World War II Veterans Memorial Trail
Photo courtesy of MassTrails10 / MassDOT

World War II Veterans Memorial Trail

A paved rail trail of about 6.6 miles from downtown Mansfield to Norton, on the rail line that carried soldiers to Camp Myles Standish in World War II. People walk and ride it for flat, easy miles through woods and wetlands, with a short trip from the Mansfield train station.

Length
6.6 mi
rail trail
Surface
Mostly paved
Get on at
4 places
on the map

From downtown Mansfield to Crane Street lot

Parking at every place to get on · See where

Train back from Mansfield station · Next trains

Open. No closures as of Oct 19, 2026.

Ride it as a roam Directions to downtown Mansfield

Where to get on

Numbers match the list; P has parking.

Download the GPX

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

  1. North end, Old Colony Road near East Street, downtown Mansfield

    North end of the trail. A side path along Old Colony Road leads toward the train station.

    Mansfield commuter rail station (Providence/Stoughton Line), about half a mile north along Old Colony Road
    Public parking in downtown Mansfield on Old Colony Road.
    Directions

  2. Fruit Street lots, Mansfield

    Just past Mansfield Municipal Airport. Near the short unpaved stretch.

    Two small trail lots at Fruit Street.
    Directions

  3. Cobb Street lot, Norton

    Here the trail leaves the old rail bed and follows Cobb Street and North Washington Street to cross over I-495 on a separated bike lane.

    Small trail lot (about 91 Cobb Street).
    Directions

  4. Crane Street lot, Norton (south end)

    South end of the trail. The old rail bed goes on south but is not built.

    Small trail lot at the Crane Street end.
    Directions

Getting there

By transit
Take the MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line to Mansfield station, then go about half a mile south along Old Colony Road to the trail's north end.
Parking
Small free lots at Fruit Street (Mansfield), Cobb Street and Crane Street (Norton), plus public parking in downtown Mansfield.
More

TrailLink also lists a lot at the Winthrop Dahl Nature Preserve on North Washington Street in Norton.

Ride out, train home

Ride the trail one way and take the Commuter Rail back. Mansfield station is 0.4 miles from the trail's north end.

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

WWII Veterans Memorial Trail

From a WWII staging ground to protected wetlands and rare cedar swamps

3.4 mi 22 minIn the Shift app

Get Shift, free. Follow a roam with turn-by-turn directions to each stop, and see closures on your trails before you go.

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About the World War II Veterans Memorial Trail

Surface
Paved, except a short unpaved piece near Mansfield Municipal Airport (left unpaved because of conservation rules). A stone dust path runs next to the paved trail in part of Mansfield.
Rules
The Friends group says the trail is open to horseback riders, cyclists, walkers and runners.
Food
Downtown Mansfield, at the north end.
Who looks after it
Towns of Mansfield and Norton (each town's section), with help from the Friends of the WWII Veterans Memorial Trail
Also called
Norton Rail Trail, Norton Rail-Trail, WWII Veterans Memorial Trail, WW2 Rail Trail, Mansfield rail trail

More about the trail

Where these facts come fromChecked Oct 19, 2026