Old Colony Rail Trail

The Old Colony Rail Trail is an 8-mile paved bike path from Chatham center to Harwich, where it meets the Cape Cod Rail Trail at a bike rotary. It's flat and family-friendly. The Town of Chatham calls it good for a short ride out and back, or a longer day when combined with the main rail trail.

It's named after the Old Colony railroad line, which ran through Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you're staying in Chatham, this is how you reach the Cape Cod Rail Trail without driving.

Old Colony Rail Trail Parking

The eastern start is at Depot Road in the center of Chatham, across from the fire station and next to Veterans Field, home field of the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The town points to ample parking in the elementary school lot across the street. There's a large playground there, and restrooms a short walk downhill at the Chatham Community Center.

To skip the on-street part in Chatham, park at Chatham Airport on George Ryder Road, or at the lot at the corner of Meetinghouse Road (Route 137) and Main Street (Route 28). From the Cape Cod Rail Trail side, park at a main-trail lot in Harwich and ride to the rotary.

A main-trail lot close to the rotary is Headwaters Drive in Harwich, just north of Route 6. All the main-trail lots are on our parking page.

The Route, Chatham to Harwich

From Depot Road, follow Hitching Post Road for 0.2 mile, turn left on Tip Cart Drive, and at the bottom of the hill cross Crowell Road onto the first off-road section. The trail passes tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, runs through a short wooded stretch, then crosses Stepping Stones Road and follows quiet Wilfred Road for about 0.6 mile.

The off-road trail picks up again at the end of Wilfred Road and loops around Chatham Airport, a small field used mostly by private planes. At George Ryder Road, signs point right to stay on the Old Colony trail or left for a short ride to West Chatham. The airport has a restaurant, and the police station across from the airport hangar on George Ryder Road has restrooms and a water bottle filler.

Past George Ryder Road, the last 5.4 miles are all off-road. There's a rest area with a picnic table, and a granite post marks the line from Chatham into Harwich. About 3 miles from George Ryder Road you reach a half-roundabout and the crossing of Route 39. The town notes it can be busy, but warning signs slow drivers and sight lines are good.

After Route 39 the trail passes Brooks Park in Harwich Center, which has restrooms and a bottle filler in season. About 1.2 miles later, the trail ends at the roundabout where it joins the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

The Harwich Bike Rotary

The rotary is a traffic circle for bikes, where the two trails meet. From here the Cape Cod Rail Trail goes west toward Dennis and Yarmouth, and north toward Brewster, Nickerson State Park and Orleans. It's near mile marker 3 on DCR's map; see distances by town.

Ride Ideas

• Chatham out and back: Depot Road to the Harwich rotary and back is about 16 miles.
• Airport start: park at Chatham Airport and ride the off-road section to Harwich and back, skipping the streets.
• Chatham to Brewster: ride the Old Colony to the rotary, then north on the main trail to Brewster or Nickerson State Park.

Good For, and Maybe Skip If

• Good for families and new riders: the town describes it as flat and easy to manage, and most of it is off-road.
• Good for Chatham visitors who want the rail trail without a car.
• Maybe skip it if you want ocean views from the saddle: the Old Colony runs inland. The Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth runs beside the sea.

Rules

Chatham posts its own Old Colony Rail Trail rules and regulations on the town page. Where the trail joins the Cape Cod Rail Trail, DCR's rules apply; see our rules page. Rentals near the rotary are on our bike rentals page.