Hillsborough, NH Fishing Trails and Maps

1181 Reviews

Looking for the best Fishing trails around Hillsborough?

Find the top rated fishing trails in Hillsborough, whether you're looking for an easy short fishing trail or a long fishing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a fishing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
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Type
19 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

20.1 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Canalside Rail Trail

3.6 mi
State: MA
Asphalt

Head's Pond Trail

1.75 mi
State: NH
Gravel

Mascoma River Greenway

2.78 mi
State: NH
Asphalt, Gravel

Mass Central Rail Trail

64 mi
State: MA
Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Merrimack River Greenway Trail

0.33 mi
State: NH
Asphalt

Nashua River Rail Trail

12.4 mi
State: MA, NH
Asphalt

New Boston Rail Trail

3.9 mi
State: NH
Dirt

Windham Rail Trail

4.3 mi
State: NH
Asphalt

Cheshire Rail Trail (Cheshire Branch Rail Trail)

42.4 mi
State: NH
Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Common Pathway

5.5 mi
State: NH
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail

7 mi
State: NH
Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Mason Railroad Trail

6.7 mi
State: NH
Ballast, Gravel, Sand

Potanipo Rail Trail (NH)

2.7 mi
State: NH
Crushed Stone, Gravel

Squannacook River Rail Trail

3.7 mi
State: MA
Crushed Stone

Sugar River Trail

9.5 mi
State: NH
Ballast, Gravel, Sand

Toonerville Rail-Trail

3.2 mi
State: VT
Asphalt

Granite Town Rail-Trail

3 mi
State: NH
Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Hillsborough Recreational Rail Trail

7.8 mi
State: NH
Crushed Stone, Dirt
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
A developing rail trail, the route winds for nearly 16 miles through Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, and Concord. The rail trail is paved and is typically about 10 feet wide.  About the...
MA 20.1 mi Asphalt
The well-maintained Canalside Rail Trail provides users with a variety of trestle bridges, views of waterbirds stalking fish and frogs, and gentle grades that alternate between open sky and forested...
MA 3.6 mi Asphalt
The Head’s Pond Trail (formerly known as Hooksett Rail Trail) is a 1.9-mile rail-trail that visits two scenic ponds, including the eponymous Head’s Pond, in a woodsy area of Hooksett. The trail’s...
NH 1.75 mi Gravel
The Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile rail-trail through the heart of Lebanon. The paved, multiuse trail is currently 2.78 miles, offering a pleasant opportunity for both recreation and...
NH 2.78 mi Asphalt, Gravel
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. The Mass Central Rail Trail runs for 64 miles between...
MA 64 mi Asphalt, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
The Merrimack River Greenway Trail (MRGT) will stretch from Boscawen southward through Concord to Pembroke, offering scenic views of the Merrimack River, the city and the surrounding landscapes. The...
NH 0.33 mi Asphalt
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...
MA, NH 12.4 mi Asphalt
The New Boston Rail Trail follows the former railroad corridor of the same name for 3.9 miles through densely wooded areas in the town of New Boston. The railroad was in operation from 1893 to 1931,...
NH 3.9 mi Dirt
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. The trail is 4.3 miles...
NH 4.3 mi Asphalt
The Cheshire Rail Trail connects Fitzwilliam, Troy, Keene, Westmoreland and Walpole. The 42.4-mile trail has a mostly gravel and dirt surface. The rail-trail plays host to a variety of uses,...
NH 42.4 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
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...
NH 5.5 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
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...
NH 7 mi Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand
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...
NH 6.7 mi Ballast, Gravel, Sand
Following the Nissitissit River through the woods, the Potanipo Rail Trail offers beautiful river views and launch sites for canoes or kayaks. Composed of two segments, the multi-use path is roughly...
NH 2.7 mi Crushed Stone, Gravel
The Squannacook River Rail Trail is 3.7 miles long, from Depot St in the center of Townsend, MA, to the Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area in Groton, MA. The trail occupies the Greenville Branch of the...
MA 3.7 mi Crushed Stone
The Sugar River Trail runs for 9.5 miles between Claremont and Newport along the old Sugar River Railroad corridor. The 9.5-mile trail crosses its namesake river seven times—twice on covered...
NH 9.5 mi Ballast, Gravel, Sand
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...
VT 3.2 mi Asphalt
The Granite Town Rail-Trail runs for 3 miles in Milford, New Hampshire. Portions of the route are unpaved and surfaced with sand, gravel, and/or dirt, while short concrete sections can be found along...
NH 3 mi Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand
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...
NH 7.8 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt

Recent Trail Reviews

Northern Rail Trail

Could Use More Investment

August, 2026 by trylondm

I was involved with the development of this trail so my review is somewhat biased. The eastern half in Merrimack County (Danbury to Boscawen) is in beautiful shape (due to federal financing) with a nice stone dust surface. The western half (Grafton to Lebanon) is much more scenic but was done mostly by volunteers with some local funding so has a highly variable surface, great in areas and poor in others.

Highlights include the trail in Lebanon as it crisscrosses the Mascoma River, in Enfield where it runs several miles alongside Lake Mascoma and downtown, and all of Merrimack County thanks to its trail surface.

I dearly wanted to give it a 5-star rating but had to admit that it was a bit of a slog going through the central (and high point) towns of Grafton and Orange. Wish the state of New Hampshire would put some resources into this trail, which would truly make it a premiere destination and top-rated trail.

Nashua River Rail Trail

Still a 5 Star Trail

August, 2026 by trylondm

Yes, the comments about all the root heaves along the paved trail are true, but otherwise a very attractive ride. The TrailLink description is very accurate. Might be special in foliage season.

Sugar River Trail

Easy bike ride & beautiful nature

August, 2026 by sandal.brownell

We rode mountain bikes from Claremont to Newport. Nice easy ride. Only met a few others on the trail. We saw a blue heron, 2 hawks, blue jays, and beautiful mushrooms. There were spots on the trail that had a good bit of gnats. The covered bridges are wonderful.

Accordion

Methuen Rail Trail

Important future connection

August, 2026 by dh7yh9mwbz

Pretty nice, short portion of paved trail. I parked at IHOP to check it out, lots of parking. Methuen did a good job with their section, now is time for Lawrence and Salem to pave their sections to connect with Windham and Derry. With just this one section finished it is likely only locals that currently use it but it will be great when it is part of the larger network.

Londonderry Rail Trail

Good piece to larger network

August, 2026 by dh7yh9mwbz

I have ridden the Methuen/Salem/Windham/Derry links of this former rail line and today did this section. It is flat, nicely paved with good parking options, traveling through some suburban and commercial stretches, a few wooded areas, even past a former reservoir but is mostly uninteresting. However, when the missing pieces are connected, and the embarrassingly poor Salem section is finally paved it will be great to travel all the way from the Lawrence, MA line to at least Manchester airport and then hopefully on to Lebanon some day.

Mass Central Rail Trail

Hadley to EastHampton- Norwottuck Rail Trail

August, 2026 by jlwinetrout

Beautiful 1st ride on the Norwottuck Rail Trail. We parked at the Marshalls in Hadley (trail starts right behind the building) and road a little over 10 miles into EastHampton and back. It was a very easy ride (my 1st ride of this length) on asphalt.

Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail

Rough ride

July, 2026 by mroschella

Trail lacked any evidence of maintenance. Rode from Hinsdale to Winchester.

Nashua River Rail Trail

Nice but bumpy

July, 2026 by ellenkillam

I haven't been on this trail for a few years so was disappointed to find there is still an issue with bumps from tree roots and small sink holes. I did not do the entire trail because of this. It is too bad because it is a nice trail.

Harrisville and Hancock Rail Trails

Not for everyone!

July, 2026 by ktrenaud

2.5 stars. Entered the trail a the far western end on Hancock Rd. near Skatutakee Lake. Biked eastward for several miles. Mixed surface (dirt, cinder, sand & forest floor). This trail is rough and best suited for fat-tire or full-suspension mountain bikes. You could do it with a gravel bike but be ready for a very bumpy ride. Partially buried track ties and roots cover roughly over a 3rd of this segment of the trail. The swamps and brook are absolutely beautiful. There are a few benches for a peaceful stop. The trail has a gentle decline most of the way so be prepared for the uphill on the return trip. Mostly shaded so sunscreen isn't needed but bug spray might be a good idea if stopping for prolonged periods. The bridges are beautiful & well maintained. The signage is discreet & informative. This is a wonderful all season trail that I plan to return to in foliage season. It has a lot of potential but in its current condition it has a LONG way to go to become a destination that will attract tourists & generate $$$ for the local economy.

Squannacook River Rail Trail

nice shorter ride

July, 2026 by slasalle76

Pleasant ride on this crushed stone surface, using my hybrid. Very short section that still has rails and ties and requests that bikes go around on the sidewalk, but easily joins back up to the actual trail after about 100 yards. The eastern end terminates in the Squannacook wildlife management area, with walking trails to follow down toward the river. If you are looking for a nice short ride that's under 10 miles total, this is a good one to choose. Stop for a bite at the local diner in Townsend center, or an ice cream.

Ashburnham Rail Trail

Short but scenic

June, 2026 by bhaalck

0.8 miles of this trail now consists of crushed gravel

Northern Rail Trail

Fantastic Trail.

May, 2026 by rwasson

There's another couple of miles of mostly paved trail that goes beyond the parking lot in Lebanon. That's an excellent section of the trail. It took us all the way to Glen Road in West Lebanon.

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