Mohawk Trail

Name of two historic trails in the northeastern USA. The first, which runs for 48 km/30 mi between Greenfield and North Adams in the northwest of Massachusetts, was established by Mohawk Indians; later a major railway line and a scenic highway followed its route. The second Mohawk Trail is in central New York State, from Schenectady to Rome. Passing south of the Adirondacks and north of the Catskill Mountains, it was one of the easiest ways to cross the mountains along the eastern seaboard, and so became popular with westbound White settlers in the 18th and early 19th centuries; however, its use declined with the opening of the Erie Canal (1825) and later the railways.