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A Ride on the Rail Trail

Photo editor Claire Beougher ’26 answers the questions plaguing Amherst students: Where can I find good ice cream? Where can I see beautiful rainbows? How can I get to Northampton without spending an hour on the PVTA? Ride with her down the rail trail and find out!

A Ride on the Rail Trail
The Bridge over the Connecticut River as seen on the rail trail. Photos courtesy of Claire Beougher ’26.

Hello there! Your friendly neighborhood photographer here. As lovely as it is, the small size of Amherst can make our school seem confining at times, leaving students eager to venture off into the great unknown and seek adventure away from the familiarity of our hallowed halls.

But many students are still left wondering: Where can I find good ice cream? Where can I see beautiful rainbows? How can I get to Northampton without spending an hour on the PVTA? All it  takes is a quick trip down to the Rail Trail in order to find all these things and more. Your dedicated photographer presents to you a tour of the Rail Trail in photo form!

Only three miles down the trail sits Hadley Scoop at the Silos, a delicious ice cream shop — simply look for the ice cream cone sign on a tree off the path and follow it to creamy goodness. 
Should you turn right, the Rail Trail will take you on a gorgeous stroll through the shaded woodland area surrounding Amherst. The trail is beautiful at all times of the day…
Rejoice, ye weary traveler, for ye hath arrived at your final destination — the great city of Northampton. The Rail Trail will take you straight to the center of town, where you can grab a bite to eat at one of their many restaurants before heading back to Amherst. 

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