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All the United States Massachusetts Clinton Clinton Tunnel

Clinton Tunnel

This railroad tunnel was once the longest in Massachusetts.

Clinton, Massachusetts

Added By
Ophelia Ravenia
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Inside the tunnel   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the tunnel   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
  ellisjae77 / Atlas Obscura User
  ketchiegrl / Atlas Obscura User
  Jdemers / Atlas Obscura User
More arches hidden in the trees   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
Path to the tunnel is before the white house   hwkscheerldr / Atlas Obscura User
  hwkscheerldr / Atlas Obscura User
  chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance in summer 2019   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
The exit point of Clinton tunnel (forest side)   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
The forest on the other side   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
Nearing the other end of the tunnel   LG2019 / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  keithlmoore / Atlas Obscura User
  Jdemers / Atlas Obscura User
  TheKopasClan / Atlas Obscura User
  TheKopasClan / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  chris brat / Atlas Obscura User
  glegg2011 / Atlas Obscura User
  ellisjae77 / Atlas Obscura User
  keithlmoore / Atlas Obscura User
  keithlmoore / Atlas Obscura User
Who knew Clinton had something this cool other than the dam   JeremyObscura / Atlas Obscura User
From the opposite end   JeremyObscura / Atlas Obscura User
Grafitti in the Clinton Train Tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
Looking out of the east end of the tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
Grafitti near the west end of the tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
The west end of the Clinton Train Tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
The west enterance of the Clinton Train Tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
The east enterance of the Clinton Train Tunnel.   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
The west end of the Clinton Train Tunnel   Ophelia Ravenia / Atlas Obscura User
  erbguy / Atlas Obscura User
From the opposite end of the tunnel   JeremyObscura / Atlas Obscura User
Some good graffiti here. This is the main entrance side.   JeremyObscura / Atlas Obscura User
Interesting place for photography and acoustics   JeremyObscura / Atlas Obscura User
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About

With the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir in the early 1900s, many structures needed to be leveled. Whole communities were razed, and roads and train tracks needed to be rerouted.  As part of this rerouting, a short tunnel was built for the Boston and Maine Railroad.

The 2/10th of a mile long tunnel, completed in 1903, ran underneath a hill to the northeast of the reservoir.In the 1930s, freight traffic along the route began to dwindle, and by the late 1950s, both freight and passenger service had ceased. By the end of the 1970s, the railroad bridge that crossed over Route 62 and the Nashua River was taken down. The tunnel remains, intact, in the woods along route 62.  In the years since its abandonment, it has been covered in graffiti. The inside of the tunnel is said to create an optical illusion, by which it seems to go on forever when you walk through it.

As of 2020, the Clinton Greenway Conservation Trust (CGCT) is slated to acquire the abandoned tunnel from Boston & Maine Railroad. The town plans to incorporate the structure into the ongoing Mass Central Rail Trail multi-use path project, potentially putting an end to the tunnel’s status as a Haven for urban explorers and graffiti artists.

Related Tags

Tunnels Abandoned Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

Park at the pull-off by the Wachusett Reservoir dam, and continue by foot northeast along route 62. There are the remains of a stone trestle on the right side of the road. Follow the trail to the right of the trestle. The tunnel is just up a small incline. The east end of the tunnel can be muddy and swampy, so waterproof boots are recommended. A flashlight is also recommended. Be careful in summer, the tunnel has standing water and thousands of frogs on the ground.

Community Contributors

Added By

Ophelia Ravenia

Edited By

ktr101, Snackafark of Emar, LG2019, roadgeek...

  • ktr101
  • Snackafark of Emar
  • LG2019
  • roadgeek
  • JeremyObscura
  • e1savage
  • erbguy
  • ketchiegrl
  • missingfilm
  • keithlmoore
  • TheKopasClan
  • Jdemers
  • glegg2011
  • chris brat
  • hwkscheerldr
  • ellisjae77
  • lyssasmom1124

Published

July 5, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2015/05/family-inning-clinton-train-tunnel.html
  • http://creepychusetts.blogspot.com/2011/04/clinton-tunnel-clinton.html
  • http://www.telegram.com/article/20060807/NEWS/608070345
  • http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM5290_Boston_and_Maine_Abandoned_Tunnel_Clinton_MA
  • https://bridgehunter.com/ma/worcester/abandoned-railroad-tunnel/
  • https://www.telegram.com/item/20200807/clinton-gets-grant-for-trail-project
  • https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/10/this-old-abandoned-train-tunnel-in-clinton-could-soon-become-the-crowning-jewel-of-the-mass-central-rail-trail.html
Clinton Tunnel
138-204 MA-62
Clinton, Massachusetts
United States
42.405087, -71.684009
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Wachusett Dam and Reservoir

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

The Icon Museum and Study Center

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

Fuller Field

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Clinton

Clinton

Massachusetts

Places 4

Nearby Places

Wachusett Dam and Reservoir

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

The Icon Museum and Study Center

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

Fuller Field

Clinton, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Clinton

Clinton

Massachusetts

Places 4

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