Heading north from Whitcomb's Mill Rd., the surface is fairly smooth crushed stone/gravel and slightly uphill. At about 1.1 mi., the trail takes a detour off the former rail bed onto a very rough, rocky path in order to cross Hurricane Rd. (Apparently, the railroad used to pass under Hurricane Rd., but there is no longer a tunnel or underpass.) Continuing upgrade, the surface is smoother once again, but there are some sandy spots that can catch one by surprise. At 3.5 mi. there's a wooden bridge that crosses a stream bed which was dry on this crisp early September day. Unfortunately, the view to the left from the bridge is dominated by the grassy slopes of a covered landfill. A few tenths further along there is a small pond off to the right with a beaver lodge, but the presence of the landfill's maintenance building and the noise from a nearby road spoil the idyllic setting. Leaving the landfill behind, the trail passes through a deep cut in the rock along a path that becomes somewhat rough and rocky. At 4.6 mi., there's an information tree with a smallish map provided by the Westmoreland Sno-Belters along with some postings by area businesses. Just across Route 12 is the Summit Steak House if you're looking to take a break. The next mile or so is smoother and slightly downhill. At 5.6 mi., the rail trail intersects another trail in close proximity to a dirt road and an open area with some dirt piles. My wife and I decided this was a good place for a lunch break and a turn-back point, so a description of the rest of the trail will have to wait for another time. But this section was rather disappointing. The roughness was not to our liking, plus we never were far away from a road with its attendant noise. The lack of any scenic spots along this section (save for the pond at the landfill) made for a rather boring ride. Hopefully, the section further north will prove more interesting and pleasant.

I biked the Cheshire North Branch trail the past week. It was a pleasant ride I must say.
This was my first biking on a non-asphalted surface. I enjoyed it. The experience was very different from biking on the road.The views were nice. I particulary remember the one where I had to pass amidst big rocks. It reminded me of the days when we took a train in a mountain region as a kid.
I stopped for a while and looked around .The rocks, the trees, the greenary, the blue sky,the silence gave a peaceful feeling. I had a hard time finding the trail from Keene but luckily I had a map and with the help of a local was able to get through the streets and find the trail.
I did not see many bikers or hikers on the trail , not sure if it was because I was biking on a weekday.
I plan to bike the south branch very soon. (Winchendon -- Keene)

Another clear but cold day to explore more of this old B&M trail. Started from funky, Christian church
off Rt.12 at Lawrence Road in Troy, ended at Collins Pond Rd. crossing east of Fitzwilliam Depot; one-way
distance roughly 8 miles. Trail is slightly uphill from Troy to the high point one half mile east of Rockwood
Pond, then a slight downhill grade past Fitzwilliam Depot. The trail surface is a mix of packed dirt, some sandy
spots, and frozen mud that has been torn up from ATVs and motorcycles. Also, there is evidence of recent
work on clearing the trail with a bulldozer at various spots, which means it is maintained, but the riding
is somewhat challenging and riding through frozen mud is hard work, especially on the inclined portions.
Yet, this is a very scenic ride through evergreen woods, past ponds, swamps, and wetland areas, with some spectacular views of Mt. Monadnock along the way.
Highlights: Troy depot is completely restored and a visitor's center (see photos); Rockwood pond has the
best views of Mt. Monadnock (see photos); Fitzwilliam Depot general store for a snack.

From the google satellite views, I can trace this trail all the way to South Ashburnham, MA, where it looks
like it meets an existing railway. I look forward to exploring this trail more in the spring.

This trail is advertised in a Keene area recreation guide. Rode this section yesterday,
a crisp, clear November day. Parked on the side of road at Lawerence Road in Troy, NH.
The trail roughly parallels route 12 but moves off into the wilderness and stays fairly
level with a slight downhill grade into Keene. The first half is quite scenic and often
remote, passing rock walls and wooded hillsides, and through several cuts that were
blasted through 30-40 feet of rock, which were adorned with icicles. A mountain bike
is a must for the varied terrain, but the ride is pretty smooth and moderately easy.
There is a steep, short, sandy downhill slide at the route 101 crossing, riders should
be cautious. From here it is easier to ride on Marlboro St., bear slight right on Eastern Ave.,
and then you can pick up a paved rail trail into downtown Keene, NH.

"We heard about this old B&M branch while riding on the Ashuelot Trail last year. We rode from Keene north west toward Walpole and returned for the first section. It is about 10 miles one way and has a real scenic cut at the height of land. The trail is packed gravel and a little challenging in places. It does not now go all the way to Walpole. We then found the end that heads toward Winchendon off Rt.101 south east of Keene and rode toward Troy and Fitzwilliams. It is sandy at the start but crossed a very high viaduct and quickly lost the back yard riding and became very scenic all the way to Troy. It passes thru Troy in a cut of land and does get rather wide south of Troy for a mile or so, but returns to a great dirt ride all the way to Fitzwilliams. We had lunch there and returned. We rode north out of Winchendon, Mass. looking for the southern end and found parts, but in Mass. it is not improved and until the NH line was not very nice or easy to follow. We used several roads to go around bad sections. After crossing into NH it really got scenic and passed thru swamps and wood with some great rock bridges. Approaching Fitzwilliams it passed a quarry that is now a lake, but we had to climb up and down to roads that have been filled in rather than repairing bridges or putting culverts in. If you like exploring you should go to Keene and explore this rail trail and the Ashuelot and this trail. More use by bikers will hopefully lead the State to make more improvements. Keene is linking these sections in town and the LBS should be able to give you directions. "