“Gliding along an old railroad corridor after a newly fallen snow makes for a picturesque journey.”
The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the Berkshires. Matthew T. Bradley / flickr
This New England ski and snowboard guide will help you plan your next trip
Rail trails make excellent cross country skiing trails, and New England has five picturesque pathways well worth exploring this season, according to Your AAA Today.
“Gliding along an old railroad corridor after a newly fallen snow makes for a picturesque journey,” AAA wrote.
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The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in the Berkshires, which stretches 14 miles between Lanesborough and Adams, offers adventurers several “scenic treasures,” according to AAA, including Mount Greylock, the state’s highest peak, and the Cheshire Reservoir.
The six-mile Narrow Gauge Pathway follows the banks of the Carrabassett River, and offers skiers “stellar views of snowcapped mountains that soar 3,000 to 4,000 feet high, such as Avery Peak and The Horns,” the agency wrote.
When visitors ski New Hampshire’s Winnipesaukee River Trail, a five-mile trail connecting Franklin, Northfield, and Tilton, they see the unique 19th century Sulphite Railroad Bridge, also known as the Upside Down Bridge.
On the Colchester Causeway portion of Vermont’s 13-mile Island Line Rail Trail between Burlington and South Hero Island, guests enjoy “cruising above ice-festooned Lake Champlain and gazing at Vermont’s snow-draped Green Mountains on one side and New York’s Adirondacks on the other,” the agency wrote.
Finally, when visitors cross country ski along the Hop River State Park Trail, a 20-mile path between Manchester and Willimantic, they’re treated to several picturesque New England towns, according to AAA.