 to Route 62 east. Travel through downtown Hudson (Main St), crossing the Assabet River, stay with Route 62, as it turns left and becomes Wilkins St, while Main St continues straight. The Wilkins Street (Route 62) parking lot will be on your left.
To start from the Winter Street parking lot in Maynard [Northern Section;/Southern End]; From I-495, take exit 65 to Route 117 east for 7.1 miles. Turn right on Winter Street. Parking lot will be on your right just before Maynard's Dept. of Public Works.
To start from the Maple Street parking lot in Acton [Northern Section/Northern End]; From I-495, take exit 75 to Route 111 south for 3.6 miles. Turn right on Central St and travel 1.7 miles to Route 27. Turn right and cross over the RR tracks. Then turn right on Maple St. Follow past the South Acton MBTA Station to the trail head on your left. Maple Street parking lot located here.
The Assabet River Rail Trail follows the former rail bed of the Marlborough Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad, which ran from 1850 until 1980. It passed through the communities of Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard and Acton, where it connected into the former Boston-Fitchburg Railroad, which is still active as the B&M/MBTA Line. Two sections are currently complete; From Marlborough the trail travels North to Hudson, before turning East. A gap exists Northeast to Stow. In Stow, a partially developed trail travels Northeast to Maynard, where the trail continues to Maynard. In Maynard the trail continues North to Acton. From the Northeastern End of the trail in Hudson, you can access the Western End of the Mass Central Rail Trail; Wayside Branch . For more information visit; ASSABET RIVER RAIL TRAIL .
Marlborough-Hudson Section:
Southern Section:
Starting from Rawlins Street parking in Marlborough [Southern End]; A ZAGSTER BIKE SHARE station is located at the corner of Rawlins St & Main St. A double-wide sidewalk travels East, between a Veteran's Memorial and the Walker building to Prospect St, where you'll find a gazebo and BIKE STATION. The paved Assabet River Rail Trail begins across the street, next to a pocket park and travels North, up Prospect St to Cashman & Central Streets. Here, the trail travels Northwest, alongside Cashman St to Lincoln St. Cross the street to a Map Board at 0.2 miles. Here the trail follows the old rail bed. Mile Marker 00 painted on the trail here (old starting point). Mile Markers every 0.5 miles on the pavement, starting from here. The trail heads North, through a residential & industrial corridor. Pass by the Jefferson Street parking lot on your right at 0.3 miles, before crossing Hudson St. The trail is slightly downhill all the way to Hudson. After crossing Ash St you'll travel over a small berm with nice wood fencing before coming to Fairbanks Blvd and the entrance to Boston Scientific at 1.2 miles. Another Map Board located here. The trail briefly turns West, as you pass by an open meadow and BIKE STATION. Looks like they are building a new park here (as of Oct 2024). You can see the Fort Meadow Reservoir in the distance. The trail is now is less residential and more isolated. Pass by a Spur Trail on your left, at 1.6 miles which leads up to Sasseville Way. ZAGSTER BIKE SHARE bikes located here. Cross-light over Fitchburg St, as the trail turns North again. This brings you to another Map Board. The trails open as you parallel Crowley Drive while passing by a meadow and soccer field. You then descend into deep woods and travel along another berm with wooden fencing on both sides. A tunnel takes you underneath Route 85C as you cross into Hudson at 2.4 miles where you then enter an area with steep rock outcrops. Travel through an old stone abutment at 2.8 miles for the old Brigham's Bridge (B&M RR bridge; 1852-55), then travel underneath some power lines. Come to the Route 85 (Washington St) parking lot at 3.3 miles. A Map Board and shops are located here. An automatic cross-light gets you over Washington St and soon you'll come to the Assabet River High Bridge (1887) at 3.7 miles. After crossing over the river, if you look along your right, you'll see the remnants of an old RR Siding. Enter downtown Hudson. Cross the five-way intersection over Broad St-Loring St, then Vila Do Porto Blvd, as the trail now travels East, through town along the median, with Route 62 (Main St) on your left. Lots of sculptures along this section. You leave the median after crossing Vila Do Porto BLVD and travel alongside Route 62 where you'll pass by a restored "blue" Caboose that has been placed alongside the trail. To your right is ASSABET RIVER BICYCLES . Next, you'll pass by the Main St parking lot on your right at 4.5 miles, which is directly across from the Main Street Cemetery. Map Board and Porto-Potty. As you cross over the Assabet River, next to the Route 62 bridge, look to your left to see another old railroad bridge, that crosses the river. That's the old Central Mass Branch of the Boston & Maine RR (same rail bed that the Mass Central Rail Trail follows, but is undeveloped). Just past Whispering Pines will be another automatic cross-light over Route 62, where the trail continues through a residential area. You cross over Mackin St to a medium with benches and a sign board, then Cox St and head back into woodland. Shortly you'll see two old stone abutments on either side of the trail. This is where a RR bridge (Central Mass Branch of the Boston & Maine RR/same rail bed that the Mass Central Rail Trail follows) once crossed the old Marlborough Branch Railroad. A high berm, up along your right, is where the old Central Mass Branch of the Boston & Maine RR bed parallels the trail. The trail currently ends ahead at 5.5 miles, at the Wilkins Street (Route 62) parking lot, where you'll find another Map Board.
Note; Behind this Map Board, you can spot the old undeveloped rail bed, as it continues East, toward Stow.
Note; If you exit the Wilkins Street (Route 62) parking lot and cross the road you'll pick up the Mass Central Rail Trail; Wayside Branch . As of Oct 2024, this trail was still under construction.
Stow Section:
Central Section:
The next section of trail through Stow, is currently undeveloped as of 2024, however, an unpaved section of the trail in Stow travels from Sudbury Road to White Pond Rd. See Below.
Maynard-Acton Section:
Northern Section:
Starting from the Sudbury Road parking area in Stow [Southern End]; [Re-zeroing Mileage] Head Northeast past the yellow gate along "Track Road", a hard packed dirt & gravel road.
Note; This section of trail has drainage issues, so avoid using after heavy rains.
The Assabet River Rail Trail travels through deep woods alongside the Assabet River National Wildlife Refugee. Very isolated. After 0.7 miles the trail intersects with an improved road and becomes wider. No drainage issues along this next section.
Note; This road continues left to a small private airfield (CIA-Crow Island Aviators). Continue straight.
After 1 mile, an opening on your right leads to nice views of the Assabet River. The trail then travels alongside the river. You cross White Pond Rd at 1.8 miles as you enter Maynard.
Note; To your right is an entrance to the ASSABET RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGEE. Biking allowed on roads in refugee.
No official parking lot located here.
From White Pond Road in Maynard; [Continuing Mileage] Map Board. The wide, paved Assabet River Rail Trail, continues Northeast into the woods. Granite 0 Mile Marker located here and Mile Markers located every 0.25 miles. Travel along a causeway over Taylor Brook. Looking left you can see where the river has been dammed (Ben Smith Dam). You'll come to the town of Maynard's DPW on your right followed by the Winter Street parking lot at 2.2 miles. Map Board located here. To your left is Ice House Landing, located on Maynard Conservation land. Information signs tell the history of this site. Picnic tables and a boat launch are located here. Cross-light over Route 117 then head left to rejoin the trail. Map Board. Residential corridor becomes an urban corridor as you turn left on Sudbury St the right along Main St at 2.8 mile. Informational sign here. As you approach Clock Tower Place a cross-light will take you over Main St. Look right to spot the Clock Tower. The trail parallels Railroad St before crossing the Assabet River, then up to and across Summer St at 3.2 miles, as the trail heads North. Maplebrook Pocket Park here. Cross Concord St at 3.5 miles. Cross Acton St (informational sign), pass by the 2 1/4 Mile Marker where you cross into Acton. Granite 0 Mile Marker located here and Mile Markers every 0.25 miles. Old RR Whistle Post on your left + See; RR Whistle Post Below, just before the trail leaves the rail bed, to bypass a commercial building alongside Main St. A boardwalk then takes you over a marsh and back to the rail bed. Informational sign. Lots of turtles (some big snappers). Wooded corridor. Pass by a spur trail up to Sylvia St before passing by the Fort Pond Brook Reservoir and crossing a bridge over the brook at 5 miles. The trail again turns off the old rail bed. Old RR Switch, + See; RR Switch Below, located here along with an informational sign. Pass by the Maple Street parking lot (Map Board) before crossing Maple St to the South Acton MBTA Station at 5.3 miles.
Old Railroad Equipment:
+
RR Whistle Post:
The Whistle Post,
was a post with a large "W" engraved or painted on it. This
meant the railroad engineers were to start sounding the trains Whistle.
The Whistle posts
were usually placed 0.25 miles
in advance of a road crossing,
bridges, tunnels and other points. Usually, there would be a post placed on both
sides of the crossing, covering both directions.
+ RR Switch:
A RR Switch is a mechanical
installation enabling trains to be guided from one track to another, such as at
a junction or where a spur or siding branches off.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR ASSABET RIVER RAIL TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR ASSABET RIVER RAIL TRAIL; HUDSON SECTION MAP
CLICK HERE FOR ASSABET RIVER RAIL TRAIL; MARLBOROUGH SECTION MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT