Following the Nissitissit River through the woods, the Potanipo Rail Trail offers beautiful river views and launch sites for canoes or kayaks. Composed of two segments, the multi-use path is roughly 6ft wide with a stone-dust covered hardpacked surface and remains quite level throughout.
The 1.5-mile northern segment runs south from Route 13 to the corner of Bohanon Bridge Rd and Oak Hill Rd. At the trail's northern endpoint, it is possible to connect with the 2-mile Tevya Section of the Brookline Rail Trail via either a rough off-road trail or the bike path that runs alongside Route 13. Please note that during the summer the Tevya Section is closed to the public for use by a local camp. The 2-mile main section of the Brookline Rail Trail then picks up further north off Route 13, running parallel to it through the woods until it meets the 3-mile Granite Town Rail Trail.
The southern segment runs from Oak Hill Rd near the Brookline Equestrian Center for another 1.2 miles until it meets the Nissitissit River near the New Hampshire-Massachusetts state border. The Massachusetts section of the Potanipo Rail Trail picks up on West Hollis Rd and continues south towards Pepperell.
Boating, fishing, and swimming are permitted in the Nissitissit River. Please see the Related Content on the right side of this page for more details. Pets on leashes are welcome.
Parking for the northern endpoint is available in a gravel lot off Route 13 as indicated on the map and the trail is accessible from the parking lot.
Parking for the trail's southern endpoint is by the softball field (28 Oak Hill Rd). Trail access is right at the intersection of Oak Hill Rd & Bohanon Bridge Rd.
Additional parking is available in a small gravel lot on West Hollis Rd at the Beaver Brook Association Great Meadow Trailhead.
We parked at a baseball field on the southern end and rode the entire thing pretty quick. It is a little narrow in spot la, but a fairly easy ride. There is a wooden bridge that looked fairly new, but it seems like there was some erosion at the southern end so it came as a surprise. Easily connects to the Brookline and that trail is wider.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails conservancy
(a non-profit) and we need your support!