Explore the best rated trails in Barrington, NH. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Stevens Rail Trail and Common Pathway. With more than 66 trails covering 382 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Border to Boston Trail connects the communities of West Peabody, Peabody, Danvers, Topsfield, and Boxford in northeastern Massachusetts. The long-term goal for the trail is to continue it north to...
The Winnipesaukee River Trail runs along a rail line that previously connected the paper industry between Franklin and Tilton. Nicknamed the Paper City, Franklin saw the industry boom from the 1900s...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
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 Amesbury Riverwalk (also known as the Powwow Riverwalk) carries visitors between a resurgent waterfront district on the Powwow River to a modern shopping center on the outskirts of this historical...
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...
The Peanut Trial is a distinct trail in the town of Newton that spans one-mile. This rail-trail was meant to connect to the Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. However, due to a controversial lawsuit by land...
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 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 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...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
Lake Winnisquam is New Hampshire’s fourth largest lake, and taking the Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail is one of the best ways to experience it. Meaning “pleasant waters,” Lake Winnisquam provides...
The Nashua River Rail Trail stretches from southern Nashua, New Hampshire, to downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, connecting to the towns of Pepperell and Groton. The trail is built on the former rail...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion. It weaves through Grafton and Merrimack counties and is less than a 2-hour drive...
The Bridge Street Bike Trail begins near Curtis Park and travels south through downtown Salem, closely following the Bridge Street Bypass. The short trail runs through residential, retail and...
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...
When complete, the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will run for more than 5 miles on a former Boston and Maine Railroad corridor from connections with the Windham Rail Trail (north) and Methuen Rail Trail...
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 Roland Bergeron Bike Path runs about 6 miles alongside nearly the entirety of Albuquerque Avenue in Litchfield, NH. Completed in 2010, the 8-ft wide asphalt path averages about 5 yards in from...
Bruce N. Freeman was a Massachusetts state representative from 1969 to 1986. Beginning in 1985, he championed the creation of a bike path that would run along the former Penn Central railroad line...
_200129_sc.jpg)
Although only a grassy, hard-packed dirt pathway, the route along the Salem-Beverly Canal (also known as the Grand Wenham Canal), is scenic and peaceful. The old canal, built in 1917, lies between two...
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...
Mine Falls Park in Nashua is a 300-acre-plus urban park with a network of approximately 9.7 miles of a variety of trail types. This forested park offers an extraordinary nature experience in the heart...
The 5.3-mile Independence Greenway makes for a pleasant ride, providing access to lakes, parks, and nature preserves. The paved pathway is located in the town of Peabody (pronounced by locals as...
_175266_sc.jpg)
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...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
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...
These connecting trails follow the bed of the old Beebe River Railroad up to Flat Mountain Pond, a large, remote pool high in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. This is a great trip for advanced mountain...
The Boxford Rail Trail is a short, rustic pathway open on a former rail corridor in rural Essex County. Now home to overhead electric wires owned by National Grid, the trail is open via a license...
The Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
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 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New HampshireMassachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
The Mountain Division Trail exists as two separate segments of what will eventually be a more than 50-mile-long trail from Fryeburg to Portland. The southern section rolls for about 6 miles between...
The year 2017 marks 20 years since a rails-to-trails project was first mentioned in the Goffstown Master Plan, and thanks to work by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail and support throughout the...
Barker Road Trail begins on the town line between North Andover and Boxford in northern Massachusetts, not far from the New Hampshire border. From there, the pathway continues through dense woodlands...
The Common Pathway travels 5.5 miles from the outskirts of Peterborough south to downtown’s Noone Falls area, paralleling US 202 and the Contoocook River for most of its journey. The small town of...
The Piscataquog Trail, though only about 2 miles long, provides a vital off-road link between the communities on the western side of the Merrimack River (the West Side of Manchester) to several parks...
The health and fortunes of Lowell have been intimately tied to the Concord River for hundreds of years. This tributary of the more well-known Merrimack River continues to be at the heart of the local...
The Clipper City Rail Trail is part of the Coastal Trails Coalition, which is developing in the four towns of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury along the Merrimack River and will...
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 Roland Bergeron Bike Path runs about 6 miles alongside nearly the entirety of Albuquerque Avenue in Litchfield, NH. Completed in 2010, the 8-ft wide asphalt path averages about 5 yards in from...
The Boxford Rail Trail is a short, rustic pathway open on a former rail corridor in rural Essex County. Now home to overhead electric wires owned by National Grid, the trail is open via a license...
Mile 0.0 - DPW Garage Cross the bridge in the parking area, the trail starts behind the fence, crossing over Great Brook on a old dam. Mile 0.53 - After crossing Union St. you will come to a...
Currently just over two miles long, the Salisbury Point Ghost Trail provides a peaceful walk or bike ride through the woods on a well-maintained stone-dust trail. A paved extension was constructed in...
The Middleton Rail Trail is a trail project along the former Essex Railroad. When complete, the trail will stretch 4.5 miles through the town, and perhaps join the Danvers Rail Trail. Phase I of the...
The year 2017 marks 20 years since a rails-to-trails project was first mentioned in the Goffstown Master Plan, and thanks to work by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail and support throughout the...
_197477_sc.jpg)
Crossing through wooded areas and featuring magnificent wetland vistas, the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) offers an 18.3-mile trail adventure from Epping to Windham. The northern...
This exquisitely maintained trail slices through forested areas and wetlands for a wonderful experience in southern New Hampshire. The trail will eventually be part of the Granite State Rail Trail,...
The Haggetts Rail Trail is a short, but sweet unpaved trail located on the periphery of Haggetts Pond, the local reservoir for the nearby town of Andover. Built on part of the former line of the...
The Conway Branch trail runs for 21 miles along an old rail corridor between State Route 113 in Conway and Polly's Crossing in Ossipee. The trail is popular with snowmobiles and rail car clubs; the...
Lowell's Canal System Trails are part of Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell, Massachusetts. The park preserves some of America's industrial past: its 19th-century textile mills formed the first...
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 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
About a dozen miles west of Concord, the Stevens Rail Trail offers a quiet, wooded route along the former Concord-Claremont rail line in Contoocook Village. It starts off Krzyzaniak Road and continues...
_194485_sc.jpg)
The Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail brings at least two superlatives to mind: it’s one of New Hampshire’s longest rail-trails at just more than 28 miles, and it begins in Manchester, the state’s...
The Nashua River Rail Trail stretches from southern Nashua, New Hampshire, to downtown Ayer, Massachusetts, connecting to the towns of Pepperell and Groton. The trail is built on the former rail...
The Bridge Street Bike Trail begins near Curtis Park and travels south through downtown Salem, closely following the Bridge Street Bypass. The short trail runs through residential, retail and...
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...
goes by some lakes and marsh areas. Different as it goes on and off between rails filled with sand and gravel. beautiful spot at the end with lake winnepasaki.
The trail has been extended 0.4 miles south of Fisher Street, though there is no obvious parking at that end. Start near the south end, so you can partially coast on the return.
This is a difficult trail to assign a star rating to as parts of it are great and parts are not. It’s listed as a 29 mile trail but in reality it is split into 5 sections with 2 sections being on busy roads. I’ll break it down by section starting at the southern end in Kennebunk. I. 6-mile off-road section from Kennebunk to Biddeford - 5 stars. This is a great section featuring a well-maintained hard packed dirt trail through the woods. II. 5 mile on-road section through Biddeford and Saco - 2 stars. The first couple of miles are okay as you can ride on a sidewalk and residential streets. If you just do the first couple of miles combined with the first 6 mile off road section, it’s a nice 16 mile round trip. The issue is the next 2.5 miles is on busy roads through the congested areas of Biddeford and Saco. III. 7 mile off-road section from Saco to Scarborough - 5 stars. I’ve been on dozens of trails throughout the Northeast and this is one of my favorites. The trail is hard packed and is in great condition and features a stretch through the scenic Scarborough marsh. IV. 4 mile on-road section from Scarborough to South Portland - 1 star. The first half mile is fine as it’s on a lightly traveled road. But after that, it’s 3+ miles on busy roads that are narrow in spots. I’ve only been on the stretch once and several times a car came with a couple of feet of me - no interest in doing this section again. V. 6 mile off-road section in South Portland - 3 stars. It’s certainly better than riding the streets of Portland or South Portland. But there’s just nothing special about - nothing too scenic until you hit the very end, the trail is in decent, not great, shape, and it’s not well marked. But the biggest negative is the number of times the path crosses busy streets - I’ve never been on another trail with so many busy street crossings over a short stretch. So, the star rating of the trail depends on what you are looking for. If you’re looking to do a round trip of around 15 miles or less, there are two sections that are great - Kennebunk to Biddeford and Saco to Scarborough. If you’re looking to do more than that, you’ll have to deal with at least a few miles of busy streets.
What a great way to experience the fall foliage!
Great walk along the riverside. Mostly level, flat and paved surface. Easy walking and quite quiet for a Saturday. Great day for a walk along the river.
We started at airport and went out 2.5 miles and then turned around. Easy path, smells wonderful, leaf changing colors breathtaking! We loved the scannable QR codes that teach you along the way about plants, trees, sites etc. we learned quote apt!
Went in fall, came from central mass. Not a huge fan of this trail on my trail bike, maybe on a mountain bike. badly maintained and narrow, lots of tree roots. But parking was super easy since its near a business park.
Came out from central mass and it really wasnt what i was expecting. Might be fun if you have a mountain bike but this is more of a local's spot for daily exercise
Rented ebikes from Pedigo nearby trailhead and Rachel and Ed were so nice. The trail was cold and shaded a good part of the ride so bring layers. We brought a picnic, plenty of places to stop and eat. The trail is somewhat confusing at the end so we just decided to turn around and head back. Great day all and all!
We rode the trail during the first week of October. The colors were spectacular, especially after about mile 6 in the bog areas. There is wonderful variety along the trail as one starts out in Wolfeboro, goes on causeways through Lake Wentworth, through Wentworth State Park and then on through woods and bogs.
The trail itself requires riders to pay lots of attention to safety. Much of the trail is situated between the two metal rails of the old train track--so it is quite narrow. This is rideable, though. As others have mentioned, there are many points where you switch onto a hard packed limestone trail next to the tracks. It's turning off the rails onto the limestone trails where one must slow down and do a sharp turn. We encountered 2 people who had fallen at these turn off points and one accomplished rider in our group fell as well. It's just easy to catch your tires in the crack between the rails if you don't do almost a 90 degree turn.
All that said, it's a rustic and beautiful ride and I'd highly recommend it for hybrid or gravel bikes. And, there's amazing ice cream at the iconic Bailey's Bubble when you get back to Wolfeboro!
This trail has been extended from the Howe School eastward crossing Webb St., ending at Maple Street. The surface on the western section is nicely compacted, the eastern section, not so much. And the Webb Street crossing is pretty rocky & washed out. It is still under construction but useable. Would be a great place for a kid learning to ride a mountain bike on a rough surface. Pretty straight, flat, and quiet.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_175266_st.jpg)
_197477_st.jpg)
_194485_st.jpg)
_200129_st.jpg)
