My wife and I rode the Presidential Rail Trail up and back from Gorham, NH to the Pondicherry Nature Refuge this weekend (West). The trail is well maintained and has a solid base for most of the way. From Gorham to Rt. 115 the trail is in better shape with a good cinder base. The trail passes an old water plant from the early days of the railroad where spring water was bottled and moved to cities for sale. You can still see part of the old building and find broken bottles lying around. There are few good swimming holes along the trail also. After the trail crosses Jefferson Notch Road it begins to deteriorate with larger rocks for the base and high weeds. There is still a definite bike trail but plan on getting whipped with high weeds and some brush. There is much to see along this section with beaver ponds and marsh land. The views back to the Presidentials is also very nice. You do ride close to some homes but most are camps or second homes. As you near Rt. 115 the barking dogs you hear are sled dogs in the large barnyard of the house next to the trail. After crossing Rt 115 the trail deteriorates further with vared bases and much higher weeds and brush. There is also a section of about 150 ft. of large ballast stone that you need to be careful crossing. Putting up with this is well worth it though as you near the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. You begin to see it on your left with a vast marshland and the many small bridges on the trail. The pay-off is the huge Cherry Pond and adjacent marsh leading to and around the pond. There is an observation deck that is well worth stopping and having a snack or lunch. We turned back here but the trail continues on to the White Mountain Airport and parking for the trail. The trail does get better from here with a gravel base but I am not sure how far that continues.
I would highly recommend this trail ride. For a nice ride and best trail conditions begin in Gorham and ride to Jefferson Notch Road. There is plenty to see on this section and can be ridden on a mt. bike or hybrid. From Jefferson Notch west riding a hybrid might be difficult due to the changing trail conditions. Some mantainence on the trail for bikes would be nice, even mowing would help. It is definitely maintained for snowmobiling and much of the new or repaired base is obviously for snowmobiles as it is large rock which would be covered with snow in the winter. Still, all in all a great rail trail for riding in summer or especially during the fall colors.

Come on, folks, you are missing the best kept secret in NH. Start at the parking lot on Rt 2 in Gorham, and in 1/2 mile, you are on a remote rail bed along a river with views of Mt Madison and Mt Adams, the second highest peaks in the White Mtns. We did it again this past weekend with our horses. The footing is cinders and easy on Propel's bare feet. Theatric and Tektonic just love this ride, pulling us along at an extended trot or a lets-go-faster canter. About 3 miles along the rail bed, you come to the old foundation of the Mineral Spring. This is a concrete building in the woods 50 off the rail bed. Behind it about 100 yards is the spring. The spring is rocked up with an old building foundation around it. I wonder how the water ran into the building over by the tracks. The train must have stopped there and picked up spring water.
Then, another mile further out the rail bed, the trail runs through a swamp section, with beaver lodges on both sides. After the straight section through the swamp (the tracks are dry as a bone), the rail bed passes the Dolly Copp road, and then parallels Rt 2 for the next 5 miles, steadily climbing, according to my Garmin, about 600 feet, on a 1.1% grade. Rt 2 is way off to the side and you are still in a remote area. There are waterfalls next to the rail bed, and the bridges are re built to be safe for horses at a walk.
Anyway, this is a beautiful ride, or walk, or bike. Just cause it is northern NH, take the time to sample this gem.

Another beautiful winter Saturday rding our horses in New Hampshire. We met our friends from Vermont and showed them a great ride on the Presidental Range Rail Trail in Whitefield NH. It was sunny and 15 degrees and, though that may not excite everyone, but this was a blast for us northerners. We only came upon one snowmachine and one hiker, and the trail needs some snow to cover bare spots. Washington and his presidental brothers were all bright and sharp and clear in their glory. Come join us, winter or summer.