From Rails to Trails: The Best Bicycling Routes in the Northeast
Take a scenic ride where trains once traveled in places like Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.
See more of cities throughout the Northeast by taking bike trips along these rails to trails pathways.
If you’re used to pedaling on a stationary bike while watching TV at the gym, you may have forgotten how refreshing it can be to get outside and ride around. Across the country, former railroads are being turned into scenic bike trails—giving you awesome opportunities to get a workout in while seeing something new. During your next visit to the Northeast, grab some wheels and head out to enjoy the scenery on these rails-to-trails bike routes.
Big rides in a small town: Middletown, Rhode Island
Cycle between skyscrapers and state parks on Rhode Island’s East Bay Bicycle Path. Photo credit: Traillink.com
The 14.5-mile East Bay Bicycle Path is Rhode Island's best-known rail trail, stretching from Bristol in the south and to Providence in the north. The route runs along the old Providence and Bristol Railroad and flows through urban areas and natural landscapes as it passes state parks and the Rhode Island Audubon Society's Environmental Education Center. For a more rural ride, the Blackstone River Bikeway follows an active railroad line, crossing the Blackstone River and the historic Blackstone Canal. Along the way, enjoy views of waterfalls, thick foliage and beautiful stone bridges.
See fall foliage in style: South Windsor, Connecticut
Signs and historic landmarks pave the way along Connecticut’s Air Line State Park Trail. Photo credit: Traillink.com
About a 45-minute drive from South Windsor is the trailhead of the southern section of the Air Line State Park Trail, a 55-mile trail from the northeast corner of Connecticut (right at the Massachusetts border) down to the heart of the state in East Hampton. Mountain or hybrid bikes are necessary on the gravel pathway, which crosses 150-foot-high overpasses. Travel this trail in the fall to see the leaves change color as you ride by lakes, streams and forests.
Pedal along Old Put: White Plains, New York
During the 1950s, the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad, called the Old Put, carried commuters north from New York City to Brewster. Today, four rails-to-trails routes take the place of 45 miles of that corridor. The 12-mile Putnam Trailway, the northernmost of the trails, goes by lakes, reservoirs and small towns. Challenging hills make this route best suited for skilled riders. The North County Trailway is the longest of the four Old Put rail trails, spanning 22.1 miles in Westchester County. Stop for pictures on the rust-colored reservoir bridge and take a snack break in the village of Yorktown Heights.
New views of the nation’s capital: Washington, D.C.
Pedal along the Potomac River as you follow the Capital Crescent Trail. Photo credit: Traillink.com
Starting in Silver Spring, Maryland, the 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail follows the Georgetown Branch of the B&O Railroad and ends just south of D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. From Georgetown to Bethesda, the trail is paved, but you’ll want to use a hybrid or mountain bike to navigate the crushed stone portion between Bethesda and Lyttonsville. (Going north from Lyttonsville to Silver Spring, the trail is an on-road bike route.) Heading east from Georgetown, the trail snakes between the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal towpath and the Potomac River, where you can sometimes spot the Georgetown University rowing crew at practice.
Steel up for the Steel City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Make tracks on the Great Allegheny Passage, a trail that dips into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Photo credit: Traillink.com
Be sure to gear up for the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, the longest rail trail east of the Mississippi River. Spanning two states, the storied journey crosses churning rivers and mountain paths, and it’s a favorite among cyclists the world over. You don’t have to do the entire trail; start your trip in Pittsburgh’s Point State Park and ride across the Hot Metal Bridge and through former steel mill communities into McKeesport, 17.2 miles southeast.
Ready to hit the trail? Find your hotel in Middletown, South Windosr, White Plains, D.C., Pittsburgh.
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