Southern New England Trunkline Trail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern New England Trunkline Trail |
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The trail at Central Street, Millville (2010)
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| Length | 22 miles (35 km) |
| Location | Southern Massachusetts |
| Designation | Massachusetts state park |
| Trailheads | Franklin (42°03′43″N 71°25′42″W / 42.06199°N 71.42847°W) Douglas (42°00′44″N 71°47′59″W / 42.01236°N 71.79966°W) |
| Use | Hiking, biking, horseback riding |
| Maintained by | Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Website | Southern New England Trunkline Trail |
The Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) is a fantastic "rail trail" in Massachusetts. A rail trail is a path built on an old railroad line where trains used to run. This trail is now a great place for people to walk, bike, and even ride horses. It goes through several towns like Douglas, Uxbridge, Millville, Blackstone, Bellingham, and Franklin.
The SNETT is about 22 miles long. This makes it one of the longest trails in southern Massachusetts! You can start your adventure in Franklin, Massachusetts or at the Connecticut state line in the Douglas State Forest. From there, the trail continues into Connecticut as the Air Line State Park Trail. This trail is a key part of the rail trail system in southern New England.
Contents
A Path with History
This trail follows an old railroad path. It was first built by the Norfolk County Railroad and the Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad. Later, bigger railroad companies like the New York and New England Railroad and the New Haven Railroad used this route. Even though its name sounds like the "Southern New England Railway," it's actually a different path. That railway was planned but never fully built.
Connecting the Trail
The SNETT is not one continuous path yet. There are a few spots where it's interrupted. For example, there are missing bridges over roads like Massachusetts Route 146 and Route 146A in Uxbridge. There's also a gap over the Blackstone River and Route 122 in Blackstone.
Recent Improvements
Good news! Many parts of the trail have been fixed up. From 2012 to 2016, eight bridges and one tunnel were repaired or built. This included the Triad bridge in Millville over the Blackstone River. New bridges were also built in Blackstone. A tunnel was even created under Church Street in Blackstone. About 3.5 miles of the path were resurfaced with smooth asphalt.
A section of the SNETT, between Blackstone and Uxbridge, is also part of the Blackstone River Greenway. This means you can enjoy two trails in one!
Cool Side Trips
Near Central Street in Millville, you can find a short side trail. This path leads to the Millville Lock of the Blackstone Canal. It's a really well-preserved part of the old canal system.
Future Plans
Work is still happening on the eastern side of the trail, starting from Grove Street in Franklin. A new tunnel was finished in 2020 under Prospect Street in Franklin. Another tunnel was built under Route 126 in Bellingham. These improvements help connect more parts of the trail for everyone to enjoy. The SNETT was recognized as a National Recreation Trail in 1994. This shows how special and important it is!
How to Access the Trail
The SNETT passes through several towns. You can usually get onto the trail where it crosses roads. Some crossings even have parking spots! Here's a list of towns and some of the places you can access the trail:
| Douglas | Uxbridge | Millville | Blackstone | Bellingham | Franklin | ||||||
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| Crossing | Note | Crossing | Note | Crossing | Note | Crossing | Note | Crossing | Note | Crossing | Note |
| Rte. 96 | Parking | West St. | Central St. | Parking | Church St. | Tunnel beneath street | Mendon Rd. | Prospect St. | Parking | ||
| Southeast Main St. | Chocolog Rd. | Old Mendon St. | Parking | Rte. 126 | Not at-grade; Rte. 126 crosses over on bridge | Spring St. | Parking | ||||
| Yew St. | Rte. 98 | Rte. 122 (Main St.) | Not at-grade | Center St. | Grove St. | Parking; effective east end of trail | |||||
| Franklin St. | Elmwood Ave. | Kane Court | Not at-grade | Railroad St. | Saxson St. | ||||||
| Depot St. | Rte. 146A | Parking | Canal St. | On bridge | Lake St. | Parking | Union St. | ||||
| Martin Rd. | St. Paul St. | On bridge | |||||||||
| Monroe St. | Canal St. | On bridge | |||||||||
| Mill St. | On viaduct; access difficult | ||||||||||
| Castle Hill Way | Street built on the SNETT | ||||||||||
| Farm St. | |||||||||||
You can also find a parking lot at the old train depot site in Blackstone, which is off Canal Street.
