Manhan Rail Trail

The Manhan Rail Trail is a rails-to-trails paved recreational trail and non-motorized commuter route located in the lower Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts in the town of Easthampton. The 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long trail, completed in 2003, is part of a larger rails-to-trails project that would extend from New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts. The trail, named after the Manhan River which it parallels, utilizes the bed of the former Pioneer Valley Railroad, which served the industrial towns of the lower Pioneer Valley from the mid-19th century until 1992. It begins at the Northampton/Easthampton line near the confluence of the Manhan and Connecticut Rivers and ends near the Southampton line. There are plans to extend the route south and north into the neighboring communities.

The Manhan Rail Trail, universally accessible, is open to walking, running, bicycling, inline skating and, in the winter, cross country skiing. The trail also provides a non-motorized commuter transportation route linking Easthampton, Northampton, and Southampton, Massachusetts. The trail is part of the Commonwealth Connections greenway initiative which links it to the adjacent trails of the Mount Tom Range and the Arcadia Audubon Sanctuary.

The Manhan Rail Trail has served the surrounding community for the past five years as the location for Derrill's Race.

References

• Friends of the Manhan Trail. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
• Rails to Trails Conservancy Newsletter, Fall 2007.
• Commonwealth Connections: A greenway vision for Massachusetts (2002). Boston: Massachusetts DCR. PDF download retrieved February 23, 2008.
• Derrill's Race Website

External links

• Trail map
• On a Google map