MCRT: Wachusett Greenways' Section
Featured Ride
This 17.2-mile out-and-back ride on the accessible stone-dust trail, MCRT: Wachusett Greenways is a deep-woods escape into the quiet, rocky heart of Central Massachusetts. Weaving through the secluded landscape of Rutland, Oakham and Barre, you’ll pass several ponds and impressive rock formations underneath a dense, forested canopy. You can begin at either end of the route and turn back at any point if you get tired.
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Trail Description
This featured ride covers the western portion of Wachusett Greenways’ section of the MCRT. Wachusett Greenways (WG), with DCR and other partners, has completed 21 miles between 1997 and 2025 with a network of ten bridges and two tunnels through the Ware and Wachusett Watersheds. The WG section is a rail trail, with an accessible stone dust surface.
WG, DCR and other partners are working to complete the nine remaining miles of this 30-mile central portion of the envisioned 104-mile Northampton-to-Boston MCRT. Future connections west toward the East Quabbin Land Trust (EQLT) section of the MCRT are also envisioned. The cross-Commonwealth MCRT follows much of the path of the former Central Massachusetts Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad.
WG, DCR and other partners are working to complete the nine remaining miles of this 30-mile central portion of the envisioned 104-mile Northampton-to-Boston MCRT. Future connections west toward the East Quabbin Land Trust (EQLT) section of the MCRT are also envisioned. The cross-Commonwealth MCRT follows much of the path of the former Central Massachusetts Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad.
Transportation
This trail is accessible by bicycle or car. Parking is available at both the east and western ends of the ride, in addition to numerous other parking options shown on the map.
Connecting Trails
Ware River Rail Trail
East of the White Valley bridge, a quarter mile along Route 122, you can access the Ware River Rail Trail which runs north 15 miles to Baldwinville, through Hubbardston and Templeton following the Burnshirt River for a majority of the route. This trail, along a former Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) line, is good for walking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. At the trailhead on Route 122 in Barre, there is ample parking and access for fishing and a canoe/kayak launch.
Midstate Trail
The Midstate Trail is a 92-mile hiking trail that intersects the MCRT in Rutland near a large parking area with an accessible restroom at Route 122. This north-south hiking trail runs from the Rhode Island border to the New Hampshire Border. The beloved Midstate is celebrating its centennial in 2026. Learn more on the Midstate Trail website.
East of the White Valley bridge, a quarter mile along Route 122, you can access the Ware River Rail Trail which runs north 15 miles to Baldwinville, through Hubbardston and Templeton following the Burnshirt River for a majority of the route. This trail, along a former Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) line, is good for walking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. At the trailhead on Route 122 in Barre, there is ample parking and access for fishing and a canoe/kayak launch.
Midstate Trail
The Midstate Trail is a 92-mile hiking trail that intersects the MCRT in Rutland near a large parking area with an accessible restroom at Route 122. This north-south hiking trail runs from the Rhode Island border to the New Hampshire Border. The beloved Midstate is celebrating its centennial in 2026. Learn more on the Midstate Trail website.
Trail Photos
Trail Attractions
Moulton Pond (1.1 miles from start) and Thayer Pond (1.8 miles from start)
As you begin your ride, you’ll pass a pair of tranquil ponds teeming with wildlife. Both are popular fishing spots with scenic overlooks, and there is a canoe launch for Moulton Pond at Pommogussett Road. The view over Thayer Pond is shown in the trail artwork. Both ponds are owned by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and you can learn more on their website (see Moulton Pond and Thayer Pond pages).
Charnock Rock Cut (2.3 miles from start)
Passing through the Charnock Rock Cut feels like entering a different world as the temperature drops and the raw stone surrounds you. The 900-foot cut is cool and mossy during the summertime and laden with icicles during the winter that once had to be chiseled off by train crews. The channel was painstakingly blasted and cut through Rutland’s rocky terrain to maintain the strict 1% grade necessary for the heavy steam locomotives of the day. When the railroad went bankrupt midway through construction in 1883, workers literally dropped their tools in place and the cut remained unfinished for almost two years. It is the highest point on the MCRT and the deepest cut on the entire 104-mile rail corridor.
While charnockite is a type of rock, that’s not where the cut got its name, as the rock here is primarily gneiss. Rather, the cut is named after the Charnock family, who were prominent landowners at the time of the railroad’s construction, but ironically, “Charnock” comes from an ancient Celtic root meaning “place of stones.”
Charnock Hill Road Tunnel (2.6 miles from start)
Just after the cut you’ll pass under Charnock Hill Road, also named for the family, through a tunnel completed in 2007 by Wachusett Greenways with support from DCR and other partners. The tunnel is home to a mural depicting life in Rutland, designed by artist Margaret McCandless in 2021 and painted with volunteer support. A second mural, also designed by Margaret, featuring wetland life, is located in the Pommogussett Tunnel about a mile ahead under Route 56.
The Reforested Ware River Watershed (from ~2.5 miles from start till the end)
While the area around the trail might feel like an ancient forest today, the lush green landscape you see is largely the product of a century of ecological engineering. In the 1930s the state undertook a massive replanting initiative carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to protect the Ware River Watershed and thus metro Boston’s water supply. The majority of the trees planted were red and white pines for their exceptional filtration properties. If you look closely in some places, you may notice the trees are planted in evenly spaced rows.
White Valley MCRT Bridge (8.4 miles from start)
The White Valley MCRT Bridge was completed by WG and DCR in 2013, providing an accessible crossing over the Ware River and marking a key step in completing the MCRT. The nearby White Valley was once a bustling village with woolen and cotton mills along the Ware River, until the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir System in the 1930s that saw several villages removed and land reforested for watershed protection. Check out this video of the White Valley MCRT Bridge installation.
Ware River Intake Station (8 miles from start) and The Quabbin Aqueduct
Have you ever wondered where your water comes from when you turn on the tap? If you live in Greater Boston, it probably passes through the Quabbin Aqueduct on its way East from the Quabbin Reservoir to the Wachusett Reservoir. This 24.6-mile tube runs nearly parallel to portions of the MCRT and was the largest underground tunnel in the world at the time of its construction. The stone building you pass as you begin your ride, the Ware River Intake Station, is also a critical part of this system, controlling water flow between the two reservoirs and channeling the Ware River into the aqueduct. Read more about the Ware Intake Station and the Quabbin System in the Dig Deeper section below.
Coldbrook Springs Railroad Depot Site (7.2 miles from start)
As you follow the trail through Oakham, you’ll pass through what was once the bustling village of Coldbrook Springs. When the Massachusetts Central Railroad (now the MCRT) was completed in 1887, it ushered in an economic boom which saw the village transform into a small but dense regional manufacturing hub. The local springs’ mineral-rich water was also thought to have healing properties, and the village became a wellness hotspot for those who sought relief from a range of ailments. In 1930, the industrial and human waste produced by Coldbrook Springs was identified as a direct threat to the purity of the Ware River and thus the whole reservoir system. The Commonwealth removed the village structures and reforested the area as part of a massive replanting project to create a biological filter for rainwater entering the Quabbin system.
As you begin your ride, you’ll pass a pair of tranquil ponds teeming with wildlife. Both are popular fishing spots with scenic overlooks, and there is a canoe launch for Moulton Pond at Pommogussett Road. The view over Thayer Pond is shown in the trail artwork. Both ponds are owned by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and you can learn more on their website (see Moulton Pond and Thayer Pond pages).
Charnock Rock Cut (2.3 miles from start)
Passing through the Charnock Rock Cut feels like entering a different world as the temperature drops and the raw stone surrounds you. The 900-foot cut is cool and mossy during the summertime and laden with icicles during the winter that once had to be chiseled off by train crews. The channel was painstakingly blasted and cut through Rutland’s rocky terrain to maintain the strict 1% grade necessary for the heavy steam locomotives of the day. When the railroad went bankrupt midway through construction in 1883, workers literally dropped their tools in place and the cut remained unfinished for almost two years. It is the highest point on the MCRT and the deepest cut on the entire 104-mile rail corridor.
While charnockite is a type of rock, that’s not where the cut got its name, as the rock here is primarily gneiss. Rather, the cut is named after the Charnock family, who were prominent landowners at the time of the railroad’s construction, but ironically, “Charnock” comes from an ancient Celtic root meaning “place of stones.”
Charnock Hill Road Tunnel (2.6 miles from start)
Just after the cut you’ll pass under Charnock Hill Road, also named for the family, through a tunnel completed in 2007 by Wachusett Greenways with support from DCR and other partners. The tunnel is home to a mural depicting life in Rutland, designed by artist Margaret McCandless in 2021 and painted with volunteer support. A second mural, also designed by Margaret, featuring wetland life, is located in the Pommogussett Tunnel about a mile ahead under Route 56.
The Reforested Ware River Watershed (from ~2.5 miles from start till the end)
While the area around the trail might feel like an ancient forest today, the lush green landscape you see is largely the product of a century of ecological engineering. In the 1930s the state undertook a massive replanting initiative carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to protect the Ware River Watershed and thus metro Boston’s water supply. The majority of the trees planted were red and white pines for their exceptional filtration properties. If you look closely in some places, you may notice the trees are planted in evenly spaced rows.
White Valley MCRT Bridge (8.4 miles from start)
The White Valley MCRT Bridge was completed by WG and DCR in 2013, providing an accessible crossing over the Ware River and marking a key step in completing the MCRT. The nearby White Valley was once a bustling village with woolen and cotton mills along the Ware River, until the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir System in the 1930s that saw several villages removed and land reforested for watershed protection. Check out this video of the White Valley MCRT Bridge installation.
Ware River Intake Station (8 miles from start) and The Quabbin Aqueduct
Have you ever wondered where your water comes from when you turn on the tap? If you live in Greater Boston, it probably passes through the Quabbin Aqueduct on its way East from the Quabbin Reservoir to the Wachusett Reservoir. This 24.6-mile tube runs nearly parallel to portions of the MCRT and was the largest underground tunnel in the world at the time of its construction. The stone building you pass as you begin your ride, the Ware River Intake Station, is also a critical part of this system, controlling water flow between the two reservoirs and channeling the Ware River into the aqueduct. Read more about the Ware Intake Station and the Quabbin System in the Dig Deeper section below.
Coldbrook Springs Railroad Depot Site (7.2 miles from start)
As you follow the trail through Oakham, you’ll pass through what was once the bustling village of Coldbrook Springs. When the Massachusetts Central Railroad (now the MCRT) was completed in 1887, it ushered in an economic boom which saw the village transform into a small but dense regional manufacturing hub. The local springs’ mineral-rich water was also thought to have healing properties, and the village became a wellness hotspot for those who sought relief from a range of ailments. In 1930, the industrial and human waste produced by Coldbrook Springs was identified as a direct threat to the purity of the Ware River and thus the whole reservoir system. The Commonwealth removed the village structures and reforested the area as part of a massive replanting project to create a biological filter for rainwater entering the Quabbin system.
Trail Artwork
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Wildlife of the Trail
The trail passes through the Ware River watershed. Wildlife associated with this trail includes a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species. You may see beavers, painted turtles and great blue herons in and around the many ponds and wetlands. In more forested areas you might see black bears, moose and porcupines. When traveling through Rutland State Park visitors may encounter one of DWSP’s pitch pine barren restoration projects. Species found in this unique habitat may include eastern cottontail rabbits, turkeys, the six-spotted tiger beetle and pine warblers.
eBird
Check out the eBird hotspots along the trail to see what bird species have been spotted recently in the area. You can also report any interesting birds you see on your ride. There are hotspots at Thayer Pond, Whitehall Pond and in Rutland State Park. See this page for more information about eBird.
eBird
Check out the eBird hotspots along the trail to see what bird species have been spotted recently in the area. You can also report any interesting birds you see on your ride. There are hotspots at Thayer Pond, Whitehall Pond and in Rutland State Park. See this page for more information about eBird.
Dig Deeper
History of the Mass Central Railroad
The Central Massachusetts Railroad had a tumultuous 51-year run as a direct freight and passenger connection between Boston and Northampton. Throughout its history, the railroad was built by the privately owned Massachusetts Central Railroad, who, after some initial difficulty raising funds, began construction on the line in 1871. Things were going well until the financial panic of 1873 brought the project to an abrupt halt, leaving embankments and bridges half-finished for eight years. It wasn’t until 1881 that work finally resumed, and the first segment from North Cambridge to Hudson opened in October of that year. Westward construction continued until December, when tragedy struck, as the line’s inaugural train to Holden hit and killed a 13-year-old deaf boy who could not hear the train coming. All work on the line West of Holden was suspended, and in 1883, the Massachusetts Central Railroad declared bankruptcy.
In 1885, a newly formed company called the Central Massachusetts Railroad resumed service on the line, until 1887 when the line was leased by the Boston & Lowell Railroad, as was common in this era of cut-throat railroad competition and acquisition. The Boston & Lowell (B&L) was leased by the regional heavyweight Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M), who renamed the line the Central Massachusetts Branch. The B&M was finally able to realize the Boston to Northampton vision and in December 1887, service commenced along the entire route.
Throughout its history, the Central Massachusetts Branch was intertwined with water in some form or another. As Greater Boston’s water demand skyrocketed, the state decided to dam part of the Nashua River and flood a large swath of farmland to create the Wachusett Reservoir, which was the largest manmade reservoir in the World at the time of its completion in 1905. The Central Massachusetts Railroad was essential in the reservoir’s construction, transporting millions of tons of stone, cement and equipment needed to build the Wachusett Dam. Unfortunately, the reservoir’s construction required the company to abandon its track between Berlin and Oakdale and divert trains around the reservoir on a competing line. When the Wachusett Reservoir proved insufficient for the booming Boston metropolis, the railroad would have to adapt yet again to the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir (see below), which would also claim the title of the world’s largest manmade reservoir at the time of construction. While the Central Massachusetts’ Main line was spared, its Swift River Branch, serving Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott, was directly in the flood-zone, a blow to overall demand for the railroad.
Finally, the devastating Hurricane of 1938 caused several washouts in the Ware and Swift River Valleys that the B&M chose not to rebuild, fragmenting the line into two sections that would never again connect Boston and Northampton. This ended passenger service on the Western section between Northampton and Hardwick, although freight traffic continued to serve local industry into the 1970s. The Eastern Section, between Boston and Berlin, continued serving passengers for several more decades, and was briefly taken over by the MBTA in 1964 with the public acquisition of the entire B&M Commuter Rail network. Declining ridership led to the end of passenger service in 1971, and another major washout in Wayland led to the end of freight service in 1980.
Quabbin Water System and the Ware Intake Station
Just after the trail’s Western trailhead, you’ll see a quaint stone building that plays a key role in supplying water to Eastern Massachusetts as part of the Quabbin Reservoir system. The Quabbin Reservoir project was undertaken between 1930 and 1938 to meet metro-Boston’s growing water demands as population increased and indoor plumbing became widespread. At the time of its completion, the Quabbin was the largest manmade reservoir in the world, covering approximately 39 square miles with a capacity of roughly 412 billion gallons —enough water to fill Boston Harbor 2.6 times (at mean tide). This engineering marvel came at a price, as the state took 80,000 acres of land through eminent domain, displacing approximately 2,500 residents as the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott were disincorporated and flooded.
While the reservoir itself is a prominent landmark of Central Massachusetts, it’s less obvious how that water gets all the way to Greater Boston. This is done via the 24.6-mile Quabbin Aqueduct connecting the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs, which runs parallel to the trail and was the longest underground tunnel in the world at the time of its completion. Because the Quabbin sits at a higher altitude than the Wachusett Reservoir, gravity forces the water East with no need for mechanical pumping.
The Ware River Intake Station acts as a giant switch allowing water to flow East from the Quabbin, as well as the Ware River, when the Wachusett Reservoir is running low. When the Wachusett is full, a sluice gate at the station closes, and the Ware River is directed Westward into the Quabbin for long-term storage. This is possible because the station is at the top of a small hill between the two reservoirs, at a slightly higher elevation than the Quabbin. You may hear the Intake Station called ‘shaft 8,’ referring to the 13 shafts used to dig the aqueduct, with shaft 1 being the start at the Quabbin and shaft 12 being the exit at the Wachusett (13 was added later). Because the aqueduct was constructed before modern tunnel boring technology, multiple shafts allowed several sections of the tunnel to be dug simultaneously, dramatically speeding up the project.
Reforestation of the Watershed and the Rutland Pine Barrens
As mentioned, the lush green landscape that you see today was restored alongside the construction of the Quabbin System in the 1930s. The goal of reforesting formerly cleared farmland and villages like Coldbrook Springs was twofold. First, trees help prevent erosion which causes sedimentation of the water supply and makes it harder to disinfect. Secondly, trees slow the absorption of water into the ground, helping the soil more effectively filter the water. You might notice a lack of deciduous trees in the area, an intentional choice for optimal groundwater filtration. Almost all of the trees planted were Red and White Pines, which have a year-round canopy to slow down falling rain while also avoiding the impermeable mat of leaves sometimes created by deciduous trees.
Along the trail, you’ll notice a dramatic shift in the landscape as you enter the Rutland Pine Barrens. This unique ecosystem, similar to what is seen throughout Cape Cod, is less densely forested than the surrounding area and consists primarily of Pitch Pines and Scrub Oak. A product of dry, sandy, glacial soil, this rare habitat has been mostly lost to development and is home to many unique species not found elsewhere. Pine barrens are dependent on fire to survive, as Pitch-Pine cones are "serotinous," meaning they stay glued shut with resin until the heat of a fire releases their seeds. Today, DCR uses periodic prescribed burns to protect the health of the ecosystem. Interestingly, the reforestation efforts of the 1930s were so successful that the new pine growth inadvertently intruded upon existing Pine Barrens, and today, DCR is working on restoration efforts to remove White and Red Pines from certain areas to allow sunlight to reach the barren-dwelling plants and trees.
Photo Credits
Coldbrook Station c. 1930, courtesy of the Massachusetts Archives via Digital Commonwealth
Ware River Intake Station from What's Now the Trail, courtesy of the Massachusetts Archives via Digital Commonwealth
Ware River Intake Station from What's Now the Trail, courtesy of the Massachusetts Archives via Digital Commonwealth