Find the top rated trails in Lee, 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.
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
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 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 trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed stone-dust pathway follows a former rail bed through Topsfield, meandering...
The health and fortunes of Lowell have been intimately tied to the Concord River for hundreds of years. This tributary of the more well-known Merrimack River continues to be at the heart of the local...
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 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...
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...
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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...
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...
You won't get lonely on the Minuteman Bikeway. The just over 10-mile rail-trail through suburban Boston is one of New England's most popular trails. Warm summer weekends in particular bring folks of...
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...
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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 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...
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 smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 3.3-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
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 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 newly open Bradford Rail Trail occupies the former Pan Am rail lines, beautifying an area that once lay strewn with garbage and weeds. The city and numerous dedicated volunteers created the...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
The trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed stone-dust pathway follows a former rail bed through Topsfield, meandering...
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 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...
Over 8 miles of the Northern Strand Community Trail, which follows the former Boston and Maine Railroad, are open to the public. Although this comprises two different trail surfaces, the Northern...
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 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...
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...
Shaped like a Y, this 4.1-mile rail-trail connects Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott. From the trail junction in quaint Marblehead, one branch meanders through conservation areas and past harbor...
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 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 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 Bruce Freeman Rail Trail follows the route of the former Framingham and Lowell Railroad. It begins at the Lowell/Chelmsford city line, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, near Cross Point, a major...
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 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...
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...
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 rugged and beautiful Reformatory Branch Trail meanders more than 4 miles through three natural areas: Elm Brook Conservation Area, Mary Putnam Webber Wildlife Preserve, and Great Meadows National...
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...
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 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...
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 year 2017 marks 20 years since a rails-to-trails project was first mentioned in the Goffstown Master Plan, and thanks to work by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail and support throughout the...
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...
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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Crossing through wooded areas and featuring magnificent wetland vistas, the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) offers an 18.3-mile trail adventure from Epping to Windham. The northern...
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...
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 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...
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 trail begins in the small town of Boxford, about 25 miles north of Boston. For just shy of 5 miles, the hard-packed stone-dust pathway follows a former rail bed through Topsfield, meandering...
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...
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...
Over 8 miles of the Northern Strand Community Trail, which follows the former Boston and Maine Railroad, are open to the public. Although this comprises two different trail surfaces, the Northern...
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...
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...
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 new section is great. There seems to be plenty of access points and is very wide. The old section has very limited accessibility. What is really sad about this older section in Chelmsford is the lack of accessibility and the feeling one gets the town doesn't want anybody on the trail so they can get rid of it. The section that goes thru town has mostly some type of fence up to keep you on the trail. The intersection in town is lacking proper crossing signs and narrow crossing barriers. Then when you get to Rte110 crossing forget seeing the other section, at the lights a sign states walk your bike but where. Really sad is the athletic field next to the trail , there is no trail access, you have to walk back to the side walk. You have to wonder how much money the businesses around this trail is missing out on. Further down the trail which parallels rte110 the shopping centers have a fence blocking access to the trail. My recommendation is bike the trail but spend your money else where. CHELMSFORD WAKE UP. Great parking in Acton, I parked at Nara park, you could swim after the ride. Another great place is on rte2a behind Donelan's. There are smaller parking areas along the new section. The old section before Chelmsford center is mostly wooded. There is a small lake/pond with a beach off of the trail and you could go swimming there.
Loved this trail! Clean, scenic, and well marked. It starts out in the quaint town of Ayers and continues to take you through beautiful scenery of marshes, wildlife and what appeared to be a vineyard. We loved how the quaint towns have signs showing local attractions, restaurants and other businesses. We even veered off the path 1/4 of a mile to see the covered bridge in Pepperell, Ma.
This trail is awesome for biking with the exception of one area that is very very bumpy and uneven. Otherwise it’s a great paved trail. My only other complaint would be that it’s too short!
Very nice trail. Wish we had more time to spend here.
Don't bother with the trailhead behind the restaurant in Greenville (currently the King House) marked on the map---it's a dead end about 1/4 to 1/2 mile in. Someone has piled Jersey Barriers, concrete blocks and old storm drains to block the trail behind Pilgrim Plastic. That and the numerous NO TRESPASSING signs make it pretty clear that they don't want people hiking, biking or anything else up there.
Start from Adams Hill Road where it crosses the trail, it's a nice hike from there. There isn't a lot of parking available there, but I've never seen it too crowded. The day we went we didn't see anyone on the trail and once we got away from the road noise of Rte. 31 it was birdsong and peepers to accompany our hike.
One other thing---bring bug spray! We were swarmed by mosquito's and blackflies for most of the hike. I was glad I wore a long sleeve shirt and long hiking pants, so all I had to defend was my head and neck (yes, I forgot bug spray!)
Great trail but not for younger children around Goffstown part of the trail. Hope they can add railings to the trail near the lake as there is around a 30 foot drop in several areas.
This is a great trail to get a few miles in on a bike. The trail is flat and well maintained. There are plenty of pretty spots along the way for taking breaks.
Couple of week ago I took the Winnipesaukee River Trail from my house in Northfield to Franklin and while biking route 3 I came across the Northern Rail Trail going southbound to Concord, then biked back. It was a nice 40 mile bike ride round trip. Next year I would like to bike northbound from the Winnipesaukee River Trail to the North Rail Trail northbound to West Lebanon NH. My only concern is where to connect onto this trail so I am not back tracking too far. I have driven route 11 beside the trail to find the best access to get on after getting off the Winnipesaukee River Trail. Any suggestions or best route would be great. Love both trails and plan to bike them more next season.
We started at the southern end, and the trail was great for a short ride. Then we got to the railroad station parking lot and could not find the rest of the trail. We rode down Forth st to the bridge and there was no trail that we could find. Look like the trail has a lot of potential to run along the river, and the paved short section we rod on was nice. Had a huge sub at Dougs Hoagies across the street from the Railroad station.
10/27/2017
Easy to locate by following directions on the trail page.
Park on Rt 23, Mason Rd.- dirt lot on the left. It is a half mi to trailhead on Morse Rd. The orange barrier is about 100 yards in from the road on the left, so if the leaves have not yet fallen, it may be difficult to see, but it should be rather obvious that the trail is there. A very short section also goes further south towards Townsend.
10.4 miles to the Mason Village depot. Average grade 2.8% going northbound. Therefore, you are going up hill, but you hardly notice. The road surface of crushed gravel, as a base, is very flat. With each crossing of a motor vehicle roadway, there are barriers and signs to warn you.
The trail is in excellent shape with some water across the trail, probably collecting in depressions caused by ATVs. This occurs beyond Pratt Pond at the top of the hook, but not so difficult that one cannot get around them. It was probably more obvious due to severe rain over the past 48 hrs.
Nice vistas and scenery along the way. At approximately 4 miles from the trailhead, there is a granite quarry loop on the left. I did not take it, so can offer no report.
At the end of the trail (9 miles), you will encounter a barricade that marks the intersection with Rt. 31. You should walk down to the highway and then you can ride on Rt 31 (take a left) to reach Old Wilton Road on your right. There is a bridge to cross. It is one more mile to the old depot in the center of town. Be careful on Rt. 31. Large trucks go very fast.
This trail is historically significant in that Henry David Thoreau, on September 6, 1852, rode this line (Peterboro’ & Shirley Railroad) from Ayer (Groton Junction at the time) [after riding the Fitchburg line from Concord to Ayer]. Reaching Mason Village (Greenville), he walked to Peterborough, stayed the night and continued on to the summit of Grand Monadnock, on foot. Later in the day, he descended to Troy, NH, and returned the same day to Concord, via the Cheshire RR, and, at Fitchburg, the Fitchburg RR.
The gap in the map can be closed. It is now possible to run, bike, walk, etc. from Turntable Park in Sanbornville to the Wolfeboro Depot. Just use caution when crossing Route 16 (White Mountain Highway) at the Miss Wakefield diner, Route 109 (Governor Wentworth Highway) at Fernald Station, and Route 28 in Wolfeboro.
The section from Clark Road out to Cotton Valley was completed during late summer and early fall of 2017. From Cotton Valley to about the Brookfield town line (the old W8/S4 mile marker post) is mostly between the rails (although there are a few sections beside the rails). From Cotton Valley, about the first mile is slightly downhill. From there it is fairly flat to Clark Road.
From the Brookfield line to Clark Road is mostly outside the rails.
Out near the W9/S3/B100 mile post there are a couple of picnic tables next to the trail.
In the late spring and early summer, the deer flies in the section from Cotton Valley to Clark Road can be very thick.
Get out and enjoy the completed trail!
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