Norwottuck Rail Trail

Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail
Looking east from the western trail head
Length	11 mi (18 km)
Location	Northampton, Massachusetts to Belchertown, Massachusetts
Trailheads	42°20′07″N 72°37′19″W / 42.335208°N 72.621872°W / 42.335208; -72.621872 to 42°20′32″N 72°29′14″W / 42.342179°N 72.487215°W / 42.342179; -72.487215
Use	Hiking, bicycling, roller blading, and cross country skiing
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	easy
Season	year round
Sights	beaver pond near the eastern end with various birds and other fauna, former rail bridge

The Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail, formerly the Norwottuck Rail Trail, is an 11-mile (18 km) combination bicycle/pedestrian paved right-of-way running from Northampton, Massachusetts, through Hadley and Amherst, to Belchertown, Massachusetts. It opened in 1992, and is now part of the longer Mass Central Rail Trail.

The rail bed under which the trail operated opened in 1887 under the control of the Central Massachusetts Railroad. Shortly after its completion, it was leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad and referred to as the Central Massachusetts Branch. Three round trip passenger trains were run in the 1920s, as well as numerous freight trains. Competition from cars and trucks caused a decline on the line, as passenger service was discontinued in 1932 and freight service managed to hang on for another forty-two years, primarily to deliver goods to a farmer's supply warehouse in Amherst.

The rail bed was acquired by the state in 1985 and developed into the trail in 1993, as its current name. The name of "Norwottuck" was the result of a suggestion by the Hadley Historical Commission, who believed that the name corresponded to the local Native American tribe, the Norwottucks. It was also the term for the entire area.

This trail is used by bicyclers, rollerbladers, and hikers. Both recreational and commuter traffic occurs here.

Sights to see include the Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge over the Connecticut River. The beaver pond near the eastern end of the trail is host to a number of different kinds of birds including great blue heron and various woodpeckers, as well as ducks, turtles, and various other critters.

The trail has been extended to the east approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and currently ends at Warren Wright Road south of North Road and north of Wilson Road. A westward extension from Damon Road to Woodmont Road in Northampton opened in 2007. The trail ends close to the Northampton Bikeway, which runs from the other side of King Street to Florence and Look Park. Construction of a rail with trail project southward to downtown Northampton and Easthampton (to connect with the Manhan Rail Trail) is in the planning stages, as is a tunnel underneath the active rail line to join with the Northampton Bikeway. An underpass connecting the trail with the Northampton Bikeway north of downtown Northampton is being bid in 2015 and will be completed in 2016. There are various other possible connections being considered, such as a connection to the Canalside Rail Trail.