The New England Trail winds along the rocky Metacomet Ridge with stunning views through Connecticut and southern Massachusetts along its 215-mile journey to the New Hampshire border.
Region: New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts)
Length: 215 miles (14 to 20 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Easy walking along traprock ridges for much of the trail, with some steep climbs and descents.
- The route over the Holyoke Range is a short but tough section in Massachusetts.
- Seemingly relentless ups and downs through northern Massachusetts.
Logistical Difficulty: Difficult
- Camping allowed only at four sites in Connecticut and six in Massachusetts. Hikers are expected to leave the trail for overnight accommodations if they’re not staying at those sites.
- Shuttles are a challenge. Uber and Lyft are relatively easy to arrange throughout Connecticut and as far north as the Holyoke Range in Massachusetts, but cell reception and ride-hailing availability are spotty in northern Massachusetts.
- The roadwalk in Massachusetts to a bridge across the Connecticut River is long, on high-traffic roads. The Westfield River can be crossed only at low water, and the roadwalk is hazardous. Shuttles can be arranged for both river crossings.
Season: Year-round
Highest Elevation: 1,617 feet
Lowest Elevation: 0 feet
Net Elevation Gain: 30,000 feet
Hiking the New England Trail
The New England Trail threads its way through heavily populated private land and preciously preserved public land from Long Island Sound in Connecticut north to Royalston Falls in Massachusetts and the terminus at the New Hampshire border. Most of the trail follows the rocky Metacomet Ridge, with expansive views of farmland and encroaching suburban housing developments below, and at times the trail skirts the edges of residential yards and follows paved roads. Despite that closeness to suburbia, there’s solitude in the woods, especially in winter, when I hiked most of the trail.
The woods tell the story of early New England: stone walls built by farmers, a graveyard for smallpox victims, and stone caves where men fighting with post-Revolutionary War insurrectionist Daniel Shays reportedly camped.
The 21st century tells a different story: encroaching suburban neighborhoods and battles to secure the trail’s path where it passes through private land.
And that’s what makes thru-hiking the NET a challenge. The on-trail campsites are on public land or private land with landowners’ permission, and hikers are advised to leave the trail for overnight accommodations if not staying at a designated campsite.
The southern and northern trail sections have the most sites, with only three overnight sites in the wide gap in between. Observing the guidelines against stealth camping means paying attention to when you need to get off trail to sleep. Although the trail frequently crosses roads, many of them pass through suburban neighborhoods that don’t offer opportunities for resupply and lodging.
And be aware that if you choose to stealth camp, you may be pitching your tent in someone’s backyard.
Roadwalks are the bane of thru-hikers, and the NET has plenty of them. The Western Massachusetts Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, which together maintain the trail, are working to move those roadwalks into the woods and establish more campsites.
Lyme disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut, a town near the trail, and it’s now present in ticks all along the trail. It’s a good idea to check daily for ticks—even in winter—and treat your clothes with Permethrin to repel them.
Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes live along the trail in Connecticut and southern Massachusetts, although it’s rare to see one. They are considered endangered in both states.
How to Get to the New England Trail
The southern terminus on Long Island Sound in Guilford, Connecticut, is an easy reach using public transportation. The northern terminus in Royalston Falls has no public transportation and cell coverage is spotty. The New England Scenic Trail Hikers Facebook page has information on people willing to shuttle hikers in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Northern Terminus
The trailhead parking in Royalston Falls is .7 miles from the northern terminus at the New Hampshire border. The TTOR Lean-to is near the terminus, so it’s possible for northbound thru-hikers to stay there after reaching the terminus or stay at the shelter to begin a southbound hike.
Although Uber and Lyft say they have drivers who go to the northern terminus, actually getting someone to drive you may be a different story.
Public transportation to the northern terminus is possible, but involves planning and several steps. Greyhound and Amtrak both stop at the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and from there a Franklin Regional Transit Authority bus goes to Orange, Massachusetts. An Uber or Lyft could be possible from Orange to the terminus at Royalston Falls, about a 16-mile ride.
Another possibility is taking the MBTA Commuter Rail from Boston to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and setting up an Uber or Lyft to the northern terminus. It’s about 34 miles from Fitchburg to Royalston Falls.
Because of spotty cell reception at the northern terminus arranging an Uber or Lyft from there is dicey. If you’re heading north the Mt. Grace peak is a good spot to arrange a pickup at the northern terminus.
Southern Terminus
Getting to the southern terminus at Chittenden Park on Long Island Sound in Guilford is much easier.
Nearby New Haven, Connecticut, is a major rail and bus hub, and from New Haven the Shoreline East train runs to Guilford, where the NET passes through the station. Hikers taking the train to Guilford walk a short distance to the southern terminus, turn around, and begin their northbound hike, passing back through the train station.
The following public transportation options provide access to the southern terminus:
Amtrak Hartford Line: Commuter service from Springfield, Massachusetts, to New Haven. Amtrak trains from Burlington, Vermont, and Montreal, Canada, also stop along this line.
Amtrak: Nationwide rail service that has a stop in New Haven.
Metro-North: Rail service from Grand Central Terminal in New York City to New Haven.
Shoreline East: Train from New Haven to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, with a stop in Guilford.
Peter Pan: Bus service to New Haven from cities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Greyhound: Bus service to New Haven from cities across the country.
When to Hike the New England Trail
Spring: Late March through mid-May are good times for starting at Long Island Sound. The snow should be gone by then, although late March and April snowstorms are always possible in northern sections. Late May into June can be irritatingly buggy.
Summer: Hot, humid, and still buggy. A dry summer can make water supplies low and the hike difficult.
Fall: Cooler temperatures, no bugs, and the leaves are starting to change color by late September. September rains can replenish water supplies.
Winter: Snow is rare near the coast, more likely from northern Connecticut to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Still, in southern Massachusetts and all of Connecticut it’s rare lately that snow on the ground lasts more than a week after a winter storm.
The New England Trail Terrain
The trail starts at sea level on Long Island Sound in Guilford, and follows roads north through Guilford for about 3 miles before climbing atop the Metacomet Ridge, whose craggy, reddish cliffs are made up of traprock, a volcanic basalt rock. Hikers climb up and down the mostly dry ridge, high above suburban housing developments and nearby cities, as it winds through Connecticut and southern Massachusetts.
Those ridgetop climbs and sweeping views from open cliffs are repeated along the trail through Connecticut: Trimountain; Beseck Mountain, where the trail passes close to the steep ridge cliff; Mount Higby, with views south to Long Island Sound and north to Mount Tom in southern Massachusetts; Chauncey Peak, which drops steeply to Crescent Lake on one side and a working quarry on the other; Lamentation Mountain; the Hanging Hills; and Ragged Mountain, popular with rock climbers.
Along the way Castle Craig in the Hanging Hills and Heublein Tower farther north provide good views of the surrounding land in Connecticut, and can be packed with day trippers.
Soon after entering Massachusetts hikers encounter the Westfield River, which can be crossed if the water is low. If the water is high a shuttle is the best way to cross the river. Go to the New England Scenic Trail Hikers Facebook page and search for “Westfield River shuttle” to find people who drive hikers across the river.
The trail then passes the Harold Akey Tentsite, the last established tentsite until the Erving State Forest shelter some 50 miles north. A short distance north the trail climbs East Mountain on switchbacks and continues along the mountain’s ridge before descending to state Route 202.
The next major climb is Mount Tom, 1,202 feet high. The trail continues through the Mount Tom Range, passing over Whiting Peak, Goat Peak, and Mount Nonotuck, before descending to Route 5 on the west side of the Connecticut River.
The river is too deep and wide to cross, and a roadwalk to cross the nearest bridge is about 10 miles. The trail starts well away from the river on the east side and getting to it from the river requires bushwhacking through private land, so finding a boat ride across the river might not be the best idea.
Many thru-hikers shuttle to Northampton, Massachusetts, or Hadley, Massachusetts, to rest and clean up at a hotel, and resupply for the rest of the hike.
The trail east of the river starts in Skinner State Park on Mountain Road in Hadley, and climbs to the Summit House, with restrooms and water, on Mount Holyoke. From there the trail passes over Mount Holyoke, Mount Hitchcock, Bare Mountain, Mount Norwottuck, and Long Mountain through the Mount Holyoke Range. The trail through the range is packed with panoramic views and up and down rock scrambling, with a steep drop and climb between Bare and Norwottuck mountains. The Notch Visitor Center between the two peaks has flush toilets and water. Norwottuck, at 1,106 feet, is the highest peak in the range.
After coming down from the Holyoke Range, the trail meanders gradually up and down before reaching the moderately flat Quabbin Reservoir watershed, the most isolated section of the trail. Four towns were abandoned to fill the reservoir that supplies water for Greater Boston, and the lands around Quabbin are empty and protected.
Farther north the trail climbs Stratton Mountain and Mount Grace, at 1,617 feet the highest peak on the trail, before ending at Royalston Falls and the New Hampshire border.
It’s possible to do 15- to 20-mile days on the trail, making a thru-hike in 14 to 20 days within reach. Because the trail crosses so many roads multi-day hikes with stops at overnight campsites can be combined with daylong section hikes.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: No permits are needed to hike the New England Trail.
Camping: Some of the designated camping sites, such as the Richardson-Zlogar Cabin in Massachusetts, require reservations. Fires are not allowed at campsites in Connecticut, and stealth camping along the trail is discouraged. Trail maintainers are working to add more overnight sites.
The sites from south to north are: Godman Group Campsite, Cattails Shelter, Lamentation Mountain Primitive Tentsite, Windsor Locks Scouts Primitive Tentsite, Harold Akey Tentsite, Mt. Holyoke Outing Club Cabin, Wendell State Forest Lean-to, Richardson-Zlogar Cabin, Mt. Grace Lean-to, and TTOR Lean-to at Royalston Falls. Campsite details can be found here.
Campsites are nicely spaced between the southern terminus and Lamentation Mountain Primitive Tentsite and between the Wendell State Forest Lean-to and the TTOR Lean-to at Royalston Falls near the northern terminus. But the long gap between Lamentation Mountain and the Windsor Locks Tentsite may require getting off trail for the night. The same goes for the gap between the Connecticut River and the Wendell State Forest Lean-to.
The Richardson-Zlogar Cabin, with its wide open vista east to Mount Grace and Mount Monadnock, and a beautiful sunrise view, is the gem of the trail’s shelters. The cabin is locked and needs to be reserved online to get the lock code. It’s also possible, but not necessary, to reserve the tentsites as they rarely fill up.
Although the NET website lists the Mt. Holyoke Outing Club Cabin as an overnight site, the guidelines on picking up and returning a key make the cabin an impractical option.
The Windsor Locks tentsite is near Bradley International Airport, and planes taking off frequently passed noisily overhead while I camped there; the lights from one plane lit up my tent.
Water: Few of the campsites have natural water sources, and water can be scarce along the trail from Long Island Sound to the northern end of the Holyoke Range. Some overnight sites have water caches, but it’s best not to rely on them. Water is easier to find north of the Holyoke Range.
Route-finding: The trail is marked with blue blazes in Connecticut, white blazes through Massachusetts. M&M signs (Metacomet and Monadnock, the trail name in Massachusetts before it became the New England National Scenic Trail) are nailed to trees alongside white blazes in northern Massachusetts. Numerous side paths cross the NET, so paying attention to blazes is important. If your mind wanders in thought on trail like my does it’s easy to miss a turn blaze and head down a side path instead of staying on the NET. And keep in mind that sometimes at trail junctions the most heavily used path that lies ahead might not be the NET.
Rivers: The Westfield River in Massachusetts can be waded if the water is low. The roadwalk around the river crossing is 3.7 miles on busy roads, so it’s best to arrange a ride if the river is high. The Connecticut River in Massachusetts can be crossed by roadwalking 10.2 miles along high-speed, high-traffic roads. Some hikers arrange a ride to lodging in Northampton or Hadley after the trail reaches the western bank of the Connecticut, resupply, and resume walking the trail the next day on the eastern bank.
Parking: The NET website has an interactive map that shows parking areas along the trail, describes how many cars each spot fits, whether they’re lots or road shoulders, and provides directions to them.
Trail Angels: Some people along the trail help with rides, lodging, and water caches, but there isn’t a well-established system of hostels and shuttle drivers. Search the New England Scenic Trail Facebook page for people willing to shuttle hikers or post on the page that you’re looking for a ride.
Know Before You Go
On to Canada: It is possible to hike from Long Island Sound in Connecticut to Canada following the NET; the New Hampshire Metacomet & Monadnock Trail and the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway in Southern New Hampshire; and the Cohos Trail in northern New Hampshire. Several options link the Greenway to the Cohos Trail, with information about them on the NET to Cohos Trail Facebook page.
North or South?: Which direction to hike can depend on the season or how you’re getting to and from the termini. If you’re starting in late winter or early spring setting off at Long Island Sound makes it less likely to encounter snow in the north. Starting in the north during the fall means hiking with the foliage as it changes color north to south.
Arranging transportation to the northern terminus is complicated, while southern terminus transportation is easy because the trail passes through a train station a short walk from the terminus. So hiking south means getting the complicated trip planning out of the way and scoring an easy ride at the end of your hike.
Spur Trail: A ~28-mile NET spur trail runs from near Broomstick Ledges in Guilford to the Connecticut River in Middletown, Connecticut. Once at the river, it’s necessary to backtrack to the main NET. The spur is considered part of the New England Trail, but is it part of a thru-hike? Many thru-hikers walk past the spur trail. The NET website, however, says hikers have to walk every mile of the trail to get an NET finisher patch.
Resupply: Meriden, Connecticut, and Hadley are good jumping-off points for lodging and resupply. Small restaurants and stores on or near the trail also provide food options, but north of Hadley lodging and food stores are far from the trail. The trail passes through the parking lot of Guida’s Restaurant on Route 66 between Beseck and Higby mountains in Connecticut, making it a favorite thru-hiker stop. The trail also passes through the small village of Tariffville, Connecticut, which has some restaurants.
Cell Reception: Cell phone reception is good from Long Island Sound through the northern end of the Holyoke Range. After that it’s good on peaks, but not reliable down low.
Trail Guides: Paper maps of the New England Trail—one for Connecticut, one for Massachusetts—are available here. The maps show trail section mileage but not elevation. The NET online interactive map gives information on camping, directions to trail parking, and section mileage. FarOut has an NET app.
Gun Ranges: Multiple gun ranges and an archery range are near or right next to the trail in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
One of 11: The New England Trail is one of 11 National Scenic Trails. The others are the Appalachian Trail, Arizona Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Florida Trail, Ice Age Trail, Natchez Trace, North Country Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, and Potomac Heritage Trail.
National Park Status: The New England Trail was granted national park status by the U.S. National Park Service in late 2023.
NET’s Origins: The New England Trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in 2009, and is comprised primarily of the historic Mattabesett, Menunkatuk, Metacomet, and Monadnock trails in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Those trail names are still used along sections of the NET.
New England Trail Resources
The New England Trail: Trail website with an interactive map showing campsites and parking. Maps of the trail through Connecticut and Massachusetts are also available.
FarOut: Mobile app of the NET available.
