Find the top rated bike trails in New London, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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 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...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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 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 Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest. Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the...
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 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 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...
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...
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
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,...
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...
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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 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...
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...
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...
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 Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
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...
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...
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 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...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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 Roland Bergeron Bike Path runs about 6 miles alongside nearly the entirety of Albuquerque Avenue in Litchfield, NH. Completed in 2010, the 8-ft wide asphalt path averages about 5 yards in from...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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 Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
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...
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 Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest. Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the...
The Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
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 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...
Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection between Wheelock Park on the trail's west end and Ashuelot River...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 Cotton Valley Rail Trail connects the small town of Wakefield, near the Maine border, and the quintessentially quaint New England vacation town of Wolfeboro. In 2017 the towns held a...
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 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 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...
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...
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 Mascoma River Greenway is a planned 4-mile non-motorized pathway through the heart of Lebanon. The trail is envisioned to link West Lebanon to the Northern Rail Trail, which spans more than 50...
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...
The Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest. Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the...
I did this in the summer of 2018. as others have mentioned, quite rough in spots. quite wet in spots. and sandy, i hate sandy.
could be a nice trail but as it is, i wouldn't recommend it for bikes, even a mountain bike. also, beware of the dogs.
with the exception of the Northern Rail Trail, New Hampshire needs to step up their game regarding their rail trails.
The trail description in the intro is quite accurate. It's a little gem but rough around the edges. The river makes this route. If it wasn't there I certainly wouldn't bother. Forget a road bike. Hybrids should be OK but don't get too comfy. This trail's changing surface & overgrown vegetation will keep you engaged. I also wouldn't bring small children unless you don't mind walking long stretches where the grass gets so thick it makes for difficult pedaling. Don't bother going after a significant rain. This is a wet trail for sure. Make sure to bring your camera & start at Dole's junction on the southern end of the trail.
We started our ride at the Hannah Duston parking lot in Boscawen. The RTC map takes you to where the ride starts but not the parking area. The parking area is shortly after you get off I-93. It's a Park and Ride lot. There are good signs to indicate which way the ride starts. It starts 0.5 miles down the street. The first mile or so is out in the open. After that, it goes into a shaded area. At this time of year, the mosquitoes are plentiful and ready to bite. The surface of the trail is crushed gravel and easily ridden with a hybrid or mountain bike. Sadly, we had to cut our ride short after about 5 miles due to a bike malfunction. We plan to go back and give it another try. An additional point of interest is the monument to Hannah Duston, which is located to the left of the trailhead kiosk, across a little bridge. It sits on the banks of the Merrimack River.
This is a very nice trail. It’s a very easy , flat, smooth surface. The parking lot is large enough to give you time and room to get your bike and gear together. The only thing I wasn’t thrilled with is having to cross busy roads and the space between the bollards could be a little wider.
Rode from the start near Keene ice north to Hwy 12. All paved until you cross Rt. 9 where it turns to hardpack. nice ride through golf course. Gets a bit rough north of Hurricane road. eventually started dropping to singletrack in places; just past huge former landfill just before Hwy 12 it got too wet to continue (early May). Gentle ~1% grade. This ride was good on my gravel bike. Mountain would be ideal but not necessary. Saw a few on fat bikes- overkill, but do not know whats north of 12. Moderate use on a Saturday afternoon closer to the city, including one horse.
The first section of the Mascoma River Greenway - which was a section of the Northern Railroad - open in 2018 from High St. in downtown Lebanon westerly two miles to Glen Rd. in West Lebanon. Surface is 12-foot wide pavement. The MRG is not a continuation of the Northern Rail Trail, but the distance between on local streets is very short.
Biked from Potter place to Hoyt Road. Nice trail...hope to do it all in spring 2019!
I rode this trail several years ago, when it only extended 3-4 miles east from Wolfeboro. However, this summer I rediscovered the trail, which is now 12 miles long extending all the way to Turntable Park in Sanbornville (completed summer of 2017). What a beautiful trail it is now. I have ridden the trail 7-8 times this summer and am really hooked on it! The natural beauty from causeway lake crossings to very bucolic meadows & wetlands on the western end are some of the best I've ridden in awhile!
As far as trailside features, you have the lakeside Town of Wolfeboro with many restaurants and a great bike shop (Nordic Skier) in town. When leaving Wolfeboro you pass by the restored train depot (restrooms, tourist info) close to town. This first 2 miles tends to be busy with walkers, cyclists, and people sailing remote controlled sailboats by the soccer fields (kind of neat).
The trail continues east crossing Route 28 (kind of busy, but slower traffic with a painted crosswalk so cars tend to stop for pedestrians and cyclists) but still use caution because it is hard for motorists to see around the foliage and buildings close to the road.
After Route 28, the trail continues on to two lake crossings on old railroad causeways, this is where cyclists must start to pay attention for the rest of the trail in regards to the trail width. Due to the narrowness of the RR causeway, and the fact the tracks have not been removed, cyclists must ride on a wonderful hard dirt surface , BUT as good as the surface is, the path is less than 5 feet wide between the two rails. It's great if it's just you on the trail and no-one else is around, but the trail tends to be busy near Wolfeboro. Oncoming cyclists must be very careful passing each other, I have seen many have dismounted to pass, and also you must call out a friendly warning when approaching other users on the trail.
The trail alternates from between the rails to being beside the rails, and a few times the trail will meander away from the rails altogether (especially near Albee Beach (restrooms, beach). This is where CAUTION must be exercised when crossing rails. Signs on the trail suggest dismounting when you must cross the steel rails. Even though there are wooden platforms built up at the crossings, riders must hit the rails as close to a 90 degree angle as they can (I seem to do fine at 45 degrees with 26" x 2.1" tires). The 7-8 times I rode this trail I came across minimum of 4 cyclists that went down, and they had the bruises and cuts to show for it!! (BTW, I counted, and I think 30 crossings of the steel rails is pretty accurate count for the whole trail)
About 3 miles from Wolfeboro, you will cross State Route 109, a bit quieter than Rt 28, but traffic tends to be a little faster.
Also at this crossing there's the restored Fernald Station (parking,porta-potty), which is also home to the "Putt-Putt cars" (Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club). The putt-putt cars on this trail is very unique, they are motorized 2-person railcars that run from Fernald Station 8 miles to the west and State Route 16. I only saw them in action on one of my rides, they always give a big wave and travel at about 10mph. This is why the rails are still in place on this rail trail, and we owe the 80 member club a big thank you for the maintenance of overgrowth they perform.
Beyond Fernald Station, the trail continues west for another 8 miles to very busy SR 16. The trail continues to alternate "between the rails" and "beside the rails" for this section. This is my favorite section, the 8 mile stretch is very quiet and features natural meadows and wetlands, and there are just minor road crossings with one section of 4 miles with no road crossings at all - it is very enjoyable!!
The last mile before reaching busy State Route 16 features some pretty good short up and down whoopee hills. At Route 16, there is a parking area, and the Miss Wakefield Diner is just south of the trail on Route 16 (no need to cross the highway).
If you do decide to cross 16, be aware traffic travels faster than it's 55mph posted limit, and tends to carry a lot of traffic. Crossing the highway gives you one more mile of trail to downtown Sanbornville and it's Turntable Park, featuring an old turntable used to turn locomotives around. There are also restaurants located in Sanbornville. I have crossed the highway a few times, but in all honestly, the last mile on the other side of Route 16 is not that attractive, even though the Town of Sanbornville is kind of nice, it may not be worth crossing the busy road.
(There is parking on Route 16 on the west side of the highway, so a good option is to park on 16 and ride to Wolfeboro!)
Overall, this is a great and beautiful ride, just watch the rail crossings!
My husband and I biked this trail in October and it was great! The trail itself has some soft, sandy spots which make it a bit difficult but we did fine with our mountain bikes. Most of the trail is hard-packed. The scenery is absolutely beautiful! We saw only 1 ATV vehicle, a few other cyclists, and a few walkers. Biking along the river, passing through the covered bridges, and enjoying the fall foliage made this a great day trip for us.
Our family rode the trail from Wolfeboro to around mile marker 4, a while past the Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club on Rt. 109, in October 2018. There were a lot of great water views including a couple stretches with water on both sides, and winding parts through very pretty woods from about 1.5 miles just before Albee Beach onwards. The trail surface was very hard and not bumpy and presented no problem for hybrid-style bikes, basically as good as pavement (or even better than some paved trails I have been on that haven't been resurfaced recently). All of the crossings over the rails were clearly marked with signs instructing to walk your bikes and painted arrows indicating to do so at a right angle. After walking over many of them and them seeming very solid I began to slowly ride over them at 45 degree angles and never had a problem, and none of the several kids in my group did either. The parts of the trail in between the rails are narrow enough that you need to take extra care. If you are looking to go fast I wouldn't recommend this trail but if you are looking for a very scenic and leisurely ride I would highly recommend it. On the return ride I noticed that there were no signs for westbound bikers so this might explain some other peoples' complaints (although I still found the crossings vey obvious and good). I hope to return and ride the eastern portion of the trail another time.
It's early fall and a great time to ride this trail. The leaves are turning, the surface is dry and flat. There are many street crossings, most of them easy. We started in Raymond, off Onway Lake Road. If you map this using the RTC map, it gives you the address for the Gordon Cammett Recreation Area. If you turn in here, it takes you to a large parking lot and ball fields. This is where we started. The trail runs parallel to the ball fields but you can't see it from the parking lot. If you ride your bikes back up the hill you drove down, to the left at the top of the hill, there's a small cut-through. The trail is right there. If you look to your right, you'll see a tunnel (Manchester, or westbound). We rode to our left (Newfields, or eastbound). This is a 30-mile roundtrip ride. The trail has a few different surfaces, most well-packed and rideable with a hybrid. Some of the sandy patches and looser gravel (not many) might be more difficult with road bike tires. In Raymond, there is an old train station with train cars, a one-room schoolhouse, as well as stocks and a jail cell. There are 2 or 3 street crossings near various services if you need a drink or bite to eat. The trail ends at a parking lot, and fittingly, at the railroad tracks. There are no mileage markers along the trail. A trail kiosk in Epping will tell you the mileage to your destination in both directions.
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