We haven't been out biking or kayaking for a bit, but we're always on the lookout for new places to add to our wish list. Tops on our list right now is a bike trail outside of New Hampshire, but one that we've been wanting to try for a while. I just learned this week that the 11-mile Minuteman Bikeway in Massachusetts has been named to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. This is a huge deal, since there are only five trails nationwide inducted into this Hall of Fame.
When they say this is a busy trail, they're not kidding! Estimates put the total number of all users (cyclists, joggers, skateboarders, etc.) at two million people annually. This 12-foot-wide path is used for both recreation and commuting -- what a wonderful option with today's high gas prices. Minuteman Bikeway passes through parts of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford-- and is noteworthy for its historic sites, including some of the Revolutionary War's earliest battle sites.
You can read an excellent article about this award-winning trail on the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website. You can also learn more by visiting the Minuteman Bikeway's official website here. If you've biked this trail, why not send us a comment and let us know what you found?
2 comments:
I've never biked the trail, but I skate it a hundred times a year and I still see new sights. I've done about 8,000 miles up and down the trail and I still love it.
Press reports often say the trail is 11 feet wide, probably because the official bikeway site says so. But if you look for yourself, you'll see the pavement is about eight feet wide in two four-foot lanes. Maybe the right-of-way is 11 feet.
Wow! 8,000 miles is a lot of skating. Thanks for letting us know about the width of the trail. Good to know that there's lots to see, too. We are definitely planning a trip here before the snow flies.
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