Explore the best rated trails in Claremont, NH. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Stevens Rail Trail and Sugar River Trail. With more than 31 trails covering 257 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.
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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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
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 scenic Valley Trail spans 9 miles connecting Dover and Wilmington in southern Vermont along the Green Mountain National Forest. It provides a critical off-road pathway for bypassing State Route...
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 WOW Trail is named after the three bodies of water that can be seen from this rail-trail: Lake Winnipesaukee, Opechee Bay, and Lake Winnisquam. This picturesque 2.7-mile trail shares a corridor...
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...
The Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
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 Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail shadows the Black River for most of its 3.2-mile length in eastern Springfield to the border with New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The route originally carried an...
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 New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
The Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
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The East Branch Trail is a 0.5-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...
Many rail-trails start at a vintage depot, an old caboose, or a rusty locomotive acquired by the local historical society. The Warren to East Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail, however, starts at the...
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...
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 Head’s Pond Trail (formerly known as Hooksett Rail Trail) is a 1.9-mile rail-trail that visits two scenic ponds, including the eponymous Head’s Pond, in a woodsy area of Hooksett. The trail’s...
The Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
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 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 West River Railroad, which once followed its namesake river for 36 miles, began passenger service in the late 1800s as a way to trim the two-day voyage between Brattleboro and South Londonderry to...
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 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...
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...
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
The Bobby Woodman Rail Trail, a hard-packed dirt and gravel pathway, begins off a quiet street at the southern end of Claremont and quickly dives under pleasant tree cover. After about a half mile,...
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Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
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 Delaware and Hudson Rail-Trail follows the flowing contours of the western Vermont countryside, rambling in and out of New York state, where you’ll find a 4-mile gap. This border area is known as...
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 New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
The Head’s Pond Trail (formerly known as Hooksett Rail Trail) is a 1.9-mile rail-trail that visits two scenic ponds, including the eponymous Head’s Pond, in a woodsy area of Hooksett. The trail’s...
Many rail-trails start at a vintage depot, an old caboose, or a rusty locomotive acquired by the local historical society. The Warren to East Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail, however, starts at the...
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 Bobby Woodman Rail Trail, a hard-packed dirt and gravel pathway, begins off a quiet street at the southern end of Claremont and quickly dives under pleasant tree cover. After about a half mile,...
Built in the 1910s by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) as part of the Connecticut River Division Main Line, the route introduced daily service to the B&M Fort Hill Branch in the early 1920s to meet...
The scenic Valley Trail spans 9 miles connecting Dover and Wilmington in southern Vermont along the Green Mountain National Forest. It provides a critical off-road pathway for bypassing State Route...
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 WOW Trail is named after the three bodies of water that can be seen from this rail-trail: Lake Winnipesaukee, Opechee Bay, and Lake Winnisquam. This picturesque 2.7-mile trail shares a corridor...
The Toonerville Rail-Trail shadows the Black River for most of its 3.2-mile length in eastern Springfield to the border with New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. The route originally carried an...
Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
The Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail passes such scenic and historical landmarks as covered bridges, abandoned mills, and postcard-perfect towns. Starting on asphalt in Keene, the rail-trail can be...
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...
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
The Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
Visitors to the Sugar River Trail (also known as the Sugar River Recreational Rail Trail) can be forgiven if they lose track of which side of the river they’re traveling. The 9.5-mile trail crosses...
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 West River Railroad, which once followed its namesake river for 36 miles, began passenger service in the late 1800s as a way to trim the two-day voyage between Brattleboro and South Londonderry to...
The Delaware and Hudson Rail-Trail follows the flowing contours of the western Vermont countryside, rambling in and out of New York state, where you’ll find a 4-mile gap. This border area is known as...
Road today July 16, 2021 absolutely bluebird of a day. You definitely want to start in Franklin as other reviews have mentioned. Park inTrestle Brook Park. Which is quite nice beautiful green grass benches to sit on and right on the Winnepesaukee river. When the first section of the trail ends you’ll come to a collection of old cabooses. From that point towards Tilton the trail isn’t that great you have to go through a big section of downtown I believe Tilton to pick up the trail again and at that point you’re on an active track so the trail is next to the tracks which ends near the McDonald’s in Tilton at a kind of sketchy old Motel six
I was a first time user and started from the trailhead near Keene State after parking in the shopping center lot on Emerald St. The pavement was done after the first 0.5 mile and then after the bridge over the highway the trail became packed dirt/stone. It has been dry so the going was fine and the trail is relatively smooth. At mile 5 the trail becomes a 100 yard stretch of sand as it runs along the road- hard going and I just took the road on the way back to bypass it. After this the trail gets narrower until it is simply a dirt track through a mowed strip of grass along a power line right of way. Around mile 7 there started to be patches of mud which had enough solid surface to get through, the longest was probably 20-30 yards long. I wasn't able to reach my goal of 10 miles before turning back due to a large mud puddle (mostly puddle) at mile 8.7- no way to bypass it due to the overgrown vegetation on each side and more mud than I was in the mood to handle. But I enjoyed the ride, it was not crowded when out of Keene (between 9-11am on a Saturday morning). My bike is a hybrid with road tires and did OK.
This trail has come a long way. Recently resurfaced with gravel. It is a nice flat and is great for biking or walking. There are a couple of trails off the main one to explore.
As mentioned by others this HAS been a great trail.
Currently the trail is in very rough shape due to horse traffic. The type of material used last year to resurface the trail is great for walking and wheeled traffic but is damaged when horses are ridden at a gallop.
Recent attempt to ride resulted in my wife and I leaving the trail and finding a paved road to ride back on rather than endure the constant pounding.
I am trying to contact Vermont Dept of Forest ,Parks, and Rec about this but so far have had no luck getting a response.
I will update this review if new info comes or if the status of the trail surface changes,
I ran on this trail with my husband and children. Very stroller friendly path and very popular. There were many other people on the trail, which we didn’t mind. This could be due to the newly warm weather. Goes across several bridges and bodies of water. Picnic tables and benches along the way. Very scenic and excellent for a nice run. People were walking, roller blading, running, and riding their bikes. I definitely plan on coming back!
I have ridden this trail in increments, in 10ish mile out and back segments, and have enjoyed each ride a great deal. I have the last bit to finish still, a section in the middle where parking was not as clear to me initially. I hope to repeat it as a full ride at some point just to say I did it. Spring, Summer, Fall, all beautiful, and the covered bridges and historic areas are a nice surprise. The incline is so gradual, you don't realize it until you turn around and head back and finish a bit quicker on the return. It's busier at the Lebanon end but not packed by any means, and the Loons were a real treat.
The is was my first event with the MeetUp organization. It was a 40 mile ride with a great group of people. I was the “geezer” and everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. And as soon as Winter is over, I want to do more of these trips.
Parked at the Troy depot heading south toward Fitzwilliam and encountered a huge deep puddle a short distance away, there was no way around it and I had to turn around. It had been really dry, surprised to see a puddle
Took our ATVS down this trail today. Very well groomed, mainly flat surface (dirt and gravel). There is a large parking lot to unload. The trail signage was a bit confusing at times—one sign saying ATVS were permitted and others saying prohibited. If you park at the Fish and Game Road the trail head on the right takes you down a pretty short trail—so I would recommend starting on the left trail head which is decent in length. V
I just went to Black Jack Crossing road. There is no parking. Where is someone parking a horse trailer to get on this side of the trail?
Lots of stop signs involving crossing streets and Frost heaves on the trail. Not a terribly wide trail, expect to go over bricks and wooden Bridges also which are pretty bumpy unless you’re on a bike or something. The other nearby scenic trail is much better
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