Welcome to the East Coast Greenway in Massachusetts

Charles River Bike Path

The East Coast Greenway route in Massachusetts passes through a variety of landscapes including downtown Boston, coastal communities, rural farmland, and mill villages from the American Industrial Revolution. The route enters Massachusetts from the north in Salisbury, where it is primarily on road until Boston. However, many trails are being constructed in this corridor, including the Border to Boston Trail through the Essex National Heritage Area from Salisbury to Danvers and the future Northern Strand Community Trail from Lynn to Everett.

Heading west from Boston to Waltham, the ECG follows the Charles River Bikepath past the Museum of Science (on the Cambridge/Boston line) and the Museum of Industry (in Waltham), as well as past the campuses of MIT and Harvard. From there, the future Mass Central Rail-Trail will take ECG users to the Wachusett Reservoir, just north of Worcester. From Worcester to the Rhode Island line, the ECG follows the Blackstone River Bikeway in an historic region that was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.

An alternate route is being developed to directly link Boston and Providence, RI. Trails that may become part of this alternate include the Old Colony Trail (Mansfield) and the Taunton River Trail (Taunton/Somerset). This alternate will cross from Swansea, MA to Warren, RI where the trail will head north along the East Bay Bike Path to Providence.

Trail Status and Plans
Publications
Massachusetts Partners and Supporters
More information on trails and greenways in Massachusetts

20% of the 146 miles that comprise the spine route in Massachusetts are completed as trail, and another 32% are in development. The ECGA is working to gain greater political support and funding to advance the Greenway in each of the state’s three subregions: NH to Boston, Boston to Worcester, and Worcester to RI. Advocacy groups are growing in strength in each of these areas, which bodes well for Greenway development.

To learn more about the trail progress and activities in Massachusetts, visit the MA Committee page.  For specific information on the Blackstone Greenway (under development to connect Worcester, MA with Providence, RI), check out this interactive googlemap, courtesy of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor (it will open in a new window)

ECG Maps and Cue Sheets
Google maps, turn-by-turn cue sheets, and overview maps are available to help plan your trip and find your way through the route in Massachusetts.

The ECGA is proud to be working with many great partners to bring the project to completion in Massachusetts. Partners include but are not limited to:

Bike to the Sea http://www.biketothesea.com
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority http://www.mbta.com
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation http://www.mass.gov/dcr
Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation http://www.eot.state.ma.us
MassBike http://www.massbike.org
Wachusett Greenways http://www.wachusettgreenways.org

Massachusetts Mile Sponsors – thank you for your support! Your inscriptions are listed on our website and will eventually be posted on a kiosk along the route in Massachusetts. Find out more about the Mile Sponsor Program.

For More Information on Biking, Trails, and Greenways  in Massachusetts

For those who don't know how to ride, contact the Bicycle Riding School, in Somerville Mass, where around 2,000 people have learned to ride over the last 25 years, www.BicycleRidingSchool.org.

MassBike: http://www.massbike.org
MA Dept. of Conservation & Recreation: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/index.htm
Bay State Trail Riders Association (equestrian): http://www.bstra.org

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