Biking
Turners Falls Canalside Bike Trail
After more than 20 years, the bike trail in Turners Falls is finally finished! Smooth pavement, breathtaking views of the Connecticut River and canal, and starting right downtown, this trail not only provides the most picturesque biking and picnic area, it also serves as an educational tour of the cultural, ecological, and industrial history of Turners Falls. Along the way, you'll pass the Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls Fish Ladder, power canal, mills, Silvio O Conte fish lab and two RiverCulture public art pieces on themes of industry, architecture and energy. Northfield Mountain
Twenty six miles of mountain biking along a beautiful sweep of mountainside. Mountain bikes are welcome only after the trails have completely dried out from mud season, typically in late April. For current trail information, please call the Visitor Center (800) 859-2960 or check the trails report at Northfield Mountain website.
Montague Plains
A popular attraction for dirt/mountain biking as well as nature walks, the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area is a fifteen hundred acre state wildlife refuge and unique ecological area, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. The "Plains" are a rare pine barren, which supports habitat for many rare plants and animals. It is located on a large sand delta that was formed more than 10,000 years ago when melt water streams from the retreating glaciers emptied into Glacial Lake Hitchcock, a huge lake that covered much of Montague and the Connecticut River Valley during the glacial period.
Artful Bike Rack
After a long day of biking, recharge in downtown Turners Falls with a bite to eat or a visit to a museum or gallery. While you browse, park your bike at the artist designed bike rack on Avenue A between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The rack, designed and produced by Annaliese Bischoff and Gary Galvani, holds 4 bikes and also stands alone as public art on the Avenue A streetscape. Read more here.
Bike Sales and Repair
Basically Bicycles, 88 3rd. St. Turners Falls, 413-863-3556
A short walk from the bike path in the center of downtown Turners Falls is Basically Bicycles, a full service bicycle shop, which also has an extensive selection of recumbent bikes. Visit Basically Bicycles here.
