Find the top rated trails in Laconia, 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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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 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...
Maine’s Eastern Trail will eventually extend from Casco Bay in South Portland to the Piscataqua River in Kittery, partially along the former Eastern Railroad. Three off-road segments of the trail are...
The Londonderry Rail Trail will one day stretch 6 miles across Londonderry from Derry to Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, along the former Manchester and Lawrence Railroad. As of December...
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 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...
Stretching 3.5 paved 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...
The Windham Rail-Trail occupies a scenic stretch of abandoned rail (Manchester and Lawrence) between Range Road (at Rockingham Rd.) in Salem and Windham Road, about 4 miles to the northwest. At...
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...
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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...
Named for the railroad line it parallels, the Mountain Division Trail will one day span 52 miles between Fryeburg and Portland. Two sections of the trail are currently open. A 6-mile segment between...
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 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:...
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 Franconia Notch Recreation Path travels 8-miles south to north from the Franconia Notch State Park to Skookumchuck & Rt. US 3. The trail is located within the White Mountain National Forest and...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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....
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...
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 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 Upper and Lower Nanamocomuck Trails in White Mountain National Forest are accessible from Kancamagus Highway (SR 112) west of Conway. The trails are open for hiking in summer and cross-country...
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 Windham Rail-Trail occupies a scenic stretch of abandoned rail (Manchester and Lawrence) between Range Road (at Rockingham Rd.) in Salem and Windham Road, about 4 miles to the northwest. At...
Stretching 3.5 paved 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...
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 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...
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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...
Maine’s Eastern Trail will eventually extend from Casco Bay in South Portland to the Piscataqua River in Kittery, partially along the former Eastern Railroad. Three off-road segments of the trail are...
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 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...
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 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...
The Upper and Lower Nanamocomuck Trails in White Mountain National Forest are accessible from Kancamagus Highway (SR 112) west of Conway. The trails are open for hiking in summer and cross-country...
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...
The Windham Rail-Trail occupies a scenic stretch of abandoned rail (Manchester and Lawrence) between Range Road (at Rockingham Rd.) in Salem and Windham Road, about 4 miles to the northwest. At...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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,...
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...
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...
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...
Named for the railroad line it parallels, the Mountain Division Trail will one day span 52 miles between Fryeburg and Portland. Two sections of the trail are currently open. A 6-mile segment between...
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 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...
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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.
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New Hampshire's largest city, Manchester, boasts relatively quick access to one of the state's longest rail-trails: the 26.5-mile Rockingham Recreational Trail (a.k.a. Portsmouth Branch). The rustic...
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...
Trail through Tilton isn't easy to follow. You best start at the train depot (Merrimack Valley RailRoad) where there is a great assortment of cabooses. Behind the cabooses is a parking lot and a park. At the far end of the playing fields you can pick up the trail and head toward Franklin.
The second of trail on the other side of town is very industrial, crosses under an under construction highway bridge, and then is an overgrown path between a McDonalds and Burger Kind. Not very scenic there. If you want to do this segment, use the trail head and parking lot at ~ 178 E Main St.
This trail has a massive potential – a viable trail from Manchester to Portsmouth through some interesting scenery and wildlife.
We parked at Sandown, hoping to walk a few miles one afternoon, and were bitterly disappointed. The trail consisted of a churned up, impassable surface, for either walking or biking and neglected artifacts. It was also a haven for ATVs.
The first thing we saw were a couple of ATV’s driven by kids who were out for a good time with absolutely no regard for other trail users. Apparently the ATVs are credited with keeping the trail clear in winter. One wonders for whom – certainly not for walkers or bikers. The usual trail rules seem to be completely inverted - give way to ATVs or risk being mown down.
This, unfortunately, is not the first trail in NH where we have seen this happen.
New Hampshire is unfortunately known for neglecting its rail trails. The trails there have great potential, with great scenery and abundant wildlife, but most are falling into decay.
In short, if you want a decent passable trail, go elsewhere.
parked at the opecheee inn and rode about 3 miles to Leslie Roberts Drive
and back.
trail is paved, mostly flat, sidewalk sections well marked.
Rode from Enfield to Lebanon on a weekday. Passed about ten to fifteen people, total. Enjoyed the view of the river several times. Trail was debris-free and well-maintained. It is mostly beneath tree cover. For those of you who are anxious about bathrooms, there is a rec. center right at the end of the trail in Lebanon where you can do your business. It was a relief to me when I discovered this! Nicely convenient.
Tried to bike the trail, but had to turn around. The surface is chewed up, with massive potholes and lots of hazards.
found the trail near our seasonal site at Westward Shores on Ossipee Lake. The "trail" still had railroad rails and some ties and was completely overgrown. Not for biking but maybe for x country skiing or snow snowmobiling in the winter...
We started on the Newport end at the trail crossing on Oak Street and headed west, feeling that we'd see the most starting here and figuring if we still had ambition on the return, we would do the last portion into Newport at Belknap Ave. The surface varied in hardness, but until we were returning from the Claremont end, slightly uphill most of the way back, we didn't have to walk our bikes. Neither of us are hard-core riders and my wife did the whole ride on a single speed, traditional coaster brake bike, while I've got an inexpensive "mountain" bike, but it is nothing special either. On the return trip, being somewhat tired we did walk a few stretches, but not for any appreciable distance. We saw only two ATV's, both moving at a reasonable speed and both very considerate of our presence. We also encountered several walkers, an older couple and a young family or two, but that was about it. Probably daytime on a midweek day is a good time to do this one if you want relative solitude. The covered bridges alone are worth the trip but the entire experience was enjoyable for us. There is a mix of deep woods, and field or river's edge open areas. When we got back to our starting point, it was late enough and we were tired enough not to do the last portion into Newport, but (aside from no more covered bridges) it looks like we'll come back sometime to finish that last portion. The river is beautiful, we didn't see much wildlife, but the birds provided us with much enjoyment along the way . Some ravens were harassing a hawk at one point, and that was interesting to watch and listen to. Overall, our experience was very favorable and the reviews I had read which made me apprehensive were not fulfilled in our case, although at other times of day or week, or following different weather conditions I can see where anything other reviewers said could easily have been the case. I would say it was a ride well worth the effort.
I did this over two weekends. Went from Manchester to Raymond and back the first weekend, and then did the Raymond to Newfields part the following weekend. The trail seems to have far fewer people in the Raymond to Newfields section and has a nice canopy if the sun is strong. The one thing I would caution is that the crossing at Rte. 107 (Freetown Road) right after Raymond is not great, is a busy road, and wide. It could definitely benefit by having pedestrian markings on the road and a stop light. The other street crossings are much easier. There is a light at the Epping intersection, thankfully. Maybe someone can install one at Rte 107 where the trail crosses.
You can actually start in downtown New Boston. Ride a few hundred feet on Rt 13 to Depot Street, cross the bridge and turn right onto a dirt road that will lead to the 4H Fairgrounds. It should be noted that Google Maps does not show a completed section from the fairgrounds Gregg Mill Road, but it is in fact a nice section of the trail. After Gregg Mill Rd it becomes a walking trail. You need at least a cross bike to ride on the rest of the trail to 114. It is fun.
I rode from Andover to Enfield and was very disappointed with the condition of the trail north of Danbury. The description here in Trail Link should mention that the trail is reduced to singletrack in some locations and that maintenance is pretty much non existent in Grafton County in spite of the "friends" organization. I encountered warped deck boards sticking up on bridges, trenches dug across the trail for drainage, muddy sections with poor drainage, narrow sections with no room to pass other users, narrow sections with waist high weeds and grass. I rode with a cargo trailer assuming the trail was at the very least wide enough to accommodate it, since there was no mention otherwise. Locals I met on the trail said it's only maintained for snowmobile use. Those responsible for the Grafton section should take notice of the Merrimack section I encountered between Andover and Danbury. Wide, crushed stone, smooth surface. A true recreation trail for all ages and abilities.
I've been riding the Cotton Valley rail trail since it opened and I'm excited that the last phase of the trail is almost finished. I was told that it should be done by August. I'm gearing up for the ride from Wakefield into Wolfeboro! Thank you to all of the people who worked hard on this beautiful trail and making one of my dreams come true! Job well done!!
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