Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Springfield, 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.
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...
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...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion. It weaves through Grafton and Merrimack counties and is less than a 2-hour drive...
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 North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
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 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 Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
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 West River Railroad, which once followed its namesake river for 36 miles, began passenger service in the late 1800s as a way to trim the two-day voyage between Brattleboro and South Londonderry to...
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 Delaware and Hudson Rail-Trail follows the flowing contours of the western Vermont countryside, rambling in and out of New York state, where you’ll find a 4-mile gap. This border area is known as...
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
Visitors to the Sugar River Trail (also known as the Sugar River Recreational Rail Trail) can be forgiven if they lose track of which side of the river they’re traveling. The 9.5-mile trail crosses...
Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
The Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
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...
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 East Branch Trail is a 0.5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of 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...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion. It weaves through Grafton and Merrimack counties and is less than a 2-hour drive...
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...
The Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
The North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
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...
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,...
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 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,...
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 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 Delaware and Hudson Rail-Trail follows the flowing contours of the western Vermont countryside, rambling in and out of New York state, where you’ll find a 4-mile gap. This border area is known as...
The North Central Pathway is envisioned as a trail network connecting points of interest through and between Winchendon and Gardner. Several completed sections of trail make for a lovely ride or walk...
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...
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...
Spanning 57.6 miles from Lebanon to Boscawen, the Northern Rail Trail is New Hampshire’s longest rail-trail conversion. It weaves through Grafton and Merrimack counties and is less than a 2-hour drive...
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...
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...
The heavily wooded Lye Brook Falls Trail runs for 2 miles through the Lye Brook Wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest near Manchester. The blue-blazed hiking trail follows the bed of a...
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 Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
The Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail is a great example of a repurposed rail route that provides safe commuting opportunities while also allowing trail users to escape into forest environments for...
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...
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...
Formerly comprising two separate segments—one running northward from Keene to Walpole, and the other running southward from Keene to Fitzwilliam—the Cheshire Rail Trail now runs a continuous 32.9...
Visitors to the Sugar River Trail (also known as the Sugar River Recreational Rail Trail) can be forgiven if they lose track of which side of the river they’re traveling. The 9.5-mile trail crosses...
The Old Railroad, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail that occupies a former Boston & Maine Railroad corridor. The trail picks up at the northern trailhead of the Common Pathway, a paved...
The East Branch Trail is a 0.5-mile ungroomed, backcountry pathway built on a former logging railroad bed in southern Vermont's Windham County. The remote, heavily wooded trail lies just north of the...
Started off in Winchendon Center - plenty of parking. Trail is paved and easy. Stretches along Whitney Pond and thru some marsh land. It is really beautiful. We caught it on a overcast and pretty cool day so it was not crowded - most people were masked. Winds its way along Rt 12 an ends at North Ashburnham Rd at which point you have to take a right on the street, then a right onto Rt 12 (be careful - easy to walk tho), then take the first left onto Old Gardner Rd. Follow Old Gardner Rd a short distance (5 mins or so) to the next portion of the trail. There is also a lot here and pick up the trail. We walked only about another half hour before we had to turn and go back. This is a really nice trail. Highly recommend it. We hope the two portions somehow get connected. If not, signage would really be helpful. Enjoy.
Parked at the Troy depot heading south toward Fitzwilliam and encountered a huge deep puddle a short distance away, there was no way around it and I had to turn around. It had been really dry, surprised to see a puddle
I just went to Black Jack Crossing road. There is no parking. Where is someone parking a horse trailer to get on this side of the trail?
Short trail but gorgeous trail along the river. Mallard ducks, beautiful fall colors and peaceful at dawn on October 11.
Just did this yesterday (9/14/20) starting from Woods Crossing to the northern terminus at the American Legion then back, going past my parking location to the MA line. From the border up to I'd say the Rt. 202 section, it was quiet, saw 2 people but mainly around the Rt. 202 starting point. Comparing to sections north of it, the southern area is more wooded and a narrower trail but easily ridden with a hybrid bike. Anything with skinnier tires would probably have a harder time for the whole length of it. The northern section was quite busy, many walking, enjoying the weather. It is a little more scenic and the trail is wider. Trail is mainly gravel or hard packed dirt throughout though a little loose sand in the southern section in a few spots but not much. At some trail entrances, there is a sign which gives you some pointers as to what you will see along that stretch, gives you something to to try and see instead of just staring down the path.
Wonderful trail. Nine miles of crushed stone and hard pack dirt from southern end to Castleton University parking lot. I would not use a thin tire road bike. Beware: the southern end is a dead end 2 miles from Poultney and does not have a parking lot as indicated on the trail map. You must park in Poultney in a well marked lot off of Bentley Ave.
We started in Walpole at Blackjack Crossing. First few miles were tough! But the remaining 12 miles into Keene were great. Some great views and remnants of the railroad. Some beautiful cuts in the stone. Highly recommend!
Though the trail roughly parallels a major road, you are away from it at least half the time. You need to cross it twice but they have walking signals. Every car at the other side street crossing stopped and waved you on. There are some benches, but didn't notice any picnic tables.
The mostly tree-shaded path itself is either improved or unimproved dirt, on this dry late-summer ride I'd rate the surface a B+ with mountain bikes. Roots, just a few patches of sand and a few raised sewer covers. Path to Goffstown is definitely uphill most of the way, but just enough to keep you pedaling. Going toward Manchester is a delight. Mid week there was sparse but steady traffic, probably the most parking places I've seen on a trail.
Beautiful swimming spot around mile 4.2, just off the path . Probably other places, too, as the trail parallels water much of the way. Goffstown end has shops and eateries, there is an ice cream in the middle. The southern end continues to Manchester, we started on a paved continuation trail about 1/2 mile toward Manchester (Douglas Street football field parking lot).
A very nice ride I'd highly recommend for most non-street casual bikers (or walkers/joggers). The wooded swimming spot on the lake is a real bonus.
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.
Mason resident here. A great place for visitors to park and access the rail trail is on Depot Road (which is a paved road). The parking area has ample space to park cars, horse trailers, etc. for setting up. This parking access point is up the road past the town fire station on the right hand side if you're accessing it via Valley Rd. There's also a board the town set up with a trail map one can review before setting off on your journey. Otherwise, it's a nice flat surface to walk, bike, and ride on. Hope this information is helpful to someone new who is looking to find a safe and proper place to park and go.
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.).
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