1st year cyclist - 5 weeks in I’ve biked Salem/Windam (and a bit beyond but have not finished to Derry) two times. I made it to Derry today on third run. Fabulous Salem to Derry.

we parked by the closed plant on Davidson drive.
trail started off soft, some areas quite wet and rutty. Plenty of rocky spots too that make even riding the fat tire bike tough. Trail doesn't appear to be maintained very well. However, there was a nice waterfall off to the side of the trail.

Road from Methuen to Salem, NH
First, only paved in Methuen. Once you get to Salem, no pavement and the trail is a mix of everything.
Second, SAFETY!!
With most rail trail paths that intersect with cat traffic there is warning signs to stop or traffic lights to assist with safe crossing. Not on this route.
Pretty sure at the 3 major meetings with car traffic that we encountered, they had no idea that a riding path even existed. Treacherous crossings, had to stop at the intersection just before Tuscan Village.
Please don’t call this the Rail Trail

Headed east 10 miles from Lake Massebesic. Trail surface was rutted and very bumpy. Frequent large rocks sticking up and some wet/muddy areas. Not pleasant riding on a touring bike with 32mm tires. A fat bike or full suspension mountain bike would be a better choice. Four long culvert underpasses were too low to walk upright. Generally not much fun. I rode back mostly on parallel roads (which were very nice).

Parked at the Windham Post office and followed the train tracks about 5 miles. Paved trail follows the tracks on the segment I rode on. Part of the trail was still blocked by snow and impassable by bike. Looking forward to riding much further when the snow is gone! Trail goes through woods, past farms and fields and leads to a dam. There’s a small farm called Orchard Ridge along the trail to get drinks and snacks. Lots of quiet neighborhoods to ride around in as well.

Have ridden this several times now in different seasons. Wouldn't attempt or recommend it on a road bike, but it's perfectly comfortable on something more rugged (gravel bike with 35mm+ semi-knobbies).

Mostly crushed stone and cinder, some doubletrack. Tends to get very overgrown at the sides, recent early Winter ride had me picking thistles off my jersey and tights. Several large puddles tend to collect across the entire trail, even in summer. Can easily be linked to the Garrison, Eastern Marsh and Ghost trails with on-road connections.

goes by some lakes and marsh areas. Different as it goes on and off between rails filled with sand and gravel. beautiful spot at the end with lake winnepasaki.

The trail has been extended 0.4 miles south of Fisher Street, though there is no obvious parking at that end. Start near the south end, so you can partially coast on the return.

Now that I've ridden this connector trail, I believe the description is a bit misleading. This trail connects directly with the Old Eastern Marsh Trail, runs under the north end of the Route 1 bridge from one side to the other, and connects to a sidewalk that enables one to then cross the drawbridge. This sidewalk is not suitable for cycling. Once across to the south side, the sidewalk there meets the Harbor Walk and Clipper City trails. This trail enables one to cross under Route 1 avoiding the actual Route 1 traffic - enjoying the art and river view on the way.