Hike Along An Old Railroad On The Grand Trunk Trail In Massachusetts
By Melissa Mahoney|Published September 09, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
There are wonderful trails throughout the Bay State and with options to hike in the mountains and by the beach, you have your choice of epic views and breathtaking scenery. The state also offers many historic hikes along trails that run along the same route as old railroads. Grand Trunk Trail in Southbridge, Massachusetts is one such trail where an old railbed was repurposed into a recreational path for all to enjoy.
Beginning in the town of Southbridge, the Grand Trunk Trail runs along the former railbed of the Grand Trunk Railroad for 4.5 miles. This out-and-back gravel trail is considered easy and has a 229-foot overall elevation gain.
Grand Trunk Trail is part of the larger Titanic Rail Trail, a 66-mile pathway that will eventually run through south-central Massachusetts and a portion of Connecticut when it's complete. Grand Trunk Trail follows along the incomplete Southern New England Railroad which had been financed by Canada’s Grand Trunk Railroad.
The Grand Trunk Railroad president, Charles M. Hayes, was the one who had the idea for the Southern New England Railroad in 1911. In 1912, Hayes died on the famous Titanic but the project still went on.
Over the next few years, there were many challenges faced during the railroad’s construction along the 85 miles of land purchased to construct it. By the time World War I started, the project ceased.
In 1955, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased land belonging to the railroad along the Quinebaug River for flood protection. In 2000, construction of a recreational rail trail began on the land.
While the full trail is still incomplete, this section of trail provides enough to get some good exercise. There are plans for the trail to connect the towns of Southbridge and Sturbridge in the future.
Have you ever hiked along the Grand Trunk Trail in Massachusetts? If so, please tell us about your experience in the comments. For Grand Trunk Trail information, visit the webpage on AllTrails.
For another rail trail, read our coverage on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a multi-use path that runs between Yarmouth and Wellfleet.
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