This is a great trail for walking, biking, and everything else. It is pretty well maintained, paved all the way, and relatively few road crossings considering the length.
Although it can be crowded in the summer and the asphalt has buckled in a couple of spots from tree roots, I like it! It's long and relaxing and it's nice to get away from the Massachusetts traffic once in awhile.
A quiet, peaceful trail. On weekdays you feel like you have the well-kept trail to yourself. About 24 miles roundtrip, and most of the trail is shaded by trees. Plenty of nice scenery; in the first pond from the Ayer end you will likely see several very large turtles, with shells over a foot across. Not many road crossings, and the traffic is light anyhow. About halfway on the trail is a good ice cream store. A large parking lot at the Ayer end, with a Dunkin Donuts right across the street for a nice iced coffee after your ride.
Nashua River Rail Trail - http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-central/nashua-river-rail-trail.htmlI parked at the Northern end of the paved trail and road south to Ayer MA and back. The one-way distance was 12.3 miles. The surface is pretty good with just a few stretches that had frost heaves. There was some spectacular scenery along the way especially while passing through some protected areas in Groton MA. There was ample parking at both ends of the trail, but I was out just after sunrise. By the time I finished the Nashua parking lot was nearly full, a testament to how good this trail is.
This trail goes from Ayer, Massachusetts all the way to Nashua, NH, passing through Groton and Pepperell. On a sunny day, it can be overrun with bicyclists in large groups. I walked frequently with my dog and people are friendly. When it is not crowded, you can see a variety of wildlife, especially in the Groton area by the ponds and lakes with the beaver dams. We have seen beavers, turtles, birds, a mink, horses being walked and huge pigs that escaped from a farm.
We love this trail for cycling. It's great to get you started in the spring, nice and flat but a good 25 miles round trip. Quite a few areas where you need to cross busy roads with cars, so watch the kids. Easy to jump off the trail and ride into the local towns and grab an ice coffee or lunch if you'd like. It's starting to see a little wear and tear over the past few years, frost heaves etc, but pretty well marked. The parking can get busy if you go mid day. I drop my car at the jiffy lube at the bottom of the hill before I go on my ride and get my oil changed while I get my ride in
we have done this trail dozens of time. Excellent flat bike trail, ideals for families with little children. Nice ice cream shop about 3/4 of the way into the trail going north. We wish it was longer. It is about 12 miles one way
Great exercise trail. A little too busy with bikes on the weekend. But beautiful, especially in the fall with the leaves changing and geese flying overhead.
The trail is well maintained although this winter created a few frost heaves. There are beautiful views with water and woods. You may get to see some wildlife. Stop in Pepperell for ice cream.
i go biking there a lot , one of the best bike trails ,very safe and there are towns you can stop at and get bite to eat