The Manhan Rail Trail is a
rails-to-trails
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
paved recreational trail and non-motorized commuter route located in the lower
Connecticut River Valley
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
of
in the town of
Easthampton. The trail, completed in 2003, is part of a larger rails-to-trails project that would extend from
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
to
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571.
Northampton is known as an acade ...
. The trail, named after the
Manhan River
The Manhan River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in western Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.
The river begins near the ...
which it parallels, utilizes the bed of the former
Pioneer Valley Railroad
The Pioneer Valley Railroad, founded in 1982, is a Class III short line freight railroad operating the former Conrail (née- New York, New Haven & Hartford) trackage in the western part of Massachusetts in towns of Westfield, Holyoke, and ...
, which served the industrial towns of the lower
Pioneer Valley
The Pioneer Valley is the colloquial and promotional name for the portion of the Connecticut River Valley that is in Massachusetts in the United States. It is generally taken to comprise the three counties of Hampden, Hampshire, and Frankli ...
from the mid-19th century until 1992. It begins at the Northampton/Easthampton line near Route 10 and ends at Coleman Road, just over the Southampton town line. There are plans to extend the route south through Southampton and eventually to Westfield to connect with the Columbia Greenway.
The Manhan Rail Trail, universally accessible, is open to walking, running,
bicycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bike ...
,
inline skating
Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...
and, in the winter,
cross country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
. The trail also provides a non-motorized commuter transportation route linking Easthampton, Northampton, and
Southampton, Massachusetts
Southampton () is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It was established first as a district of Northampton in 1732. It was incorporated in 1775. The name Southampton was given to it during its first town meeting in 1773. It ...
. The trail is part of the
Commonwealth Connections
Commonwealth Connections is a greenway and conservation initiative co-developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the National Park Service, and over fifty trail and land conservation agencies ...
greenway initiative which links it to the adjacent trails of the
Mount Tom Range
The Mount Tom Range is a traprock mountain range located in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valle ...
and the Arcadia Audubon Sanctuary.
The Manhan Rail Trail served the surrounding community for eight years as the location for
Derrill's Race.
References
External links
Friends of the Manhan TrailNorthampton and Easthampton Area Trails and Bike Map
Protected areas of Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Rail trails in Massachusetts
2003 establishments in Massachusetts
{{HampshireCountyMA-geo-stub