Find the top rated horseback riding trails in New Hampshire, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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found the trail near our seasonal site at Westward Shores on Ossipee Lake. The "trail" still had railroad rails and some ties and was completely overgrown. Not for biking but maybe for x country skiing or snow snowmobiling in the winter...
This is probably a nice ATV trail, but reading the other reviews, I can see it has long had the same problems we encountered as cyclists. We rode the length of it from Littleton to Woodsville and back in July, 2017.
There's some washboarding and a fair amount of scattered loose and embedded stone, making for a pretty bumpy, teeth rattling ride. In a couple of short stretches there's too much ballast and you have to walk. The approaches to the gates can be especially rough.
We went on a weekday and only saw one ATV, along with two dirt bikes. On the other hand, we met several other cycling couples.
The trail between Bath and Woodsville is in noticeably better shape; like a regular rail trail.
That said, the route the trail follows is nice and we're glad we rode it. Much of it is in the shade and there are peaceful stretches where its just you and the river.
I did this over two weekends. Went from Manchester to Raymond and back the first weekend, and then did the Raymond to Newfields part the following weekend. The trail seems to have far fewer people in the Raymond to Newfields section and has a nice canopy if the sun is strong. The one thing I would caution is that the crossing at Rte. 107 (Freetown Road) right after Raymond is not great, is a busy road, and wide. It could definitely benefit by having pedestrian markings on the road and a stop light. The other street crossings are much easier. There is a light at the Epping intersection, thankfully. Maybe someone can install one at Rte 107 where the trail crosses.
You can actually start in downtown New Boston. Ride a few hundred feet on Rt 13 to Depot Street, cross the bridge and turn right onto a dirt road that will lead to the 4H Fairgrounds. It should be noted that Google Maps does not show a completed section from the fairgrounds Gregg Mill Road, but it is in fact a nice section of the trail. After Gregg Mill Rd it becomes a walking trail. You need at least a cross bike to ride on the rest of the trail to 114. It is fun.
I rode this trail from The Gorham parking lot on route 2 up to Jefferson Notch Road on July 15, 2017. I have cycled this trail several times over the years, and for a while it looked like the trail was getting better, but now I'm thinking it's being deteriorate.
On this mid-July day, some areas had grass 2-3 feet high, ballast rock as been put down in a couple of areas to build the trail back up for snowmobiles (good when the ballast is under the snow, not good when it's a cycling surface). I had two ticks on my legs from the tall grass btw.
There are some beautiful areas on this trail however, the Pondicherry end is also very nice (I've done that section several times in the past). I rode on a hybrid with 26"x1.75" tires, it was fine, but a narrow tire would be very uncomfortable on this trail.
I rode from Andover to Enfield and was very disappointed with the condition of the trail north of Danbury. The description here in Trail Link should mention that the trail is reduced to singletrack in some locations and that maintenance is pretty much non existent in Grafton County in spite of the "friends" organization. I encountered warped deck boards sticking up on bridges, trenches dug across the trail for drainage, muddy sections with poor drainage, narrow sections with no room to pass other users, narrow sections with waist high weeds and grass. I rode with a cargo trailer assuming the trail was at the very least wide enough to accommodate it, since there was no mention otherwise. Locals I met on the trail said it's only maintained for snowmobile use. Those responsible for the Grafton section should take notice of the Merrimack section I encountered between Andover and Danbury. Wide, crushed stone, smooth surface. A true recreation trail for all ages and abilities.
I've been riding the Cotton Valley rail trail since it opened and I'm excited that the last phase of the trail is almost finished. I was told that it should be done by August. I'm gearing up for the ride from Wakefield into Wolfeboro! Thank you to all of the people who worked hard on this beautiful trail and making one of my dreams come true! Job well done!!
Beautiful scenic trail, wide, not too crowded!
We followed the Traillink directions and parked at the lot off of Airport Rd, in Whitefield and rode our mountain bikes east. (If you start at Airport Rd, you can add 2 miles to the 18 that Traillink states as the length of the trail.) The trail is completely unmaintained. We rode through knee high and then waist high grass for many miles with nothing but ruts through the grass to guide us. The trail surface leaves a lot to be desired, and in some places, with the high grass and large basket ball sized rocks in the middle of the trail, is dangerous. Between the lot at Airport Rd and Bowman, we encountered two large trees that had fallen across the trail and we were forced to haul our bikes across them one at a time. In one spot, you actually cycle through someones back yard, within feet of their home. In others you encounter deep sand that will stop you cold. All in all, I would not recommend this trail to any but the hardiest souls with a good mountain bike. It is not a family friendly trail nor is it for hybirds or other bikes. The views are nice, but this trail does not live up to the hype it gets, which might be why we did not see another person the entire length of the trail.
My wife and I used to love this trail, driving from Concord to Nashua a couple of times a year to ride it to Ayer. With its tree canopy, it's most enjoyable on a hot day. But all those trees come with a down side.
Yesterday's ride (7/4/17) was less than satisfactory. Several sections have severe tree root ridges across the entire trail, making them impossible to avoid. Those sections are in serious need of resurfacing or other maintenance.
Got to the trail before 8:00 am on Independence Day and had a wonderful ride up to Nashua and back for about 25 total miles. Yes there are a few frost heaves and some roots snaking through the trail at times, but it is a minor inconvenience for an otherwise WONDERUL rail trail. Long open stretches without crossings and beautiful scenery along the path. Much of it is shaded which is good for sunny hot days. The holiday traffic on the trail was picking up for the second half of the ride back to Ayer. As always, probably a good idea to get there early.
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