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In the southeastern outskirts of Boston, the 3.4-mile Hanover Branch Rail Trail connects the communities of Abington and Rockland. Locally, the trail’s east and west halves are sometimes referred to as the Abington Rail Trail and the Rockland Rail Trail.
About the Route
Leaving from Market St. on the western end of the trail, the trail heads east, passing the French stream. The trail then passes through the heart of Rockland. As the trail meets Market St. in West Hanover, the trail crosses the street and heads southeast where it eventually dead ends. There is also a short spur trail to Ellis Field, which offers a playground and parking lot.
Much of the trail is forested and wildlife sightings are common.
Trail History
The rail trail follows the former corridor of the Hanover Branch Line, built in the 1860s by E. Y. Perry, a Hanover businessman who produced tacks. The railroad originally ran between Hanover Four Corners and North Abington before becoming part of the Old Colony Line in 1887. In the 1940s and '50s, self-propelled cars for commuters ran on the tracks.
The Hanover Branch Rail Trail runs between Monroe St. (Abington) and Ellis Field, 746 Circuit St. (Hanover), where parking is available.
Parking is also available at:
Please see TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
Great for walking most intersections are low traffic areas. Peace and quiet in the middle of town.
Trail is well maintained and great for walking/running or biking. It’s all paved and cuts across residential areas of Rockland and Abington. The trail is mostly shaded by trees. Very pleasant
This is one of my favorite trails. It’s a nice paved trail that crosses a few streets, an intersection, The Rockland Police Dept, and is surrounded mostly by trees.
The trail has been completely paved and nearly flat. Wonderful ride for the whole family.
Beautiful hidden gem!
Nice trail
A lovely walk through the foliage. Paved in some parts and crushed rock in others. Not too busy. Quiet, but still close to civilization.
The mid-section of the trail has been paved for maybe a mile. Very Nice !
This is not a well maintained trail. The entry point from Hanover consists of a quarter mile over tracks which were never removed, so be careful if running and don't even try to ride. Once you get the crushed stone before entering Rockland, it's actually quite nice for a mile or so, then you have to deal with a few touchy street crossings and mud once you get to the final half-mile. Nothing really pretty to look at, but if it's dry, you'll have the trail to yourself for the most part and it is nice and flat. I'm glad it's there and it has potential, but it needs some serious TLC.
This is not a paved trail. It was a town project done very low budget. Actually it was more like a swap. Metal acquirement for trail clearing.
The portion with the trash and mud is between Plain St and Union (Rockland Center)this portion passes behind Rockland High School. Always trash when that age group is involved! Also a very high traffic area. There is a yearly clean up effort usually in May. Spring is a difficult time with water on most trails that are not paved, that portion is low lying and subject to water.
There is a parking lot in Rockland Center between Dunkin Donuts and Banner Restaurant. The trail runs right through there and the trail is nice from there on. It also backs up to the Colby Phillips Trail in Hanover. Use the link to South Shore Hiking Trails for more info on that.
Not maintained at all. It was never built properly to begin with and has had mud holes since it opened. I tried to navigate it today and was forced off the trail several times due to so much mud that I couldn't get around it.
There is trash and broken branches all over the place.
Don't waste your time here.
The trail is a bit hard to find, because there are no signs or designated parking areas. My map showed an abandoned rail road, which gave a hint about what section of it might be usagle. If you go to the wrong place, you find the rails and ties are still there, and it is to overgrown for anything but bushwhack hiking. The police station is about the only sensible place to park a car. The rails and ties have been removed, and what remains is a packed gravel trail, that goes to mud from time to time. There are half a dozen street crossings, which you have to be careful crossing, and some give the opportunity for parking, after you find them. Once on the trail, it is quite pleasant, almost totally flat, and makes a nice woods ride, excepte when there is snow.
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