Find the top rated walking trails in Wolfeboro, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 4.5-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
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 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...
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...
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
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...
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...
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...
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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 Peanut Trial is a distinct trail in the town of Newton that spans one-mile. This rail-trail was meant to connect to the Jay McLaren Memorial Trail. However, due to a controversial lawsuit by land...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
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...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
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,...
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 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...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
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...
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 paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
Most of the Wild River Trail falls within the Wild River Wilderness and is off-limits to bikes. At it's southern end, the trail meets the Wildcat River Trail, near Bog Brook. From here, you can bike...
Old salts should love the Eastern Promenade Trail, as it skirts the shoreline of Portland’s Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The 2.1-mile paved trail is always within sight of the water and is one of...
Many rail-trails start at a vintage depot, an old caboose, or a rusty locomotive acquired by the local historical society. The Warren to East Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail, however, starts at the...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
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 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...
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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 begins in Manchester, the state’s...
Portland’s Bayside Trail packs a lot into its 1-mile length. The paved pathway provides a pleasant route between commercial and residential areas in the Bayside and East Bayside neighborhoods. Once an...
The Franconia Brook Trail runs from just north of the confluence of the east branch of the Pemigewasset River and Franconia Branch. Note that bicycling is not permitted along the route. You can...
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 southern section rolls for about 6 miles between...
The 28.9-mile Eastern Trail connects the historic towns along Maine’s southern coast from the woods near Kennebunk to South Portland’s harbor lighthouse. Nearly 22 miles of the route follows off-road...
Portland’s Fore River Parkway Trail provides an important transportation link in the community while at the same time offering sweeping views of the Fore River. At the north end of the trail, you’ll...
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...
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...
The Rob Brook Trail is mostly flat, following the bottomlands of its namesake creek through the White Mountains National Forest. The trail is open to mountain biking and hiking, with cross-country...
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 4.5-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
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...
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...
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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...
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...
The 83 acre West Foss Farm is one of the properties owned by the University of New Hampshire, Durham. The property was purchased from the Boston & Maine Railroad company, and features a 1.6 stretch of...
The Franconia Brook Trail runs from just north of the confluence of the east branch of the Pemigewasset River and Franconia Branch. Note that bicycling is not permitted along the route. You can...
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Bicycles are permitted only on the first 2.3 miles of the trail, up to the wilderness boundary (marked with signs). Hiking and cross-country skiing only are allowed past this point.
The Rob Brook Trail is mostly flat, following the bottomlands of its namesake creek through the White Mountains National Forest. The trail is open to mountain biking and hiking, with cross-country...
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...
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 Oliverian Brook Trail follows the course of Oliverian Brook through the dense forest of White Mountain National Forest. The trail, open to cross-country skiing in winter, heads toward Passaconaway...
The smooth paved surface of the Londonderry Rail Trail offers a pleasant, tranquil 4.5-mile adventure for trail users in south-central New Hampshire. Its route follows a corridor once used by the...
Many rail-trails start at a vintage depot, an old caboose, or a rusty locomotive acquired by the local historical society. The Warren to East Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail, however, starts at the...
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 paved Back Cove Trail rings its namesake tidal basin and offers lovely views of the Portland skyline. You also might spot great blue herons or other birds along the tree-lined waterfront. A...
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 Lincoln Woods Trail runs for 2.6 miles along the east branch of the Pemigewasset River. You can combine the trail with other trails that run through the forest in the White Mountains of New...
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...
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...
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...
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...
These connecting trails follow the bed of the old Beebe River Railroad up to Flat Mountain Pond, a large, remote pool high in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. This is a great trip for advanced mountain...
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...
What a great trail! I agree with one of the other reviews. That the trail is mostly uphill if you start from the Flume; coming back the other way is exhilarating! A couple of tough uphills, but they are short. The views are amazing. One tip: you can get going very fast downhill, but the trail is a bit bumpy so watch your speed, particularly if the trail is wet.
This trial is great for those who like to mountain bike, but are not hardcore. It is mostly gravel with a few sandy and paved areas here and there. Trail starts around 1/4 mile from West Side Arena in Manchester which is where we parked (and it goes seamlessly into the Piscataqoug Trail) until right before the center of Goffstown. There are some real fun surprises on here like a few spots to go swim and/or fish at Glen Lake, a few good scenic spots to take pictures, etc.
Enjoyed the ride as there were not too many people using this path. It is along the roadside so it is not a wooded scenic path. The upside to this if you get hurt you would be found immediately. You can get some miles in especially if you do the path twice. Parked in the police parking lot. It can't get safer than that! I enjoy it very much and will be using this bike path a lot.
Enjoyed the ride as there were not too many people using this path. It is along the roadside so it is not a wooded scenic path. The upside to this if you get hurt you would be found immediately. You can get some miles in especially if you do the path twice. Parked in the police parking lot. It can't get safer than that! I enjoy it very much and will be using this bike path a lot.
We parked at the Windham PO and rode along the tracks until we got to Rt-35, did a bit of exploring at the Otter Ponds, then came back. It was a sweet ride: no bugs, great Sharon weather—we were a little disappointed that we couldn’t go directly to the Lake, but I see now we could have gone left and gotten to the water…. Next time. We stopped at the Orchard Ridge Farm and had a delicious cider donut at the intersection with Sebago Lakes Rd. ~10
This trail is for mountain or hybrid bikes, definitely not road bikes.
Agree with others in that there are more pedestrians near Wolfboro but the trail gets much less traveled the farther away you go.
Also agree that the trails are narrow but this is not an issue because the visibility is so good. Most of the time, you can see people coming from other direction literally hundreds a feet ahead of time. I did get stuck behind a few slower bikers but was able to pass at one of the railroad track crossovers.
As the railroad track crossovers, you just have to slow down and ensure your front tire is crossing at a 90 degree angle. I didn’t have any issues at all but just be mindful, slow down and steer the front tire to cross over perpendicular to the rail.
So, definitely some things to consider and manage but well worth it in my opinion.
This trail is 100% paved and in very good condition. There is very little elevation on the ride making this perfect for a first ride of the season. The trail follows the road very closely so it’s a little noisy and there isn’t much interesting to see along the way.
As many others have noted, this trail is not safe for bikes, especially road and hybrid models. We read the reviews warning us in advance and rode wide tire bikes. Despite rubber mats at many of the points where you transition from between the rails to beside them or vice versa, it's still possible to get a tire caught in the small gap between the mat and the rails and take a fall. Be forewarned to SLOW DOWN or walk your bike across these numerous transition points. Also, the sections of the trail that run between the rails are too narrow for a bike going one way to safely pass a walker going the other. When it's two bikes going in opposite directions, one has to come to a stop to pass safely. The sections of the trail outside the rails aren't much wider and the railroad ties extend about six inches beyond the rails, further squeezing the available space. My conclusion is that there must be hundreds of single bike, bike-bike and bike-pedestrian accidents annually.
The trail is otherwise quite nice. Its almost totally flat and there's plenty of shade.
This is a very scenic path traveling through woods most of the time, along marshes, hidden ponds and across Lake Wentworth. But this path has railroad tracks along the whole path, which makes the trail narrow in most places. BUT - be warned -
this trail will not be as enjoyable for some. Others will be fine with the challenges.
1. Learn how to travel safely across steel rails, since you will have to do this at least two dozen times, often within a tight narrow space. If you do not cross as close to 90 degrees to the rail, you risk you bike tire slipping out from under you. How do you I know? There are some short videos on You Tube that address this.
2. From the Wakefield end, park at the lot near the Miss Wakefield diner, so you don't have to cross Route 16, a very busy road.
3. The closer you get to Wolfboro, there are more pedestrians, and some think their right of way is the whole path, not half. I would end the trip at route 109A where the railcar rides are located, unless you really want to go to Wolfboro.
4. I found passing others on the trail that were coming the other way could be stressful, since there is little room to move over. One or both of you will have a hard rail on one side of you and if not, then the edge of the path often dropped off.
5. At the beginning of the trail at Route 16 you do have a couple of short steep ups and downs. Otherwise the trail is fairly flat.
This trail is a footpath not suitable for even Mt bikes. The bridge was washed away 3 years ago and one must ford the Zealand River on foot.
Okay - nice trail - very pretty BUT my issue is the sections where they laid the trail in between the still existing train tracks - clever idea to save money??? BUT it makes it very narrow and when passing walkers and other bikers it gets a little hairy (in fact our side mirror was clipped by a biker going in the opposite direction that's how narrow it is) .... try not to go at a busy time and be prepared for tight squeezes on those sections where the trail is between the tracks ---- ALSO I would NOT recommend this for recumbents or other wide bikes - it just isn't safe for those kinds of cycles - otherwise like i said nice scenery but be forewarned
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