Find the top rated trails in Concord, 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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...
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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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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 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 trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed gravel and stone dust pathway follows an abandoned rail bed through Topsfield,...
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 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....
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 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...
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...
More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic route, planned to be paved in the future, offers a...
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 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...
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 Bedford Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail shares its trailhead at Depot Park in Bedford with the Minuteman Bikeway and Reformatory Branch Trail. Serving mainly as a commuter route, this trail extends just...
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 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 Sanford Railroad Trail goes by two other names: the Deering Pond Trail or just plain "Railroad Trail." The trail runs for nearly 5 miles between the town of Lebanon and the University of Southern...
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...
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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 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...
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...
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....
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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 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...
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 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,...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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...
Nestled in the woodlands on the northern end of Merrimac in the far northeastern corner of Massachusetts, lies the beautiful Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. The town, once known as West Amesbury, had a...
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...
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...
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 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...
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.
Decided to start biking last year. Did potions of Brice Freeman twice. Loved the ride. Made it to the end of Phase One this year. Love Heart Pond. Well maintained. More of an incline heading in, which is nice when you are tired and riding "down hill" on your way out. Can not wait for the next phase to be done!!!!!
Trailhead not so visible from the road as described. Generous parking on Groton St in Ayer but no restrooms just portable latrines. If you are traveling a distance, there is no place to change.
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 where the trail crosses Highway 140 and pedaled north. In about 3 miles the pavement ends at Old Gardener Road. You then have the option to take Old Gardener to Spring to North Ashburnham Roads to pick up the terminus of the next paved segment or if you're feeling adventurous you can cross Old Gardener and continue on the unpaved rail bed. It was full of humps, some mud and some puddles but you end up at an exit crossing Spring Street and a short connector that joins the paved segment that takes you to downtown Winchendon. Frankly the latter route is more interesting than the street connection route. Don't be surprised if you run into an ATV.
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.
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