Find the top rated trails in Claremont, 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 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...
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
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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...
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...
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The Cheshire Rail Trail stretches for nearly 33 miles between Route 12 near Bookseller Road and the New Hampshire–Massachusetts state line at Route 12. In Keene, the trail includes a beautiful stone...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
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 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 Keene Industrial Trail links the county's Cheshire Rail-Trail in the city of Keene. The paved path is a 1-mile segment through downtown Keene, which passes among some of the city's old mill...
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 bridge—believed to be...
Given its covered bridges, historical aura and abundant wildlife, the Ashuelot Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Ashuelot River Trail) has plenty to offer. The 21.2-mile route follows the corridor of the Ashuelot...
The Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
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 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...
Also known as the Sugar River Recreational Trail, this picturesque 9.8-mile path stretches from Newport to the southeastern edge of Claremont along the banks of the Sugar River. To reach Claremont...
The Cheshire Rail Trail stretches for nearly 33 miles between Route 12 near Bookseller Road and the New Hampshire–Massachusetts state line at Route 12. In Keene, the trail includes a beautiful stone...
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...
Jonathan Daniels Trail travels the length of Ashuelot River Park through Keene. Along the stone-dust trail, you can enjoy the park’s beautiful natural backdrop and flower garden. The trail was named...
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 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 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...
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The East Branch Trail is a 5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of the...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
Following the floodplain of the West River Valley, the 16-mile West River Trail (a.k.a. Railroad Bed Trail) appeals to a wide range of trail users. The rail-trail has a nearly level surface, ideal for...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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...
The scenic Valley Trail currently runs nearly a mile through West Dover in southern Vermont on the outskirts of the Green Mountain National Forest. Plans call for continuing the trail further north to...
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....
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 Toonerville Rail-Trail (a.k.a. Springfield Greenway) spans 3 meticulously maintained miles from the downtown business district of Springfield southeast to the western bank of the Connecticut River...
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 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 scenic Monadnock Branch Rail-Trail travels for just over 7 miles from Webster Street in Jaffrey near the ball field to the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border. From Jaffrey to Rindge the trail is...
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...
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 bridge—believed to be...
The Mason Railroad Trail runs for nearly 7 miles from near the New Hampshire–Massachusetts border (nr. Townsend, MA) to Greenville, NH. The trail follows a heavily wooded corridor through Russell...
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...
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...
At the southern end of the trail a large parking lot at Dole Junction is maintained by the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails. This parking lot also serves as the southern terminus of the Ashuelot Rail...
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
The Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
Following the floodplain of the West River Valley, the 16-mile West River Trail (a.k.a. Railroad Bed Trail) appeals to a wide range of trail users. The rail-trail has a nearly level surface, ideal for...
The East Branch Trail is a 5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of the...
Although short, the Hoot, Toot and Whistle Trail provides an enjoyable journey through peaceful woodlands on Wilmington's west end. As you might guess, the rail-trail gets its name from the former...
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 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...
Common Pathway runs for nearly 7 miles from the south end of Peterborough north to Hancock. The trail is a combination of asphalt and gravel and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the...
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....
My wife and 2 kids (7 and 10) and I were here on a Sunday afternoon. We started at the end of the trail near Rt 91. We were the only ones there. We parked in the trail parking lot and headed toward Springfield. The trail starts as a dead end street, at the end of the street it turns to a paved bike path. The start of the path is very nice, after passing by a gas station and a busy road crossing and parking lot, it parallels a river for about 1/4 mile. The trail ends and the route follows a quiet country road for another 1/2 mile before coming to an old iron road bridge that crosses the river. There's a small park just over the bridge that we stopped at for a break. After that, the "bike trail" just parallels route 11 until the outskirts of Springfield. It looks just like a pavement sidewalk next to a busy road, for the next 2 plus miles until it ends in a run down part of the edge of town. Overall not much scenery after mile one, and not much fun.
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.
Did this trail last year, was the first multi day ride I had done, doing a there and back again ride over the weekend. The ride was done late in the summer which was a poor choice as it was very hot and sunny. Some sections of this trail have no tree cover and you can be riding in the blazing sun for miles.
There are no water pumps to replenish your water supply during this ride, but you are close enough to towns and shops though good portions of this trail if you need to stop.
The trail was in good shape with some sections having been repaved (gravel). There are some interesting stops along the way where you can learn a about the history of the area and how the trail was used. Mile markers are few and far between so you may loose track of how far you have gone.
This trail was good, but would recommend doing it when the weather is cooler. Also there are planned trail expansions which will increase the total length of this trail towards Boston.
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.
5/28/2017 The trail begins near the former Middle Granville NY Depot on Depot St. Does not appear to be trail head parking at this point but you may be able to leave a car near the business occupying the former depot.
Very shortly down the trail it gets a little confusing as the "trail" goes through a dairy farm. Today that hilly portion was not bike friendly with mud and puddles and deep ruts so I took a short detour to the nearby road and around the farm back to the trail.
The trail from there to the Granville town center was fine with a mix of grass and crushed cinder. The trail passes a bed and breakfast in town (trail parking here) and then it is mostly crushed cinder and good going to the Vermont state line.
From the NY/VT line to West Pawlet again a mix of grass and crushed cinder. A little less than 7 miles from Middle Granville to West Pawlet. There is trail parking at West Pawlet near the intersection of 153 and Egg St. I finished the trail here but it continues for 9.5 miles to West Rupert.
Previous reviews had mentioned a dog problem in the VT section after leaving NY (going south) or approaching the NY state line (going north). There were loud barking dog(s) in this area but they did not impinge on the trail. I could not see through the brush to determine if they were leashed of penned.
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.
From the Jaffrey ball field it was very populated with houses and led us along the busy road. I am sure would be fine for biking or snow mobile, but not a peaceful walk.
Very nice wide trail that is easy to walk with Beautiful views
I just read some of the reviews from wimpy riders. The "transition"in Winchendon from fading trail to "bushwacking" unfortunately is still true although there is a clear path to the right that one should take before the factory detritus. I have never seen drug deals, drug paraphenalia or homeless people there although I have disturbed some real turkeys.
Take a left and follow the road to the end. If you look to the left you'll see (and can follow) the original rail trail to a paved road. From there just cut across Main to the YMCA and follow the paved portion again along Whitney Pond.
Cross Glenallen Street and this trail is now paved. (Complete with parking lot and lane markings). Follow this to the end then turn right onto North Ashburnham Road, then right onto Spring St (Rt 12) Take first left onto Old Gardner Road. Pick up paved Rail Trail again to Rt. 140. (Parking lot included.)This is the official end HOWEVER if you continue across the street you can still follow the original roadbed again. Not paved but quite negotiable.We get off on Park Street and street ride to Gardner Ale house.
My husband and I recently completed this entire rail trail from route 63 in Hinsdale all the way to Keene. We did this in 5-mile increments and we both enjoyed every mile. My husband is an advanced mountain bike rider and I'm more of a beginner.
Almost the whole trail is old railroad bed of packed ballast with shorter gravel and sandy sections. This is NOT a road bike trail and those of us that have mt bikes like it exactly the way it is!!!
The first 5-mile section from route 63 in Hinsdale to the old Ashuelot depot and covered bridge on Gunn Mountain Rd off of route 119 was spectacular. There is only one small spot where a bridge most have been that is a short, steep down and then quick up the other side which requires any technical skill. I just choose to walk my bike down and then back up. This section of the trail goes by some fascinating old, abandoned mills with some spooky looking old tracks.
The second 5-mile section from the Ashelot covered bridge to Old Westport Rd in Winchester is only slightly more technical.
The third 5-mile section from Old Westport Rd to Railroad Rd in West Swanzey was a beautiful ride.
The forth 5-mile section from West Swanzey to Keene while beautiful was, for us, pretty boring. This section of the trail is hard pan dirt and, when dry, would easily accommodate road bikes.
All in all a fantastic biking resource which we are delighted to have discovered. We'll be back often!
We were unable to ride on the Ashuelot Trail so we picked up the trail from Keene And headed north ... we were able to do a 10 mile round trip shaded and scenic
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