Explore the best rated trails in Conway, NH. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Eastern Promenade Trail and Franconia Notch Recreation Path. With more than 40 trails covering 337 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 Beth Condon Memorial Pathway is located in the heart of Yarmouth, Maine. The path is named in honor of a high school student who was struck by a drunk driver while walking along US-1. The paved...
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...
he 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...
In Woodsville the trail starts across from the Subway Restaurant across from the the Oceans Job Lot Store and next to the Woodsville Machine Shop and YES Yankee Electrical Supply up and down a short...
The Auburn Riverwalk passes through the heart of the old mill district of the Twin Cities of Auburn and Lewiston. The 1.6-mile paved and gravel path offers many scenic views of the Androscoggin River,...
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 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 Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
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...
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 Norway Branch Rail Trail sits on the former railbed of the Norway Branch Railroad which once connected the communities of Norway and South Paris. The trail runs from Beal Street in the west to...
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If you find yourself exploring the town of Littleton, New Hampshire, do yourself a favor and hit the riverwalk. Though only half a mile long, the riverside walkway is beloved by tourists coming to see...
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...
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...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
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 trail sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Auburn. A former roadway, the wide gravel path can accommodate various kinds of uses including, running, biking, walking dogs. And in the winter, the...
The Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest. Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the...
The Sawyer River Trail/Sawyer River Road lies deep in the forested heart of the 1,200-square-mile White Mountain National Forest. The 7.5-mile route traces an old logging railroad that’s now part...
The Franconia Brook Trail runs from just north of the confluence of the east branch of the Pemigewasset River and Franconia Branch. Note that bicycling is not permitted along the route. You can...
Most of the Wild River Trail falls within the Wild River Wilderness and is off-limits to bikes. At it's southern end, the trail meets the Wildcat River Trail, near Bog Brook. From here, you can bike...
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 York Pond Trail begins at the Berlin Fish Hatchery (just past the locked gate), going through a notch in the Mountains to the south and west to Bunnell Brook. The trail leads to Willard Notch,...
The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail carries its users for 19.2 miles along the scenic river that shares its name and is itself a destination for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. The trail passes through a...
Located in the scenic Presidential Range in the White Mountains, the Presidential Rail Trail is a scenic and pleasant route, providing an alternative view of Mount Washington and the surrounding area....
The Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail (also known as Railroad Trail) traverses the woods on either side of Sanford’s scenic Springvale community in southern Maine. Founded by a mill owner in the 17th...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
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 Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
he 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...
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Locals lovingly describe the Cross Vermont Trail as a patchwork quilt that will ultimately form a 90-mile trail from Lake Champlain in the west to the Connecticut River in the east. A component of the...
The Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest. Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the...
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 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...
The Oliverian Brook Trail follows the course of Oliverian Brook through the dense forest of White Mountain National Forest. The trail, open to cross-country skiing in winter, heads toward Passaconaway...
In Woodsville the trail starts across from the Subway Restaurant across from the the Oceans Job Lot Store and next to the Woodsville Machine Shop and YES Yankee Electrical Supply up and down a short...
The trestle trail is part of a network of rail-trails converted from and old logging railroad in the White Mountains. It is close to the Zealand Trail, the Sugarloaf Trail, and the Hale Brook...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion. Trail development began in 1996 after the state purchased the Boston and Maine...
The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail carries its users for 19.2 miles along the scenic river that shares its name and is itself a destination for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. The trail passes through a...
The Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail (also known as Railroad Trail) traverses the woods on either side of Sanford’s scenic Springvale community in southern Maine. Founded by a mill owner in the 17th...
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...
If you find yourself exploring the town of Littleton, New Hampshire, do yourself a favor and hit the riverwalk. Though only half a mile long, the riverside walkway is beloved by tourists coming to see...
The Black Pond Trail itself is short but it can be linked with other trails that run through the forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, just northeast of Lincoln. Specifically, the Black Pond...
The trail sits on the northwestern shore of Lake Auburn. A former roadway, the wide gravel path can accommodate various kinds of uses including, running, biking, walking dogs. And in the winter, the...
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Bicycles are permitted only on the first 2.3 miles of the trail, up to the wilderness boundary (marked with signs). Hiking and cross-country skiing only are allowed past this point.
Locals lovingly describe the Cross Vermont Trail as a patchwork quilt that will ultimately form a 90-mile trail from Lake Champlain in the west to the Connecticut River in the east. A component of the...
In Woodsville the trail starts across from the Subway Restaurant across from the the Oceans Job Lot Store and next to the Woodsville Machine Shop and YES Yankee Electrical Supply up and down a short...
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 Oliverian Brook Trail follows the course of Oliverian Brook through the dense forest of White Mountain National Forest. The trail, open to cross-country skiing in winter, heads toward Passaconaway...
The Norway Branch Rail Trail sits on the former railbed of the Norway Branch Railroad which once connected the communities of Norway and South Paris. The trail runs from Beal Street in the west to...
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...
The Beth Condon Memorial Pathway is located in the heart of Yarmouth, Maine. The path is named in honor of a high school student who was struck by a drunk driver while walking along US-1. The paved...
Located in the scenic Presidential Range in the White Mountains, the Presidential Rail Trail is a scenic and pleasant route, providing an alternative view of Mount Washington and the surrounding area....
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held 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....
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 trestle trail is part of a network of rail-trails converted from and old logging railroad in the White Mountains. It is close to the Zealand Trail, the Sugarloaf Trail, and the Hale Brook...
The West Milan Trail follows a portion of the Upper Ammonoosuc River along State Route 110 northwest of Berlin. The mult-use trail is relatively flat and follows a scenic mountain valley...
Having ridden this trail in sections numerous times, and having ridden the entire length in a day last fall, It's my opinion that this is the finest rail trail for cycling purposes in NH.
In Merrimack county (Boscawen to Danbury) the dedication of the local friends group is evident. The trail is well maintained and the surface is excellent. From Grafton to Lebanon (Grafton county) the surface is trickier, with regular sandy spots and some exposed railroad ties. Despite this, the trail is still very ride-able in a gravel bike, and my wife had no issues in Merrimack county on a cruiser/townie bike.
We had a great time on this flat trail, which does have some old railroad tires and nails popping up along the way. Using “Map My Walk” it was 7.12 miles from the parking lot to the falls and back. The falls are very refreshing, with a few safe still pools to cool off in! Highly recommend this trail! You can also visit other side trails off this one, including Black Pond which we do next time!
Bikers beware. As others have noted, this is a narrow trail with rails still in place. It is a beautiful path and perfect for walkers and runners. If you choose to ride, Wear a helmet and heed the signs to walk across the on\off ramps where the path veers from the rails, which is often. As others have noted, bike tires can become snagged and cause you to be thrown from your bike. This happened to my partner requiring fire dept/emergency rescue from the trail. Shame on us for not wearing helmets. Concussion and fractured arm later, all is well. Emergency responders and local hospital were all amazing - especially given the current concerns in healthcare. Important to note, no one was surprised at what had happened, it’s not uncommon. Again, beautiful trail, but I think this is a fair warning if you do choose to ride this trail.
If you are parking on the Farmington side, get ready to get creative with your parking although, if you intend on riding it, it's probably the safer bet since you do need to cross a MAJOR roadway about 1 mi from the trail head.
As the only person riding the route with a full suspension fat bike, I found it tolerable but the rest of my group were not as fortunate. The sand was soft, or rocky, or a combination of the two. There were parts of our bodies forever damaged (kidding... kind of) as we literally pounded our way down this viewless trail. Of the six miles we rode, probably 1.5 was "doable" on a regular bike otherwise it was just extremely difficult to navigate.
There is no river..... but there is a bit of a cess pool looking pond. We went in the middle of a drought which probably worked to our advantage as any water on this trail would make it nearly impassible.
After six miles, we decided enough was enough so we chose to take the road back. Mind you... riding along Route 11 was our only choice (think massive commercial district with significant traffic)... and yet.. it was still better than trying our hand at that return on that trail. Thank goodness we were all relatively adult... at least numerically... taking a kid on this would be a HARD no.
Unfortunately, we see a real opportunity to for rail trails but if the funding isn't there to maintain it then it's not going to get much use. That was the case with this strip.... and, hopefully with some resources, it can meet its potential of being a fun day of recreating.
Nice shady trail along the River. Loved the sound of the river along the trail. We stopped at the train depot in Tilton. It does continue but, looks like your in the street.
This trail is closed now summer/2020 but it has a detour. It’s basically riding the back roads all the way to Walmart, and Shaw’s where you can go on another trail. That trail is not suitable for wide UTVs because of the metal posts.
I have a Polaris ranger crew and it can’t really use this trail because of the metal posts. It’s a pain to try to get through.
The trail starting in Lisbon is not a bike riding trail. We have fat tire e bikes and road three miles toward Bath NH. The trail is very rough with large crushed rock. The trail is for ATV and dirt bikes in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.
We were not very impressed with this trail. The ground is very soft and not great for biking.
We started on the eastern end. About a mile in there is some construction with heavy machinery and a very rough trail. Other than that, the trail is in good condition. For about a mile, the views are stupendous but most of the trail is in a forest canopy. There is a beautiful pond with lots of marshland.
The BIG issue is the bugs. The horseflies are terrible. In the hour and a half we were out we each got bit a dozen times and swatted away hundreds. I'm not sure if this is all the time or seasonal, or just this section of the trail, but it'll keep us from this segment.
Next time we'll go to the mid-point and try from there.
This trail is paved going through the center of Laconia and then following Rt 3. It is great for walking, biking and running. It is very well maintained and passes multiple beach areas where one can stop. It is a 5 star trail.
The original trail was 2.7 miles long. The current trail is 4.3 miles long. Unlike some trails that just cover up old tracks, this one follows an active trail system. The trail and the tracks are well separated by fences. The first 3/4 of the trail are flat with the last 1/4 of the trail having some small rises and falls. I have been mapping trails for a few decades and will attempt to send a new .gpx file of the current trail with it's extension to the developers of this web site.
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