Find the top rated trails in Alton, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Harrisville Rail Trail runs for just under two miles between the outskirts of Harrisville and Hancock in rural New Hampshire. The former railroad bed is located on lands conserved by the Harris...
The Winnipesaukee River Trail courses along its namesake river, connecting the towns of Franklin and Tilton-Northfield. The trail passes through an unusual upside-down covered bridgebelieved to be...
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The Heritage Trail is managed by the state of New Hampshire to provide access to recreational and historical attractions across the state. Eventually, the north-south route along the former Boston and...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
Named for the railroad line it parallels, the Mountain Division Trail will one day span 52 miles between Fryeburg and Portland. Two sections of the trail are currently open. A 6-mile segment between...
Although short, the scenic Gloria Braunhardt Bike Path travels through forests and pastures full of birds and wildlife. The asphalt pathway parallels the eastern side of the present-day Interstate 95...
The newly open Bradford Rail Trail occupies the former Pan Am rail lines, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the...
Methuen Rail Trail connects three communities in northeastern Massachusetts as it follows the route of the former Manchester and Lawrence Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The rail-trail's...
Although less than a mile, the trail running through Salisbury Beach State Reservation offers lovely views of the beaches off the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, just a few miles south of the New...
The 1.1-mile, multi-use Clipper City Rail Trail and Harbor Walk connects the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station and the Merrimack River near downtown Newburyport....
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
On the banks of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire, Wolfeboro bills itself as "America's Oldest Summer Resort." Vacationers have been escaping to this quaint village since passenger rail...
The Piscataquog Trail runs for 2 miles between the east bank of the Merrimack River and Pinard Street at Electric Street. On the east end, the trail begins near the New Hampshire Fisher Cats baseball...
The first phase of Belmont's Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail, nicknamed the Winni Trail, opened September 2016. Stretching just shy of 2 miles, the paved trail winds through woodlands and the Leslie...
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built...
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails...
The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...
Dover Community Trail, which will one day stretch 8 miles along the former Newington Branch Railway, is currently half-way complete. It begins at Fisher Street and heads north, connecting residents...
The Spicket River begins in Derry, New Hampshire, through Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts, before draining into the Merrimack River. Like many mill towns of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the...
The Farmington Recreational Rail-Trail runs for 6 miles between the towns of Rochester and Farmington. The trail parallels the Cocheco River and State Route 11 through a wooded corridor. The trail is...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
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The Fremont Branch of the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail follows a diagonal, 16.5-mile path from Windham to Epping in the southeastern corner of New Hampshire. As the trail is unpaved (dirt with...
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the old railroad line of the same name, running along the Piscataquog River between the Hillsborough County Youth Center in New Boston and Route 114, about 4 miles to...
The paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
The Londonderry Rail Trail will one day stretch 6 miles across Londonderry from Derry to Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, along the former Manchester and Lawrence Railroad. As of December...
The Upper and Lower Nanamocomuck Trails in White Mountain National Forest are accessible from Kancamagus Highway (SR 112) west of Conway. The trails are open for hiking in summer and cross-country...
Dover Community Trail, which will one day stretch 8 miles along the former Newington Branch Railway, is currently half-way complete. It begins at Fisher Street and heads north, connecting residents...
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The Nashua Canal Trail is part of a series of loop trails in Mine Falls Park, Nashua. A total of 6 miles of trails wind along the canal and river in this beautiful, wooded park. Only 1.2 miles of...
The Windham Rail-Trail occupies a scenic stretch of abandoned rail (Manchester and Lawrence) between Range Road (at Rockingham Rd.) in Salem and Windham Road, about 4 miles to the northwest. At...
On the banks of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire, Wolfeboro bills itself as "America's Oldest Summer Resort." Vacationers have been escaping to this quaint village since passenger rail...
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New Hampshire's largest city, Manchester, boasts relatively quick access to one of the state's longest rail-trails: the 26.5-mile Rockingham Recreational Trail (a.k.a. Portsmouth Branch). The rustic...
The Old Eastern Marsh Trail (a.k.a the Salisbury Rail Trail) runs for 1.4 miles between the north bank of the Merrimack River and Mudnock Road in Salisbury. The beautifully landscaped trail was built...
Named for the railroad line it parallels, the Mountain Division Trail will one day span 52 miles between Fryeburg and Portland. Two sections of the trail are currently open. A 6-mile segment between...
The Salisbury Rail Trail Connector, also known as the Gillis Rail Trail Connector, is a 0.3-mile link between two rail-trails: Salisbury's Old Eastern Marsh Trail and Newburyport's Clipper City Rail...
The first phase of Belmont's Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail, nicknamed the Winni Trail, opened September 2016. Stretching just shy of 2 miles, the paved trail winds through woodlands and the Leslie...
Hooksett Rail-Trail follows a portion of a right-of-way of the Portsmouth & Concord Railroad. This section of the railroad was abandoned in 1862, leaving behind an attractive corridor for the trail....
The Peanut Trial is a distinct trail in the town of Newton that spans one-mile. This rail-trail runs on the same corridor as the Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. However, due to a controversial lawsuit by...
Stretching 3 miles north from Windham through woodlands to Derry, the Derry Rail Trail runs on the same former rail bed network on which the Rockingham Recreational Trail is built. This section of...
The Goffstown Rail Trail is open, but still in development. About half of the Goffstown Rail Trail has hard packed gravel surface. Goffstown Rail Trail stretches just over 5 miles in length. A bridge...
The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...
The rail-trail through the Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area begins at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station near downtown Newburyport, a coastal...
The WOW Trail will one day stretch more than 9 miles in central New Hampshire along the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. Its acronym comes from three regional lakes, which will be seen from the pathway:...
The newly open Bradford Rail Trail occupies the former Pan Am rail lines, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the...
Currently 1.8 miles, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. The route is one part of the larger Coastal Trails...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
The Fremont Branch of the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail follows a diagonal, 16.5-mile path from Windham to Epping in the southeastern corner of New Hampshire. As the trail is unpaved (dirt with...
At 58 miles, the Northern Rail Trail spans Grafton and Merrimack counties and is the longest rail-trail in New Hampshire. Along with grass, the surface is dirt, crushed gravel, and cinders in Grafton...
The Londonderry Rail Trail will one day stretch 6 miles across Londonderry from Derry to Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, along the former Manchester and Lawrence Railroad. As of December...
The Spicket River begins in Derry, New Hampshire, through Methuen and Lawrence, Massachusetts, before draining into the Merrimack River. Like many mill towns of the late 19th and 20th centuries, the...
Methuen Rail Trail connects three communities in northeastern Massachusetts as it follows the route of the former Manchester and Lawrence Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The rail-trail's...
The Rob Brook Trail is mostly flat, following the bottomlands of its namesake creek through the White Mountains National Forest. The trail is open to mountain biking and hiking, with cross-country...
The Warren Recreational Rail Trail starts from an interesting landmark: a Redstone missile brought to Warren by a resident who served in the Army in Alabama in 1970. He found some obsolete missiles in...
The South Manchester Rail Trail is a proposed bike/pedestrian path that would connect the downtown Millyard area of Manchester to the Town on Londonderry. The South Manchester Rail Trail will utilize...
The Nashua Canal Trail is part of a series of loop trails in Mine Falls Park, Nashua. A total of 6 miles of trails wind along the canal and river in this beautiful, wooded park. Only 1.2 miles of...
The Nashua Heritage Rail Trail begins adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in downtown Nashua. It is a short trail that takes you through one of the first neighborhoods that was planned and built in...
The Lincoln Woods Trail runs for 2.6 miles along the east branch of the Pemigewasset River. You can combine the trail with other trails that run through the forest in the White Mountains of New...
Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail connects three communities in south-central New Hampshire: Hillsborough, Deering, and Bennington. The unpaved trail winds along the Contoocook River through rural...
My wife and two kids (7 and 10) and I started on the Newport end of the trail, on a Sunday afternoon. First impression was good, nice hard packed soil and beautiful scenery. Then we encountered our first group of ATVs, 3 of them came speeding up from behind us. A closer look at the trail signs showed that they were allowed on the trail. About 1/3 mile into the ride, the surface turned to a soft sand that was difficult to ride on. Then another group of ATVs came from ahead of us, doing a good 30mph. Next a cop on an ATV came around the corner from ahead of us doing about 40mph. The soft sand was too much to deal with so we turned around. Another 4 ATVs passed us. We rode about 3/4 of a mile before turning around. Really a wasted trip and this trail really shouldn't be called a bike or walking trail as it is mainly used by motorized vehicles and doesn't seem safe to have children riding on bicycles.
Yes, some sand in places, but otherwise, this is a beautiful trail, well maintained, with safe road crossings and an overall very good dirt/cinder surface. The trail appears to end at the School Bus Depot, but if you continue down the road, it reconnects through the woods for a short distance before taking you out onto Main St of Goffstown. Beware, the Chipmunks are fearless!
Parked in the middle at Bartlett St (there is space for 3-4 cars) and just walked the eastern 1/3 of the trail. Nice and shady. Crushed stone path. Very tall trees. It felt very majestic walking amongst them. Very peaceful and quiet.
I parked at the Trail Access at the ball field in Boscawen. This parking lot and access were well marked when coming in from the south. This access isn't mentioned in the description on Traillink. I took a 10 mile ride north to Franklin and return on June 1 2017.
This section of the trail was crushed stone that looked like it had graded and compacted earlier in the spring. Despite a week of rain, this was well drained and ranged from dry to damp. The trail was partially shaded with occasional glimpses of the Merrimack River below me to the east. I was pretty much alone in the woods and found it very quiet, peaceful, scenic and an easy first ride of the season. The trail was pretty empty on a weekday. I passed about a 1/2 dozen people.
Other reviews mention places to stop and get food but I didn't look for them. I did stop at the Franklin Historical society to read and take a picture of the plaque by the side of the trail and of the building complex by the Webster/Tay House (Daniel Webster's NH farm).
I would give this 4 1/2 stars if I could. I reserve 5 stars for well paved trails.
Great trail for a stroll. Paved and well kept. Woodland and salt marsh scenery. Lots of birds including Marsh hawks. Well marked along the way. Shady and sunny parts. Easy parking off Rte 1 in Salisbury.
Not a good trail for biking. Was like biking through a sand dune. Looks pretty decent for anything else though.
Phase 2 extends the trail from downtown Laconia to Belmont's Winni Scenic Trail. Passes by Pitmans Freight Room, Bartlett Beach before heading into forest behind the Belknap Mall. Now 4 1/2 miles to enjoy. Trail is in great shape. Check out wayfarer coffee shop or burrito me in downtown Laconia.
Good trail but lists of off road vehicles, not the best choice for riders
went last week for a bike ride. didnt seem to busy, parking was easy to find. has a good amount of trails to pick from so u can loop yourself different ways, and they aren't too difficult. just enough space to kill park of your day outside:) lots of great views by the water. good for walking jogging or biking.
Very nice wide trail that is easy to walk with Beautiful views
So 15 degree weather does not stop us!
Started at otter pond and skied to Gambo Field.
Beautiful blue sky and crisp air. Maine the way it should be. Met a few snowmobiles and only a few other brave walkers. I love this trail and feel so blessed to be able to walk out the door and have this great place to play.
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