I rode the northern section today. Actually started near the Walpole bridge and rode some other snowmobile trails and some side roads to the junction with the rail trail, then on to Keene. Saw no one until I reached the dump. Trail was a lot of fun, but in much better shape south of the dump then to the north. Very slow grade, north of the dump it was great in places and pretty bumpy in others. I rode a basic mountain bike and had no trouble. Heard there was a bad section somewhere but never encountered anything that was really unrideable except one bad embankment. Trail was also easier to follow and more obvious the further south you went, multiple snowmobile crossings further north. This was the first time I tried this sort of thing and I had a very good time. I enjoyed the terrain and seeing where the remnants of the old line.

Parked at lot at ballfield at end of Depot Street in Boscawen. Go to very end of Depot Street and lot is on the right. Took trail for about 16 miles to town beach at Highland Lake on Channel Road. Slightly uphill all the way. Very few soft spots. In general all trail all packed gravel. Public beach also at Webster Lake ( about 13 miles from Depot St.).

August 2020
This short trail surprised me; it is better than you expect. Right along the Hudson River and the lock canal, the scenery is beautiful and the little village is charming. Definitely worth the visit.

Started at Depot Rd. in Westmoreland . Trail in fair condition. Some soft spots, some puddles and sticks but averaged 8 mph. For mile or two before Keene Transfer station trail in poor shape. Here it is like riding on bad, uneven cobblestones. Speed 4 mph (too fast for this bouncy ride). From Transfer station heading east trail in good to excellent condition. Ave speed around 14 mph. Trail for entire journey is gentle in slope in an area of wildly varying topography. Very impressive achievement for the people that built this many years ago. My bike has tires of 1.75" wide. This is bare minimum width for Transfer Station to west. Plenty wide for Transfer station to east.

Having ridden this trail in sections numerous times, and having ridden the entire length in a day last fall, It's my opinion that this is the finest rail trail for cycling purposes in NH.

In Merrimack county (Boscawen to Danbury) the dedication of the local friends group is evident. The trail is well maintained and the surface is excellent. From Grafton to Lebanon (Grafton county) the surface is trickier, with regular sandy spots and some exposed railroad ties. Despite this, the trail is still very ride-able in a gravel bike, and my wife had no issues in Merrimack county on a cruiser/townie bike.

We rode much of the trail on a tour from the MA/NH line area north of Winchendon, MA to Keene, NH. It's a beautiful, relatively flat route with some great views though high water source areas, ponds and some views of Mt Manodnock then descends along the river into Keene. We were on semi-loaded touring bikes, so jumped off on roads when they paralleled the trail since the surface is a little bumpy. Hybrid or MTB's (as recommend) would be more comfortable, but for those on touring bikes, the direct route through some road less areas is well worth it.

The trail was an easy and serene bike ride, we enjoyed it very much. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

A beautiful trail along the Sugar River, with some gorgeous covered bridges, which my wife and I much enjoyed. The ATV users were generally polite. But note: (1) Some parts of the trail have very, very sandy soil. My wife, an accomplished RAGBRAI rider, had to portage her Diverge, with 35mm tires, at one point, as did I coming back, riding a Warbird with 40mm Maxxis Ramblers. (2) The ATVs kick up great amounts of dust, so be prepared. (3) The entire trail is slightly downhill from Newport to Claremont, as the Sugar flows to the Connecticut. (4) Unless you ride at a decent pace, you may have bug problems.

The Vermont section of the D&H has been repaved from West Rupert to Castleton as of June 2020. This pavement is a combination of stone, cinder, and asphalt. It is beautiful.