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MCRT: Palmer

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About MCRT Palmer

Known as the “Town of Seven Railroads,” Palmer is a post-industrial mill and railroad town. Palmer is comprised of four separate villages, Bondsville, Three Rivers, Thorndike, and Depot Village, each contributing to the community’s rich history and small-town character. Four rivers flow through town, providing recreation opportunities and scenic vistas.
 

The MCRT travels through Palmer for 4.6 miles over the Swift and Ware Rivers, through the village of Bondsville, and across forests and wetlands. The corridor isn’t yet developed as a rail trail, but a few sections are accessible by informal footpaths:

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  • The Swift River crossing of the MCRT near Depot St. in Bondsville is just a few miles south of the Quabbin Reservoir discharge, and its cold clear water in Palmer is ideal for fly fishing. Several good areas for canoe access are north of Bondsville.


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  • The former industrial villages of Three Rivers and Thorndike are about 2 miles south of the MCRT, and the main Palmer commercial center along rt 20, with stores and restaurants, is another mile south.

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  • On the east side, the Ware River is also a good location for paddling, especially in springtime, with access near the MCRT at the Ware / Palmer town line.

Visiting the MCRT in Palmer

Access Points:

  • Depot and Main Streets (limited parking)

  • High Street Extension (limited parking)

  • Griffin Street (no parking)

  • East Street (no parking)

  • State Street, 2x (no parking)

  • Emery Street (some parking along the road)

  • Palmer Road, Rt 32 Gibbs Crossing (no parking)

Additional Resources

MassTrailTracker
Ride with GPS

​Connecting Trails:

Chickadee Trail, Belchertown continues 2.3 miles north of the Depot St parking lot just west of the Swift River bridge, on an old railroad bed that once connected Springfield and Athol.   In 0.4 miles, you might see the bridge abutments for the Mass Central RR that once crossed high overhead

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Suggested Itinerary:

As none of the MCRT is currently open in Palmer, the suggested route is entirely on road.  Fortunately, there’s little traffic and the route is quite scenic.

Trail Guide (West to East)

Mile
0.0 mi – Depot Street, Palmer / Belchertown town line - small parking lot. Travelers from Belchertown will be entering Palmer here. Chickadee Trail heads north from here.


0.07 mi - Turn right on Main St., Endelson Splash Park is on your left, this is a nice place to relax.


 

0.3 mi - Go left onto State St., (or stay straight instead for 0.1 mile for a convenience store)

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0.8 mi - cross under abandoned MCRR bridge

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1.7 mi - at grade crossing of the MCRR (sometimes hard to see, covered with bushes). Nice view of the Ware River valley.

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1.8 mi - left onto Emery St, just before the Ware River bridge.

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2.4 mi - your third crossing of the MCRR

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3.3 miles - entering Ware. Continue straight for about 1.2 miles, right on Old Belchertown Rd, and then left on Route 32 and right into the Walmart parking lot for the next section of the MCRT). Bathrooms available to the public can be found on the trail in this location.


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Current MCRT Projects in Palmer

Development of the trail has progressed significantly in surrounding communities such as Belchertown and Ware, however Palmer is the "missing link" to connect the eastern and western sections of the MCRT and has not made meaningful progress on this project in many years. This is all about to change with renewed efforts from community-led groups and Town officials.  
 
Alternatives evaluation for location of MCRT, funded by a Mass Trails grant, is ongoing and should be completed in 2026.

A Brief History of the MCRT in Palmer

The Central Mass Railroad ran its first train from Boston through Palmer to Northampton in 1887, although this was less momentous than in other communities, as Palmer already had ample train service East and West from its busy yard. Passenger service ended in 1932, and the hurricane of 1938 damaged much of the line North of Palmer. With little business between Ware and Amherst, traffic was shifted to other rail lines, and the Palmer MCRT section was no longer used for through travel. The Swift River viaduct was dismantled in the early 1980s. The remainder of the MCRT was acquired by a private owner for empty rail car storage, as the bridge over the Ware River South of Gibbs Crossing is not capable of carrying a locomotive. Town officials and citizens are very interested in developing the MCRR corridor as a rail trail, connecting to MCRT sections in Belchertown and Ware that are completed or in the planning stages.

For more information on the MCRT in Palmer

Coming soon

Explore Other Communities Along the MCRT

Geographical west to east

Northampton Hadley Amherst Palmer Belchertown Ware Hardwick New Braintree Barre Oakham Rutland Holden West Boylston Sterling Clinton Berlin Bolton Hudson Stow Sudbury Wayland Weston Waltham Belmont Somerville Cambridge Boston

For each MCRT town, we’ll connect you with maps, resources, suggested routes and trail status.

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