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Portsmouth, NH Cross Country Skiing Trails and Maps

1179 Reviews

Looking for the best Cross Country Skiing trails around Portsmouth?

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

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Name
Length
Most Popular

Border to Boston Trail

44.1 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

20.1 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

Derry Rail Trail

3.6 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Eastern Trail

28.8 mi

State: ME

Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Goffstown Rail Trail

5.5 mi

State: NH

Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Groveland Community Trail

3.25 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

Haggetts Rail Trail

2 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Head's Pond Trail

1.75 mi

State: NH

Gravel

Independence Greenway

5.25 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail

1.58 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Londonderry Rail Trail

4.6 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Merrimack River Greenway Trail

0.33 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Middleton Rail Trail

4.5 mi

State: MA

Crushed Stone

Mine Falls Park Trails

9.7 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Minuteman Commuter Bikeway

10.1 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

Mountain Division Trail

9.59 mi

State: ME

Asphalt, Gravel

Nashua River Rail Trail

12.4 mi

State: MA, NH

Asphalt

New Boston Rail Trail

3.9 mi

State: NH

Dirt

New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway

9.6 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone

Northern Rail Trail

59 mi

State: NH

Cinder, Crushed Stone

Accordion

Riverton Rail Trail

1.5 mi

State: ME

Concrete, Dirt, Sand

Windham Rail Trail

4.3 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Conway Branch

21 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Gravel

Cotton Valley Rail Trail

12 mi

State: NH

Gravel

Dover Community Trail

4.2 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Marblehead Rail-Trail

3.34 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail

3 mi

State: MA

Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Northern Strand Community Trail

9.9 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

Reformatory Branch Trail

3.9 mi

State: MA

Dirt

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch)

18.3 mi

State: NH

Dirt, Sand

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch)

28 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail

5.9 mi

State: ME

Gravel

Tri-Community Greenway

10.6 mi

State: MA

Asphalt

WOW Trail

2.7 mi

State: NH

Asphalt

Winnipesaukee River Trail

4.94 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Brookline Rail Trail

4.5 mi

State: NH

Crushed Stone, Gravel

Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail

5.65 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Farmington Recreational Rail-Trail

6 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Granite Town Rail-Trail

3 mi

State: NH

Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand

Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area Trail

3.4 mi

State: MA

Dirt, Gravel, Sand

Village Spur Rail Trail

2.1 mi

State: NH

Asphalt, Dirt, Grass

Trail Image	Trail Name	States	Length	Surface	Rating
	Border to Boston Trail The Border to Boston Trail is a developing trail network that will stretch 70 miles between the New Hampshire border and Boston—providing a continuous route for a variety of non-motorized uses...	MA	44.1 mi	Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt	48 reviews
	Bruce Freeman Rail Trail 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	75 reviews
	Derry Rail Trail This exquisitely maintained 3.6-mile paved rail-trail slices through forested areas and wetlands for a wonderful experience in southern New Hampshire. About the Route Starting at the southern...	NH	3.6 mi	Asphalt	27 reviews
	Eastern Trail The Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. About the Route The Eastern Trail follows...	ME	28.8 mi	Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone	38 reviews
	Goffstown Rail Trail 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...	NH	5.5 mi	Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand	16 reviews
	Groveland Community Trail Running through the town of Groveland for 3.25 miles, this multiuse path provides a variety of opportunities for both recreational and transportations as it connects residential neighborhoods,...	MA	3.25 mi	Asphalt	2 reviews
	Haggetts Rail Trail The Haggetts Rail Trail is a short, but sweet unpaved trail located on the periphery of Haggetts Pond, the local reservoir for the nearby town of Andover. Built on part of the former line of the...	MA	2 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass	5 reviews
	Head's Pond Trail 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	5 reviews
	Independence Greenway The 5.25-mile Independence Greenway makes for a pleasant ride, providing access to lakes, parks, and nature preserves. The paved pathway is located in the town of Peabody (pronounced by locals as...	MA	5.25 mi	Asphalt	10 reviews
	Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail 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...	NH	1.58 mi	Asphalt	6 reviews
	Londonderry Rail Trail The Londonderry Rail Trail runs for 4.6 miles between Harvey and Rockingham Road. The smooth paved trail offers a pleasant and tranquil adventure for trail users along an old Manchester and Lawrence...	NH	4.6 mi	Asphalt	18 reviews
	Merrimack River Greenway Trail 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	1 reviews
	Middleton Rail Trail The Middleton Rail Trail is a trail along the former Essex Railroad. The trail stretches 4.5 miles from the North Andover border, through the town, and will eventually join the Danvers Rail...	MA	4.5 mi	Crushed Stone	3 reviews
	Mine Falls Park Trails 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...	NH	9.7 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass	12 reviews
	Minuteman Commuter Bikeway Closure Notice: The Minuteman Commuter Bikeway is experiencing weekday closures between Bow St. and Maple St. through Spring 2026, but the trail will remain open during weekend hours. For many...	MA	10.1 mi	Asphalt	51 reviews
	Mountain Division Trail The Mountain Division Trail exists as two separate segments of what will eventually be a more than 50-mile-long trail from Fryeburg to Portland. The northern section runs for nearly 4 miles through...	ME	9.59 mi	Asphalt, Gravel	27 reviews
	Nashua River Rail Trail 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	163 reviews
	New Boston Rail Trail 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	9 reviews
	New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway The New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway is an 9.6-mile rail-trail with a crushed-stone surface that stretches between Portsmouth and the North Hampton/Hampton border. Following a former Pan Am Railways...	NH	9.6 mi	Crushed Stone	5 reviews
	Northern Rail Trail The Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion, spanning 59 meticulously maintained miles, weaving along corn and hay fields, lakes, wetlands, and numerous historic sites,...	NH	59 mi	Cinder, Crushed Stone	77 reviews

Accordion

Riverton Rail Trail The scenic Riverton Rail Trail—also known as “Sandy Road” by residents of Portland’s Riverton neighborhood—follows the former corridor of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad, which stopped...	ME	1.5 mi	Concrete, Dirt, Sand	1 reviews
Windham Rail Trail 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	49 reviews
Conway Branch 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...	NH	21 mi	Ballast, Gravel	8 reviews
Cotton Valley Rail Trail 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...	NH	12 mi	Gravel	71 reviews
Dover Community Trail 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...	NH	4.2 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt	17 reviews
Marblehead Rail-Trail The Marblehead Rail-Trail appears on maps as a Y resting on its side, connecting Marblehead and Salem in the north and the city limits of Swampscott in the west. The 3.34-mile trail knits together a...	MA	3.34 mi	Asphalt, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	23 reviews
Narrow-Gauge Rail-Trail Although the Narrow-Gauge Rail Trail traces New England’s first narrow-gauge railroad for 3 miles from Bedford toward Billerica, the mostly crushed-stone path is now plenty wide enough to accommodate...	MA	3 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt	22 reviews
Northern Strand Community Trail The Northern Strand Community Trail runs almost 10 miles through the cities of Everett, Malden, Revere, and the town of Saugus and provides a variety of experiences. About the Route Access the...	MA	9.9 mi	Asphalt	24 reviews
Reformatory Branch Trail The Reformatory Branch Trail connects the historical towns of Bedford and Concord along a nearly 4-mile dirt path through wildlife refuges that ends a short distance from the North Bridge, the...	MA	3.9 mi	Dirt	18 reviews
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch) 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...	NH	18.3 mi	Dirt, Sand	16 reviews
Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch) The Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail brings at least two superlatives to mind: it’s one of New Hampshire’s longest rail trails at just more than 28 miles, and it runs from Manchester, the state’s...	NH	28 mi	Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel, Sand	67 reviews
Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail The Sanford-Springvale Rail Trail runs for 5.9 miles between Sanford and Springvale. The gravel trail traverses the woods on either side of Sanford’s scenic Springvale community as it links a shady...	ME	5.9 mi	Gravel	16 reviews
Tri-Community Greenway The Tri-Community Greenway is a 10.6-mile multiuse trail that connects Stoneham, Woburn and Winchester. Part of the route runs along a former railroad corridor. About the Route At its southern...	MA	10.6 mi	Asphalt	3 reviews
WOW Trail The 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...	NH	2.7 mi	Asphalt	11 reviews
Winnipesaukee River Trail The Winnipesaukee River Trail runs for nearly 5 miles between the towns of Franklin and Tilton, nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. About the Route The Winnipesaukee River Trail...	NH	4.94 mi	Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	25 reviews
Brookline Rail Trail The Brookline Rail Trail winds through the New Hampshire woods and passes by several small bodies of water, including the Potanipo Pond. The rail-trail has two segments, known as the Brookline Rail...	NH	4.5 mi	Crushed Stone, Gravel	1 reviews
Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail Following the historic Concord-Claremont Railroad corridor, the Concord–Lake Sunapee Rail Trail will eventually connect communities from Concord to the southern point of Lake Sunapee via a multiuse...	NH	5.65 mi	Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel	2 reviews
Farmington Recreational Rail-Trail 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...	NH	6 mi	Ballast, Cinder, Dirt, Gravel, Sand	12 reviews
Granite Town Rail-Trail 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	4 reviews
Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area Trail Note: This rail-trail is prone to frequent flooding and may be challenging to navigate at times. The rail trail through the Martin H. Burns Wildlife Management Area begins at the Massachusetts Bay...	MA	3.4 mi	Dirt, Gravel, Sand	11 reviews
Village Spur Rail Trail The Village Spur Rail Trail begins in downtown Belmont, and stretches from behind the Belmont Mill to the Tioga River on the west side of South Road. Out and back for the entire trail is about four...	NH	2.1 mi	Asphalt, Dirt, Grass	2 reviews

Recent Trail Reviews

Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Portsmouth Branch)

beautiful forrests but lots of rocks

September, 2026 by 3monroe3

This trail is very peaceful and few others are using it. The trail has a lot of protruding rocks, uneven surfaces and branches on it. Best for hiking or if you are going to bike, like we did, just go slowly and enjoy the surroundings

Village Spur Rail Trail

Short but Sweet

August, 2026 by sc302

This trail is a 4-mile (round trip) trail in Belmont. Although short, it is clean, well cared for, and packed with treasures and great views. The trail has plenty of parking and includes a book trail for kids, two covered bridges, a cornfield, small water views, seating options, and fields of flowers. Although I found the four gates to be part of the adventure of checking out a trail for the first time, some people may not appreciate having to get off and on their bike. However, the trail does go through a private farm, so be respectful and enjoy the views as you navigate each gate.

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.

Accordion

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.

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.

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.

Old Eastern Marsh Trail

Beautiful experience

July, 2026 by 62lark

Rode this trail today (7/17/26) in combination with several other adjacent trails. Smooth, well-paved, lots of rest stops, beautiful marsh lands, continued onto the Clipper City trail at the southern end in Newburyport. One of the nicest trails I've ridden.

Clipper City Rail Trail

Loop completed

July, 2026 by 62lark

Outstanding trail wandering through Newburyport, great mix of quiet woods and urban setting. The Trail has been completed to include the piece from the cemetery to the train station, making the entire route complete. Wonderful experience today!

New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway

The trail in the north is 80-90% full sun exposure in the summer. Just be aware if you're going out for a long run. It did start to get shady about 2 miles after the skate park.

June, 2026 by mullins.aa2012

The trail in the north is 80-90% full sun exposure in the summer. Just be aware if you're going out for a long run. It did start to get shady about 2 miles after the skate park.