Northern Rail Trail - Grafton County:
New Hampshire
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Description:
Spanning the scenic Mascoma Valley of central New Hampshire, the Northern Rail Trail - Grafton County stretches from Lebanon to the Concord town line. Local snowmobile clubs have decked the bridges and removed obstacles for winter use, and most of the 23.8-mile section between Lebanon and Grafton is now bikeable.

Recently connected to the Northern Rail Trail - Merrimack County, the trail is now the longest rail trail in New Hampshire, totaling 46 miles.

From Lebanon, the trail follows the Mascoma River, crossing it seven times in just the first few miles. Benches are provided at several lovely overlooks. While this stretch is easily navigable in dry weather, heavy rains drench certain sections and put others wholly underwater.

Passing beneath Interstate 89, you'll enter a wooded river valley. Mill Road provides trail access, parking, and a small picnic area with tables. Beyond Ice House Road, the road parallels Mascoma Lake. Pause at one of the lakeshore benches to take in the views.

You'll soon encounter exposed rock along a dramatic cut—a reminder of the considerable effort expended to construct this line. In 1847 native son Daniel Webster gave the keynote address in Lebanon at the railroad's grand opening.

Approaching Canaan you'll cross a high bridge over the Indian River. Note the old depot, which has yet to be restored. Beyond town the trail passes through two culverts. These are narrow with little headroom; cyclists should dismount and walk through.

Toward trail's end in Grafton, the general store beckons from across Route 4. This marks the last available parking on the Grafton County section of the corridor, which ends at Zaccaria Road on the Merrimack County line.

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Parking & Trail Access:
To reach the Lebanon trailhead near the Lebanon College campus, take I-89 to Exit 18 and head south on SR120 toward Lebanon. The trailhead is at the intersection of Taylor and Spencer streets. If the trailhead parking lot is full, street parking is available.

To reach the Grafton trailhead, take SR 4 east into town. Trail access lies opposite the general store. Park in the dirt pullout on the trail side of the highway.

Additional trailhead parking is available along Main Street off SR 4 in Enfield and at the end of Depot Street off Route 4 in Canaan.

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Reviews: [2 trail ratings]
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Lebanon east to Mascoma Lake
By charlespalmer51 in October, 2011
Columbus weekend foliage is looking good so my wife and I decided to take a ride on the Northern Rail Trail from Lebanon. We were pleased to find ample parking at the trail head in Lebanon. We have tadpole recumbent trikes that have 16" slick tires which were not the perfect tires for the dirt pack surface but it was ok. As we made our way along the trail we stopped at the many bridges for a view of the Mascoma River and foliage. After an hour we decided to turn around just short of Mascoma Lake and found the ride back to be much easier, slight downhill grade, which was much appreciated.
Eastern part
By youker in August, 2011
Last August I did the part from Canaan west to Lebanon and this year I finished the trail from Canaan east to the county line at Zaccaria Road The trail was a bit rough but fine with a hybrid bike. The last two miles from Grafton to the county line was a bit rougher with slightly larger stones. There is parking at Zaccaria Road. There is a nice general store in Grafton right on the trail. I then continued on the Merrimack County section to Potter Place. Youker
osborn2ride
By osborn2ride in July, 2011
I did the trail on 16th of July with my brother, his wife and there two children, Patric age nine and Ann age eleven, it was a beautiful day and there was a ton of traffic on the trail. The best was a guy with a tag along, with a four year old and a nine month old in a seat on his handle bars. This was one of my very first Rails to Trails and has a fond spot in my hart. You could do it on a road bike but you would need an aggressive tire. My brother was on his Hybrid, I was on a old Mt Bike with a street tire, both girls where on Mt bikes. Lots of shade and you pass Mascoma Lake and there are a couple of spot that you can go in for a swim.
Trail Facts
Trail End Points: Lebanon to Grafton
Counties: Grafton, Merrimack
Trail Length: 23.8 miles
Trail Category: Rail-Trail
Trail Surfaces: Crushed Stone, Grass, Dirt, Cinder, Sand
Trail Activities: Bike, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Snowmobiling, Walking, Cross Country Skiing
TrailLink ID: 6016493

Related Links
Guidebook: Learn more about other New England rail-trails in RTC's New England Guidebook.