QUINEBAUG VALLEY RAIL TRAIL:
SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
QUINEBAUG RIVER RAIL TRAIL:
DUDLEY, MASSACHUSETTS
WEBSTER RIVERWALK:
WEBSTER, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: November 02, 2026
Length: Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail; Northern Section; 1 mile
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; Southern Section; 5 miles
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; West Section; 2.7 miles
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section; 1.4 miles
Webster Riverwalk; 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail; Northern Section; Easy. Paved & stone-dust rail trail.
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; Southern Section; Easy. Stone-dust rail trail.
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; Easy. Flat, paved rail trail.
Webster Riverwalk; Easy. Paved trail.
Directions:
For the Quinebaug River Rail Trail; West Section & Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail [Southern End]; From Route 131 in Southbridge, continue southeast on Route 131 passing the Route 169 south turnoff (Here you'll find the paved section of trail). Continue southeast on Route 131 into Dudley. Just after you cross over the Quinebaug River, take a left on Mill Rd. The Mill Road parking lot will be along your right.
For the Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section; From the junction of Routes 12 & 197 in Webster travel south on Route 12 for 0.8 miles to the parking lot on your left where the trail crosses the road.
For the Webster Riverwalk [Western End]; From the junction of Routes 12 & 197 in Webster travel north on Route 12. Cross the river and come to some RR tracks. Turn left past the tracks on Davis Street and park by the old train cars.
The Quinebaug River Rail Trail & Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail follows the rail bed of the former Southbridge & Blackstone Railroad, which had been providing connecting rail service to Boston from 1857 to 1921 and Freight services from 1857 to 1997. The Quinebaug River Rail Trail; West Section in West Dudley travels Northwest, from the CT border, to Southbridge, where it continues as the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail through Southbridge. The Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section travels from the CT border North, through Dudley to Webster. In Webster you can check out the short Webster Riverwalk, further North. A GAP exists between the Quinebaug River Rail Trail West & East Sections as it Loops through CT. For more information visit; QUINEBAUG RIVER RAIL TRAIL & WEBSTER RIVERWALK .
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; West Section:
Starting from the Mill Road parking lot in West Dudley [Southern End]; A Map Board is located in the parking lot.
Note; Heading Southeast, the paved Quinebaug River Rail Trail travels 0.3 miles through a wooded, residential corridor before terminating at the Connecticut border. Look left to spot the granite 1906 border post. Old RR ties still embedded in CT section.
Note; The portion of the old rail bed in CT has not been developed, creating a 3.4 mile gap to the Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section back in MA. The rail bed looks like a horseshoe in CT.
Heading Northwest, across Mill Rd, past the yellow gate, the flat, paved Quinebaug River Rail Trail enters the woods. Pass by a quarry, then a kiosk at 1.2 miles. Pass by a Spur Trail on your right, before the trail ends at an old RR bridge over the Quinebaug River at 1.9 miles.
Note; I assume future plans call for rebuilding this bridge. For now, you'll need to follow the Spur Trail to detour around the bridge.
Follow the hard packed dirt & gravel Spur Trail out to W Dudley Rd. Then head left, on-road (low traffic) across the W Dudley Rd bridge. Turn right past the sign for the trail and you'll come to the West Dudley Road parking lot.
Note; A boat launch for the QUINEBAUG RIVER WATER TRAIL is located here along with a picnic table and Map Board.
The hard packed cinder & grass Quinebaug River Rail Trail continues straight, Northwest, alongside the Quinebaug River Reservoir. Follow a causeway between the river and wetlands before re-entering the woods at 2.4 miles and crossing into Southbridge.
Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail; Southern Section:
Here the stone-dust trail continues Northwest, as the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail. Cross a bridge at 3 miles and you'll soon be traveling alongside the Quinebaug River. Cross a second bridge at 3.5 miles. Pass by an old cement RR Whistle Post, + See; RR Whistle Post Below, before crossing Sandersdale Rd (Route 131) in the Sandersdale section of Southbridge at 3.8 miles. Cross light. Pass by an old RR Switch, + RR Switch, before crossing over Lebanon Brook and passing by an old RR Siding where you'll spot the old RR tracks. The urban trail becomes paved, as it takes you down to and across N Woodstock Rd at 4.25 miles. You then travel briefly alongside E Main St and up a slight hill back into the woods, where the trail reverts to stone-dust. Your now traveling above E Main St. Nice views of the Quinebaug River and old Southbridge Mill across E Main St. Pass by a *Spur Trail down to a private parking lot and the E Main Street BIKE LANE at 4.6 miles. Pass by an open area on your right, just before a rock cut. I believe this was an old RR Siding that traveled past the right side of the rock cut. Old RR Switch & RR Buffer Stop. + See; RR Buffer Stop Below located here. Travel through the rock cut and cross a bridge over Morris St, where you'll spot another old RR bridge abutment (for the old RR Siding?). Come to Main St and the old ^Southern Bridge abutment after 5 miles. Overlook.
Note; As of 2026, the trail ends here, at the old ^Southern Bridge abutment, as the old RR bridge is long gone. I assume they will replace this bridge in the future. The trail continues along the opposite side of Main St from the old ^^Northern Bridge abutment.
Note; To connect to the next section of the trail requires an on-road detour. Return to the *Spur Trail and travel left to a cross-light over E Main St and head left along the E Main Street BIKE LANE. Just before a traffic circle the BIKE LANE ends. A cross-walk takes you over to a sidewalk. Continue right to Main St and another cross-walk. Head left up Main St (narrow shoulder) to your second right on Walnut St. At the end of the street a **Spur Trail brings you down to the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail after 0.6 miles. Right leads to the ^^Northern Bridge abutment.
Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail; Northern Section:
Starting from the ^^Northern Bridge abutment [Re-Zeroing Mileage]; Overlook. The stone-dust Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail travels Northwest, up a slight hill through an urban corridor. Pass by a **Spur Trail that takes you up to Walnut St. Come to Foster Street, where a parking lot is located on your right. Trail parking is at the far end of the parking lot. Scoops of Hope located here. Ice cream! Next cross Central St, where the now paved trail continues past the old RR Depot and an old RR Caboose and tracks at 0.4 miles. MVD parking lot located here. Next, cross Hook St, where the paved trail continues. Briefly spot the river below right. On your left will be the Crane Street parking lot. The trail turns out to Crane & River Streets, at 0.8 miles. You can continue right, across Cross St, where a short BIKE LANE takes you past the old brick Dexter-Russell building to a bridge over the Quinebaug River after 1 mile. On your right is a small lot. Here you'll spot a dam.
Future plans will continue the Trail/BIKE LANE West, where it will bring you to West St and the West Street School in Sturbridge, where you can connect to the Heritage Trail .
Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section:
Starting from the Route 12 parking lot in Dudley [Central Section]; A Map Board is located here.
Heading North; The paved Quinebaug River Rail Trail travels North, through the woods along Potash Brook. Cross a bridge over the French River, where the trail is hard packed dirt & grass and come to the Webster Sewer Treatment plant road after 0.3 miles in Webster where the trail ends. The old RR tracks cross the road and enter the woods but join an active RR line.
Heading South; The paved Quinebaug River Rail Trail travels South, into the woods along a residential corridor. Cross Carpenter Rd at 0.4 miles. Here the trail is more isolated as it follows a small berm. Come to a Map Board and connection to Blue Heron Rd at 0.9 miles. Cross a small bridge over a brook and come to a yellow post after 1 mile. This is the CT border and end of trail. Rail ties still in place in CT.
Webster Riverwalk:
Starting from the Davis Street parking lot in Webster [Western End]; An active RR line is just behind a series of old train cars. Head past the train cars along Davis Rd (low traffic) and come to a parking lot just past a building on your left. Head left through the parking lot to the cement Webster Riverwalk next to the French River. Informational signs and seats overlooking the river. Train bridge crosses the river to your left. Continue East, along the river to a gazebo with more informational boards. Travel right back to Davis St and head left to another parking lot. Turn left into the parking lot where a narrow paved trail travels through French River Park back to the river. Canoe launch. Continue right past picnic tables and you'll come to a wide paved trail.
Note; The narrow paved trail Loops right around the park.
Head left along the wide paved trail. Overlooks of the river. This paved trail quickly ends, but continues along a grass & gravel base (This section is scheduled to be paved) to Peter St after 0.5 miles.
Note; A future phase will continue the trail out to S Main St. Long term plans call for creating the French River Greenway, which would connect the Quinebaug River Rail Trail; East Section to the Midstate Trail. See; FRENCH RIVER GREENWAY .
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.
+RR Buffer Stop: A RR Buffer Stop, is a device to prevent RR cars from going past the end of a physical section of track.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR QUINEBAUG RIVER RAIL TRAIL; WEST MAP
CLICK HERE FOR QUINEBAUG RIVER RAIL TRAIL; EAST MAP
CLICK HERE FOR WEBSTER RIVERWALK MAP
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WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT