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Unpaved trail between the Route 2 embankment to Main St near Prospect St.
in Baldwinville:
Trail is owned and managed by Massachusetts Department
of Environmental Management
Maintenance and local coordination provided by Coldbrook
Snowmobile Club.
Unpaved trail open for public use on an informal basis north of entrances from Bridge & Walnut Streets.
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USGS
Topographic map of Baldwinwille
USGS
Aerial photograph of Baldwinville
Trail description is from South to North!
The railroad bed is totally blocked by the embankment for the Interstate-quality State Route 2 near Templeton. However two detour routes are described on the Templeton page of this Web Site.
Note however that the rail-trail is open between the Route 2 embankment and the trail exit at Main Street just south of Prospect Street.
The Coldbrook Snowmobile Club has cleared a new trail that begins a half-mile south of the Main & Prospect Street trail exit that will run downhill across Route 202, cross the Otter River on a new bridge (still in the design stage), then pass along the west edge of Baldwinville to reach the Otter River State Forest. This route crosses public lands and thus the club expects that it will be open on a year-around basis.
The trail exit on Main St just south of Prospect St.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on August 28, 2000.
After passing behind the elementary school, the railroad crossed the Otter River and Route 68 on a high trestle, then crossed Boston & Maine Railroad at grade next to a joint railroad station at the end of Exchange Street. However, a tall granite pillar in the middle of the river bed is the only tangible reminder of the otherwise missing railroad trestle. Trail users must also note that crossing the heavy-duty railroad track (Guilford Transportation System) at the site of the old railroad station is both illegal and dangerous.
'Street legal' trail users must accordingly detour north via Main St, then northwest via Route 202 across the river to Bridge Street, then northeast following Bridge Street (across a railroad overpass currently open to pedestrians only) for another quarter-mile .
Grace Baptist Church in Baldwinville.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on August 28, 2000.
Route 202 approaching the Bridge Street intersection.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on August 28, 2000.
Looking southwest at railroad overpass on Bridge Street.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on August 28, 2000.
[Text from William H Jarvis <approach-medium@juno.com> 7/30/00 9:46 AM]"The Winchendon Branch crossed the Freight Main, and the Baldwinville Depot site can be accessed via Exchange Street next to the Baldwin House Restaurant. The interchange tracks were removed only one year ago when Norfolk Southern Railroad was funding much of the clearance projects on the Guilford Rail System's Freight Main. There were three tracks under that old truss bridge [Bridge Street] that is now closed to vehicular traffic. Now, the Freight Main has been depressed and centered under this decrepit span. The Branch, then crossed over the street and the Otter River by what appeared to be a "lattice truss deck bridge" between the Thirsty Turtle Pub and the Pizza Barn next to the Colonial Co-operative Bank. (There are pictures of this bridge, and the Baldwinville Depot hanging on the walls on the Baldwinville Village Pizza, next to Al's Package Store on the corner.) The track went behind the Baldwinville Elementary School, and then, crossed Maple Street. (Start at the bridge reconstruction, with the "your turn to cross" traffic lights, project in the center of town. Cross this bridge over the Otter River and turn left at the blinking yellow light. Go 1/4 Mile, and the Branch crossed here. (On your left, you will see a brown fence between two houses, and your right, you will see a "flange marker" uses to tell railroad snow removal equipment personnel to lift the "flanger" from between the rails.)"
This potential trailhead on Bridge Street across from the cemetery
shows no signs of use.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 24, 2000.
There are two entrances from the trail, one is from the west side of Bridge street a quarter-mile from the railroad overpass and just beyond an electrical substation. But trail users can also exit through an empty lot on the east side of Walnut Street. The trail apparently runs north under power transmission wires from that point to the electrical substation at Mill Glen Road.
The Coldbrook Snowmobile Club reports that there are three routes from the vicinity of the Mill Glen substation to Otter River State Forest and Lake Dennison Recreation Area:
A trail under the power transmission wires to the north edge of the Otter River State Forest property.
A trail out of the north end of the Otter River State Forest campground that crosses Route 202 and onto the Rail-trail.
Mill Glen Road between the main entrance to Lake Dennison Recreation Area and the trail crossing at the substation.
The rail-trail continues north from the Mill Glen electrical substation on what appears to be a well used jeep trail.
Looking south under the wires from the substation at Mill
Glen Road.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 24, 2000.
Looking north from Mill
Glen Road.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 24, 2000.
Looking south from Rice Road.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 24, 2000.
A gas & convenience store halfway between Bridge Street and Route 68 in
Baldwinville offers limited groceries, snacks, cold sandwiches, and beverages.
Toilet and water are available upon request. This store is open daily from 5am
to Midnight .
The Baldwinville post office is across the street from the gas & convenience
store.
Near the intersection of
Routes 202 & 68 in Baldwinville:
Pizza, Italian, & Seafood restaurant open Tue thru Sun 11am to 10pm.
Pizza & Sub open daily 10:30am to 10pm, Fri & Sat to 11pm.
Pub open daily 11:30am to 1am & serves breakfast Wed thru Sun 5:30am to 11:30am
Public parking is available in Baldwinville behind and below the restaurants,
but note that signs prohibit overnight parking.
A wide variety of recreational facilities and activities are available at the Otter
River State Forest and the nearby Lake
Dennison Recreation Area.
Listed on the National Register of
Historic Places:
Baldwinville Village Historic District - Roughly Elm and S. Main Sts. between Pleasant St. and Mt. View, Templeton
Montachusett
Regional Transit Authority operates
Gardner and Winchendon Link route on weekdays that stops at the Intersection
of Routes 68 & 202 in Baldwinville. Potential users of the bus should
inquire whether the bus will also stop on signal on Route 202 at such places as
the Otter River State Forest & Lake Denison Recreation Area, as well as the
intersections of the rural roads that also cross the Rail-trail. A connecting bus from Gardner operates to and from Fitchburg
on weekdays to connect with MBTA
Commuter Trains to Boston. Another 'Link Route' operates from Gardner through
Templeton to Athol and Orange and connects with a Franklin
Regional Transit Authority Link Route bus that runs to Greenfield. Note
that MRTA busses do not accommodate bicycles!
