Marblehead Rail Trail

The Marblehead Rail Trail is a flat dirt and stone dust path on two old rail lines that run from Marblehead center to Salem and to Swampscott. People walk, run and ride it through woods, marsh and quiet neighborhoods near the shore.

Length: 4.5 mi; rail trail
Surface: Unpaved; stone dust
Get on at: 7 places; on the map

From Lafayette Street to Bradlee Avenue

Parking at 2 of the 7 places to get on · See where

Open. No closures as of Oct 19, 2026.

Ride it as a roam Directions to Lafayette Street

Where to get on

Numbers match the list; P has parking.

Download the GPX

For Ride with GPS, Strava, Komoot or a bike computer.

Lafayette Street (Route 114), Salem
West end of the Salem branch. The paved Salem Bike Path (Mayor Anthony V. Salvo path) starts here and runs north past Salem State to Mill Street near downtown Salem. Busy road crossing; use care.
MBTA bus 455 on Loring Ave (about 600 m). Salem station (Newburyport/Rockport Line) is about 2 miles north via the Salem Bike Path.
Paid parking near Salem State University, on the Salem Bike Path.
Directions
West Shore Drive, Marblehead
Salem branch, near Hawthorn Pond and Wyman Woods.
Directions
Bessom Street, Marblehead (near Pleasant Street)
Marblehead end of the trail, near the town center. The two branches meet just west of here.
MBTA bus 441, 442 at Pleasant St @ Bessom St (about 160 m)
Directions
Smith Street, Marblehead
South end of the rebuilt Smith to Pleasant Street section (2025).
Directions
Rockaway Avenue, Marblehead
Swampscott branch, Clifton neighborhood.
Directions
Seaview Avenue, Marblehead (Swampscott line)
Where the trail crosses into Swampscott.
Directions
Bradlee Avenue, Swampscott
South end of the trail. The last 1,200 feet or so is the Swampscott Rail Trail, built in 2020. Phillips and Preston beaches are about half a mile away.
MBTA bus 441, 442 at Humphrey St @ Beach Bluff Ave (about 250 m)
Free street parking on Bradlee Avenue.
Directions

Getting there

By transit: MBTA buses 441 and 442 run on Humphrey Street and Pleasant Street, close to the Swampscott and Marblehead ends.
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Bus 455 runs on Loring Avenue in Salem. From Salem station (Newburyport/Rockport Line), ride the paved Salem Bike Path about 2 miles south to the trail at Lafayette Street.
Bike share: Bluebikes stations on the connecting Salem Bike Path: 'Salem State University - Bike Path at Loring Ave' and 'Mayor Salvo Path at Mill St'.
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There are none on the Marblehead Rail Trail itself.
Parking: Parking is limited. Free street parking on Bradlee Avenue in Swampscott at the south end. Paid parking near Salem State University on the connecting Salem Bike Path.

A roam on this trail

A roam is a self-guided route with stops along the way. The free Shift app checks you in at each stop, and you unlock a badge at the end.

The whole trail