BLACKSTONE RIVER
BIKEWAY; MA
BLACKSTONE-WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated:
August 18, 2024
Length: Blackstone River
Bikeway: Millbury-Worcester; Northern
Section; 3 miles
Blackstone River Bikeway: Worcester; Northern
on-road Section; 2.6 miles
Blackstone River Bikeway: Blackstone-Millville; Southern
Section; 3.7 miles
Middle River Trail; 0.6 miles
Difficulty: Blackstone River
Bikeway: Millbury-Worcester; Northern
Section; Moderate. Paved trail, but hilly.
Blackstone River Bikeway: Worcester; Northern
on-road Section; Easy. Southern Section is
on-road and hilly. Moderate. Southern Section is
flat with BIKE LANS & CYCLE TRACK.
Blackstone River Bikeway: Blackstone-Millville; Southern
Section; Easy. Paved rail trail.
Middle River Trail; Easy. Stone-dust & boardwalk.
Directions:
Millbury-Worcester
Northern Section:
To start from the Millbury Street parking
lot in Worcester/Millbury [Central
Section]; From I-90,
take exit 94. Take Route 146 north to the Ballard St/Millbury St exit
and head south down Millbury St. The parking lot is located on your right,
across from Cliff St.
To start from the North Main Street parking
lot in Millbury [Southern
End]; From I-90, take
exit 94. Take Route 146 south to the Route 122A exit. Turn right
at the end of the ramp head east on McCracken Rd to the parking lot which is
located just down from the exit ramp on your right. Coming from Route 146
northbound, take the Route 122A exit. Turn right at the end of the ramp
and the parking lot is located on your right.
Blackstone-Millville
Southern Section:
To start from the Adams Street parking lot
in Uxbridge [Northern End]; From
Route 146 take exit 1 to Route 146A.
From the Northbound Exit turn right
to Route 146A and take your first left onto Providence St, then left on Adams
St.
From the Southbound Exit turn right to Route 146A and take your second right onto Providence St, then left on Adams
St.
To start from the Millville
Lock parking lot in Millville
[Central Section];
From Route 146 take exit 1 to Route 146A and head south to Route 5
(Central St). Turn left and travel 1.1 miles to Hope St and the parking lot.
To start from the Canal Street parking lot
in Blackstone
[Southern End]; From Route 146 in RI take
exit 14 to Route 146A and head southeast. Turn left
on St Paul St and travel 1.5 miles into Massachusetts turning left on Canal St.
The parking lot will be on your left.
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage
Corridor is a special type of National Park. It is a region that covers
nearly 400,000 acres located from Worcester County in Massachusetts down to
Providence County in Rhode Island. The Federal government does not own or manage
the land, instead, along with the two state governments, local municipalities,
businesses and many local organizations, they work to protect the Valley’s
special identity. The Blackstone River Bikeway traverses this corridor
running from Worcester, MA to Providence,
RI. The trail follows the Blackstone
River and former Blackstone
Canal. In Worchester, the
trail mostly follows BIKE LANES through town, with one on-road
section. See; Blackstone Canal Towpath
& Blackstone River
Bikeway; RI . For more information visit; BLACKSTONE
HERITAGE CORRIDOR .
The Blackstone
River Bikeway is part
of the EAST
COAST GREENWAY , a planned biking & hiking route stretching 3,000
miles from Maine to Florida. When complete it will traverse 15 states with a
mostly off-road path.
MILLBURY-WORCESTER NORTHERN
SECTION:
Starting
from the North Main Street parking lot in Millbury [Southern
End];
The Blackstone River Bikeway
currently only heads North, so cross over the off-ramp for Route 146.
A cross light has been installed. Travel across Route 146 via the pedestrian bridge that
runs alongside auto bridge. Notice the bridges color
scheme of purple. All along this trail, the bridges have a color scheme and some
interesting iron work. The bridge takes you over Route 146 and the Blackstone River,
then underneath Route 122A and down alongside the river. On your right is where the old McCracken
Bridge used to cross the river. A new blue access
bridge is now in its place. A blue metal fence guides you between the river
on your right and the active railroad tracks to your left. Lots of River
Birch trees along the river. Next, you'll cross over the Worchester Flood
Diversion Channel flowing into the river via two blue painted trestle
bridges at
0.5 miles. An active railroad
bridge crosses here as well on your left. Cross another blue trestle
bridge over the river. After passing through open
fields you travel underneath I-90
and then a second blue overpass where the trail heads down
next to the river. If you look left you can see the large
rail yard for the Providence & Worcester Railroad. After
passing under Routes 20 & 146 (green bridges), you travel up to a
Spur Trail at 1.2 miles.
Note; Right takes you South
up to
Route 20 east.
You'll
cross over a boundary marker separating Millbury and
Worchester and come to a
second Spur Trail at 1.4 miles.
Note; This trail
takes you South up to Route 20 west.
You'll reach the Millbury Road parking lot at 1.5 miles.
A Map Board is located here but only shows the section of trail located in
Worchester. A BIKE STATION is also located here. Next you'll cross a
green iron bridge over some wetlands and follow a
nice wooden fence with the Blackstone River on your left. After traveling
underneath Route 146 (green bridge), the trail then parallels Route 146 on your right and
railroad tracks to your left.. This
area is full of wildflowers and other plantings. Travel underneath the
green Blackstone River Road Bridge and come to an intersection at 2.3 miles.
Note; A Spur
Trail right takes you East up to Blackstone River Rd.
Continue straight alongside the river past the
shopping plaza to a crosswalk over the access road. Continue North alongside the
access Rd which crosses over the
river. Just before you come to McKeon St a paved trail comes in from the
right.
Note; Straight, North,
brings you to McKeon St
where you'll have to use a cross-light to get over to the *Blackstone
Heritage Corridor Visitor Center at Worchester.
Instead head right along the paved trail which
travels North underneath McKeon St, alongside the river and up to the BLACKSTONE
HERITAGE CORRIDOR VISITOR CENTER at WORCHESTER where the paved trail ends
after 3 miles. Restrooms, water fountain, and picnic
tables located at the Visitor Center.
This is the start of the Blackstone River, where Mill Brook and
the Middle River merge.
Note;
You can also access BLACKSTONE
GATEWAY PARK and the Middle River Trail along the Middle River. Exit the Visitor Center
out to McKeon Rd
and head right, West, across the RR tracks to the start of the
trail on your right. Benches,
informational boards located along this trail. Heading North,
you cross over the Middle River via a small bridge. To your right is a small dam and RR bridge. A series of
boardwalks travel along the river and marsh with overlooks. Other sections are
stone-dust. Two different bridges cross the river but all lead to the boardwalk
that travels the opposite bank. Finally the stone-dust trail winds out to McKeon
Rd after 0.7 miles. See; Blackstone
Gateway Park Map Below.
Cross
McKeon Rd to the College of the Holy Cross campus. Here you can explore the college.
Note; The campus is on a hill so some uphill climbs lie ahead. See;
Holy Cross Campus Map Below.
WORCESTER ON-ROAD SECTION:
Starting from the *Blackstone
Heritage Corridor Visitor Center at Worchester; [Continuing
Mileage] To continue North
to Union
Station in Worcester and the start of the
Blackstone River Bikeway,
you'll need to travel on-road. From the North
Side of the Blackstone
Heritage Corridor Visitor Center at Worchester travel across Route 146 via the
red pedestrian bridge
to
Vernon and Millbury Streets. Travel right, North,
on-road [Not recommended
for kids on bikes] along Millbury St (shoulder
gets wider/sidewalk available). Millbury St parallels Route 146. Travel up and
over a hill past 5th Ave. Just past Whitney Ave you'll come to a crosswalk at 4
miles. Head left across Millbury St to a wide sidewalk that takes you underneath
I-290 to Quinsigamond Ave. Several cross-walks take you to a wide
sidewalk that travels North alongside Quinsigamond Ave.
Past Ashmont Ave, you'll continue along a BIKE LANE. Pass by Crompton
Park & Crompton Skatepark and come to a 5-way intersection at 4.6
miles. Bear right, East, along Lamartine St
(Not Lafayette, which is also on your right) following a BIKE LANE.
Come to another 5-way intersection.
Note; If you continue straight
along Green Island Blvd (BIKE LANE) it will bring you to POLAR
PARK . Polar Park is a baseball park, serving as
the home of the Worcester Red Sox, a Minor League Baseball team
competing at the Triple-A level and an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
Head left, North,
along a paved trail on Hermon St. Travel through a tunnel, underneath the RR
bridge, out to Francis McGrath Blvd. Here a CYCLE TRACK (SEPARATED
BIKE LANE) travels Northeast to
Green St at 5.4 miles. Continue straight along a double-wide sidewalk past a Dog
Park and along Foster St past the WRTA center to Front St. Turn right, East
and you'll come to Washington Square and Union Station in
Worcester
after 5.6 miles
and the end/start of the Blackstone River Bikeway.
Be sure to check out the interior of this 1911 granite structure with its marble
walls and domed ceiling. MBTA Station that
travels to Boston.
BLACKSTONE-MILLVILLE
SOUTHERN SECTION:
Starting from the Canal Street parking lot in Blackstone
[Southern End]; This section of the Blackstone River Bikeway
follows the old rail bed of the former New Haven Railroad's Midland Division
and is part of the Southern
New England Trunkline Trail .
Note; Heading South the trail
crosses an old RR bridge over St Paul St and another over the old Blackstone
Canal and Canal St towards the RI border. The
trail currently ends here as of 2024. The next section will traverse a 7
span viaduct to RI border and is
under construction in 2024 and expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Heading Northwest you immediately cross an old RR
bridge over the Blackstone River. To your left an active RR crosses the
river. Cross another old RR bridge over Canal St followed by a bridge over an
access path/road? Another bridge over Main St brings you past a small pocket
playground. Here you can access the town of Blackstone. Travel
through a tunnel underneath Church St followed by two more bridges over a fork
of the Blackstone River (Head Pond). Another tunnel takes you
underneath Main St at 1.3 miles before coming to the Triad
Bridge at 1.5 miles. Here you cross over the Blackstone River
and an active RR bridge on an old RR bridge. Looking right you'll see the old abutments
for a third RR bridge that would have crossed overhead (Built
in the late 1800's, this tiered bridge crisscrosses the Blackstone River
at three different heights to allow three railroad lines to intersect and cross
the Blackstone River. The third tier, however, was never built as the Titanic
Railroad went out of business before it was completed.). Come to a bike rack
and benches at 1.9 miles.
Note; Here a
gravel path leads North down to the old stone Millville
Lock (1828) next to the Blackstone River.
Continuing along the trail
you'll pas by an old cement RR Whistle Marker before coming to the Millville
Lock parking lot at 2.4 miles. Cross Central St where the trail travels
through a more residential corridor. Pass through a deep rock cut underneath
some power transmission lines at 3.3 miles as the trail turns West,
before crossing a high berm. The
trail then turns off the old rail bed bringing you down to the Adams Street
parking lot and the end
of the trail at 3.7 miles. The old SNETT crosses Route 146A before
terminating at Route 146.
Note;
Future plans
call for continuing the trail North
to eventually connect into the Millbury
section. As of June 2019 it is in the Design Phase.
Note; Future plans
call for connecting to the SNETT. As of
June 2019 it is in the Design
Phase.
HH
CLICK
HERE FOR MA MAP
CLICK HERE FOR
MA-RI MAP
CLICK HERE FOR BLACKSTONE
GATEWAY MAP
CLICK
HERE FOR HOLY CROSS CAMPUS MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE
SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER
OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT
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