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Canalside Rail Trail, Turners Falls MA

• 4-star trail
• 3.6 miles each way
• Easy | Low gradient
• Montague, MA | Pioneer Valley
. MA Rail Trails

A paved riverside path curves gently alongside a calm canal, bordered by a black metal fence and lined with trees in early autumn foliage. On the opposite bank, a row of historic red-brick industrial buildings with tall windows and chimneys stands in contrast to the natural setting. Forested hills rise in the background beneath a clear blue sky, while power lines stretch overhead, hinting at the area's blend of heritage and utility.

The rail trail alongside the Turners Falls Canal.

Thanks to 18th-century infrastructure like the Turners Falls Canal, boats once shipped freight up the Connecticut River from Long Island Sound as far as Bellows Falls in Vermont. The original 1798 canal featured ten locks, lifting vessels by 55 feet over three miles to bypass the rapids at Great Falls. Eventually made obsolete by the construction of the railroads, the canal was reconstructed in 1869 along with a new dam to provide water power to a number of mills.

Today, the Canalside Rail Trail follows astride the waterway, along old railroad beds south from Turners Falls for a distance of 3.6 miles, past structures and brickwork facades of the turn-of-the-20th-century industrial area and over the Connecticut River before terminating in East Deerfield where it meets active railroad.

⬤ Asphalt ⬤ Live Rail ⬤ Historic Rail ⬤ Parking

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Canalside Rail Trail 3.6 mi ea way, easy, gain 90ft (100ft S-N)
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

P Free parking

The northern section provides views of Barton Cove and the Turners Falls Dam. Trail users can see the Turners Falls Fishway, composed of three fish ladders that enable fish to travel beyond the dam. The fishway is open for viewing migrating fish from mid-May to mid-June. After passing under the Gill-Montague Bridge, the trail follows the power canal.

The canal section widens beyond the industrial area, resembling a pond surrounded by meadows and hills. Benches and picnic tables along the canal provide spots to observe swans, geese, ducks, herons, cormorants, and swallows. A trestle bridge built in 1880 crosses the Connecticut River near the confluence with the Deerfield River.

A large green truss bridge spans a flowing river, supported by sturdy concrete piers. Beneath the bridge, a dam structure channels water through multiple spillways, with visible railings and mechanical components suggesting hydroelectric or water management functions. In the foreground, fenced infrastructure adds to the industrial setting, while trees with autumn-colored leaves frame the scene under a clear sky.

Connecticut river spanning Turners Falls-Gill Bridge. Fish ladder in foreground.

Plenty of parking is available at both ends of the rail trail, especially at Unity Park in Turners Falls. Beyond the parking area at the south end of the rail trail, don't miss the abandoned railroad caboose that can be found at the end of a small track that leads south from the parking lot. Here you also have the opportunity of views into the active East Deerfield rail yard, but be sure not to trespass, and to remain well clear of the live railroad tracks.

⚠ Trail Conditions: Asphalt trail throughout with minimal gradient. Four safe crosswalk road crossings. Signalized crossing at Montague City Road with small amount of quiet road biking nearby.