BRIMFIELD TRAIL LETTERBOX:
EAST BRIMFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: September 12, 2009
Length: Brimfield Trail; 1 mile completed. 1.9 miles total.
Difficulty: Easy. Flat rail trail with a hard packed gravel surface. Mt bike recommended.
Directions:
From the Mass Pike (I-90) take exit 9 to I-84. Take exit 3 to Route 20 west. Follow Route 20 through Sturbridge and across East Brimfield Lake. Take your second left down Five Bridges Rd. Follow the paved road for 1.2 miles until it turns to dirt. Continue for another 0.4 miles and the parking area will be on your left.
The Brimfield Trail is a section of the Titanic Rail Trail that is planned to run from Palmer to Franklin. See; TITANIC RAIL TRAIL . Currently, most of the trail runs along an old trolley rail bed once used by the Springfield & Eastern Street Railway, which used to operate between Springfield and Fiskdale (Sturbridge). The Trail is currently located on U.S. Army Corp of Engineers land along the Quinebaug River flood control area. A parallel rail bed once used to carry the old Grand Trunk Railroad. Some called it the "Titanic Railroad" after its founder, Charles Hayes, went down with the Titanic. This old rail bed has been cleared in sections but has a rough dirt and root base. Another completed section of the planned Titanic Rail Trail is the Grand Trunk Trail in Sturbridge. See; Grand Trunk Trail Letterbox . For more information visit; BRIMFIELD TRAIL .
A map board is located In the parking lot and a second sign board, with historical information, is located along the old Grand Trunk Railroad Trail straight ahead. The parking lot is located in the middle of the two trails which run mostly parallel to each other along the former rail beds.
Heading East; Travel past the yellow gate from the parking lot along the hard packed gravel Brimfield Trail. This was the former rail bed of the Springfield & Eastern Street Railway. The trail travels through wetlands before coming to an access trail on the right after a 1/4 mile. This access trail connects to the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail. On your left will be a small Oak tree growing into a rock. Under the front of this rock will be two stones on top of each other. Remove these stones to reveal the Brimfield Trail Letterbox. The trail continues through a rock cut and into the woods. At a 1/2 mile, another access trail on your right leads to the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail and a couple of benches alongside the Quinebaug River. This is Rest Stop #3, a pull-in for a "water trail" along the river. The trail continues along a small berm and currently ends after 0.8 miles at the edge of the Quinebaug River. The hope is to continue the trail across the river to connect with the Grand Trunk Trail in Sturbridge near the East Brimfield Dam. You'll need to return the way you came, as most of the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail is undeveloped. However, when you reach the Letterbox location after the rock cut you have the option of returning to the parking lot along the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail. Turn left along the access trail and you'll come to the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail. Left the rail bed traveled through a large rock cut (inaccessible as of September 2009). Head right and follow the trail along a causeway with a large marsh on the left. Scenic. The trail surface consists of hard packed dirt, sand and gravel with some roots. A Mt bike is a must. You'll return to the parking lot and sign board after only a 1/4 mile.
Heading West; You start out along the Grand Trunk Railroad Trail from the sign board. The trail quickly splits with the Grand Trunk Railroad trail continuing straight (rough dirt surface). Bear right along the old trolley bed. The Brimfield Trail again consists of hard packed gravel as it travels through wooded wetlands. After a 1/4 mile you'll come to Five Bridges Rd. Here, the two trails merge. Cross the road and the Brimfield Trail continues. However, as of September 2009, the trails base has been completed, but no gravel has been added. Ridable with a Mt bike. The trail travels through a logged area and wooded wetlands before ending after 1.1 miles at a stream. An access trail on your right leads to Route 20. Future plans call for bridging the stream and traveling over an old iron bridge that was part of the trolley line and out to New Holland Rd.
HH
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
OCTOBER 11, 2009
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING