Ashuwillticook Rail Trail

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is a rail trail built on a former railroad corridor that runs parallel to Route 8 through the towns of Cheshire, Lanesborough and Adams, and into the city of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It is a multi-use trail for biking, walking, roller-blading, and jogging. The trail is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).[1] Its first two phases opened in 2001 and 2004, with a 1.2-mile northerly extension added in 2017.[2] A 1.5 miles (2.4 km) extension, which runs South from the old Berkshire Mall to Crane Ave, opened in the spring of 2022.[3]

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail
Old rail station in Cheshire
Length14.2 miles (22.9 km)
LocationBerkshire County, Massachusetts
Established2001 (2001)
DesignationMassachusetts state park
TrailheadsAdams (42°38′22″N 73°06′40″W)
Lanesborough (42°29′20″N 73°12′13″W)
Pittsfield (42°28′05″N 73°12′27″W)
UseHiking, biking
DifficultyEasy
SightsBerkshire Pond, Cheshire Reservoir, Hoosic River, Mount Greylock
SurfacePaved
Maintained byDepartment of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteAshuwillticook Rail Trail
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is located in Massachusetts
Adams
Adams
Lanesborough
Lanesborough
Pittsfield
Pittsfield
Location of trailheads in Massachusetts

The southern end of the trail begins at Crane Ave, off of Route 8 in Pittsfield, and travels 14.2 miles (22.9 km) north to the center of Adams.[4]

The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail passes through the Hoosac River Valley, between Mount Greylock and the Hoosac Mountains. Cheshire Reservoir, the Hoosic River, and associated wetland communities flank much of the trail. The word Ashuwillticook (ash-oo-will-ti-cook) is from the American Indian name for the south branch of the Hoosic River and literally means “at the in-between pleasant river,” or in common tongue, “the pleasant river in between the hills.”[5]

History

Built during the industrial boom of the 1800s, the railway proved to be a vital commercial link from the Atlantic Seaboard to communities which would have otherwise been isolated in the Berkshire Hills.

In 1845, the Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad developed this corridor with the goal of extending the Housatonic Railroad north to Rutland, Vermont. While the track was under construction, the company was acquired by the Western Railroad, which later became part of the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A), as their North Adams Branch. Mineral traffic developed on the line and a number of limestone operations went into business. The New York Central Railroad took over the B&A in 1900, and upgraded the line, which was sold to the Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) in 1981. As a connection to an existing track in North Adams, B&M operated the line until 1990.[5]

References
  1. "Ashuwillticook Rail Trail". Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  2. "Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Section Open, Trail Now 12.2 Miles" (Press release). Massachusette Department of Transportation. May 23, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  3. Ben Garver (September 29, 2021). "Ashuwillticook Rail Trail construction". Berkshire Eagle.
  4. Guerino, Jack. "Adams Celebrates Rail Trail Extension Opening". iberkshires.com. Boxcar Media LLC. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  5. "Ashuwillticook Rail Trail". Department of Conservation and Recreation. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
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