Historic walking routes, museums and coastal places make Massachusetts rewarding at a thoughtful pace. Choose a region or a few related city sites rather than an overfilled checklist.
New England s longest, most powerful river tells the story of clashing continental plates and glaciers, of Abenaki living on the land, and of colonial settlement among fields and forests. Experience traditions, vivid history, deeply rooted farming heritage, call of the railroads, natural beauty, and recreation along the Connecticut River Byway.
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The Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway celebrates the history, heritage, and natural beauty of an important regional travel route. The Mohawk Trail is steeped in local and regional history and acts as a microcosm of the broader history of the region. Approximately 12,000 years ago, Native Americans used this route to travel between the Hudson River and Connecticut River Valleys. Later, the European settlers used the route, and eventually altered it, to support travel by horse and cart. As the use of automobiles increased, this route became the first to be constructed as a scenic auto touring route.
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The Battle Road Scenic Byway tells the story of the American Revolution and is home to literature, environmental, and technological revolutions that have shaped the American experience. Located in the Massachusetts towns of Arlington, Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord, the byway includes Minute Man National Historical Park and other attractions that encapsulate the American Revolution. During the nineteenth century, the byway was a hub for American literature, transcendentalism, abolitionism, and environmental conservation. Classic American authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and Nathaniel Hawthorne all lived and wrote along this storied route and drew inspiration from its natural and cultural resources. American history, culture, literature, technology, and recreation all converge to make the Battle Road Scenic Byway a National treasure.
Explore this place →Where to stay →Choose a manageable region, then allow time for the main attraction and the places along the way. Check current access and reservations before departure.
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