Explore the best rated trails in Goffstown, 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 81 trails covering 527 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 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 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...
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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 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...
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...
Even though the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail traces the nation’s first narrow-gauge railroad for 3 miles from Bedford toward Billerica, the mostly crushed-stone path is plenty wide enough now to...
The Massachusetts Central Railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1938, but the 104-mile corridor is being reborn as a cross-state rail-trail. Currently, nearly 40 miles from Boston to Northampton...
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...
The Malden River Greenway is part of the Mystic Greenways trail system, which also includes the Wellington Greenway and the Mystic River Greenway. When completed, it will run along the Malden 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...
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,...
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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...
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 4.5-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
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 Charles River Bike Path, also referred to as the Charles River Greenway, offers a paved, 22-mile route from Boston to its western suburbs. The trail is also part of a larger, developing network...
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 Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
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...
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 Dover Community Trail snakes its way through the heart of the Garrison City—so nicknamed for the fortified log houses, or garrisons, built by 17th-century settlers—-offering a variety of trail...
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 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 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 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 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 Northern Strand Community Trail is part of the visionary and almost-complete Bike to the Sea plan to link Boston and the Mystic River to the seashore in Lynn, north of Boston. It currently runs...
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 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 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 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...
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 4.5-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
The Tri-Community Greenway follows the route of the Boston and Lowell Railroad and its Stoneham Branch, originally built to serve Stoneham’s shoe factories and provide passenger service. The trail...
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 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...
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...
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 Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. Its connections to the...
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 North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
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...
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...
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 Bradford Rail Trail occupies a former Pan Am rail corridor, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the mile-long path...
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 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 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 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 Assabet River Rail Trail connects five old mill towns that owe their revitalization to present-day high-tech industries. A midpoint gap splits the 8.6-mile paved trail, though long-range plans...
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...
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 Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. Its connections to the...
Even though the Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail traces the nation’s first narrow-gauge railroad for 3 miles from Bedford toward Billerica, the mostly crushed-stone path is plenty wide enough now to...
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...
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 Reformatory Branch Trail connects the historical towns of Bedford and Concord along a nearly 4-mile dirt path through wildlife refuges that ends where soldiers witnessed “the shot heard round the...
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...
The Fresh Pond Bikeway runs through Fresh Pond Reservation, a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bikeway winds around the east edge of the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Part of the trail is on a road...
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 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...
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...
My son and I love riding this on our dirt bikes. Wide and easy to ride, perfect place for a new rider to get comfortable. Plenty of other people on bicycles, hikers, ATVs and dirt bikes on the trail, everyone was friendly and courteous to give each other room. It’s nice having a place like this to spend time with my son.
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.
Beginning at the eastern point in Northampton, this is not well signposted. It connects with the western end of the Norwottuck trail heading west by turning right (turning left goes to the Manhan trail) at the T junction once you have gone through a tunnel having crossed the Connecticut River and crossed a couple of roads. It takes you to Florence / Leeds including the Look Memorial Park in Leeds. Heading west, having turned right onto this trail from the Norwottuck trail it goes behind a commercial building and seems to stop. At this point you come out between these buildings facing a road. Cross this road at the traffic lights and go through the Stop and Shop parking lot to the left of the supermarket building. There is an official gap in the fence where you can join the rail trail. It is not marked. Follow the trail to the right. It is a little bumpy with roots to start with but is a nice scenic paved trail.
An excellent paved trail, with many beautiful places to stop and take in, take a break for lunch, or refreshments! A couple bike shops along the way, just in case, or if you need something. Veer off at Mass Ave to go thru Harvard and Cambridge, lots to see & do!
Leisurely, very well maintained trail. We rode out of Acton which I think is the best part of the trail and also the newest. It started down-pouring so we didn’t make it the whole way (would have loved to see Heart Pond). Parking in Acton is at a TeamWorks location and there is parking at various parks up the trail as well.
Starting in the Nashua parking lot (northern terminus) head South. In a few miles, you travel through the town of Pepperell. Another 5 miles, you reach Groton center. The 12 mile trail ends in Ayer. Along the way, you ride parallel to the Nashua River and Pepperell Pond through woods and farms. You may see beaver lots of birds. It’s a pleasant and easy ride you are sure to enjoy.
This trail is great on a hot day, with most portions being shaded; a few open areas get pretty warm, but they are quickly ridden through. 12 miles to Ayer, where a small shady park next to the Town Hall provides a nice spot for a picnic lunch. You can take a slow, steady pace or cruise through at a good clip as you please; just be aware of the other cyclists (some on training wheels), skaters, and walkers. A bit more crowded than usual today (Thursday before the 4th of July), but not awful. One of our favorites!
This is the first trail that I have ridden that is split into two sections. The second section runs along multiple commercial buildings and is adjacent to the Merrimack river. There are many places on the second part to stop and view the river as there are many places to sit. The most interesting thing is that there was a Mulberry tree growing out of the middle of a stone wall (which is 30 feet down to the river) and which had a lot of ripe berries on it within reach. If I can figure out how to post a picture, then I will do so of the tree. Although not adjacent to rails, I would recommend this trail.
This section has been open for a year or two now (June 2020) and is excellent condition all along following the power lines. Approximately 4 miles long end to end with nice smooth black top ideal for cycling, now also attracting walkers, skaters etc. There are footpaths into the adjacent woods.
There is a car park at the Wayland end easily accessible from the intersection of rte 126 and 27. At the eastern end the last access point is at Church Street, Weston. Further east it just dead ends at a decrepit bridge.
A beautiful trail along the Sugar River, with some gorgeous covered bridges, which my wife and I much enjoyed. The ATV users were generally polite. But note: (1) Some parts of the trail have very, very sandy soil. My wife, an accomplished RAGBRAI rider, had to portage her Diverge, with 35mm tires, at one point, as did I coming back, riding a Warbird with 40mm Maxxis Ramblers. (2) The ATVs kick up great amounts of dust, so be prepared. (3) The entire trail is slightly downhill from Newport to Claremont, as the Sugar flows to the Connecticut. (4) Unless you ride at a decent pace, you may have bug problems.
We were not very impressed with this trail. The ground is very soft and not great for biking.
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