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Charlestown Trails and Maps

494 Reviews

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Northern Rail Trail

Looking for the best trails around Charlestown?

Explore the best rated trails in Charlestown, NH, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Warner Rail Trail and Bagley Rail Trail and Sugar River Trail . With more than 46 trails covering 340 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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1 Review

Allenstown Rail Trail

The Allenstown Rail Trail is an out-and-back trail that leaves from Ferry St., although trail users can continue on to the Hooksett...

Length: 0.7 mi

State: NH

Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt

1 Review

Appel Way Trail

Appel Way Trail offers a paved route of about a mile through woodlands on the north end of Keene. Most notably, it offers a connection...

Length: 1.3 mi

State: NH

Surface: Asphalt

3 Reviews

Ashburnham Rail Trail

More than a mile of the Ashburnham Rail Trail opened in 2015 from a point just south of Ashburnham's center to Turnpike Road. The rustic...

Length: 1.3 mi

State: MA

Surface: Dirt

42 Reviews

Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail

Closure Notice: Due to flooding, the Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail is closed from Pine Street to Sawyer's Crossing Road in Swanzey.

Length: 21.4 mi

State: NH

Surface: Asphalt, Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt

0 Reviews

Bennington Rail Trail

Running between downtown Bennington and the Northside Drive neighborhoods, the Bennington Rail Trail provides new opportunities for both...

Length: 1.65 mi

State: VT

Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Gravel

2 Reviews

Bobby Woodman Rail Trail

The Bobby Woodman Rail Trail, a hard-packed dirt and gravel pathway, begins off a quiet street at the southern end of Claremont and quickly...

Length: 1.7 mi

State: NH

Surface: Dirt, Gravel

4 Reviews

Bridge of Flowers

The Bridge of Flowers delights the senses of visitors walking among the trees and blossoms on the old trolley bridge spanning the Deerfield...

Length: 0.1 mi

State: MA

Surface: Concrete

1 Review

Brookline Rail Trail

The Brookline Rail Trail winds through the New Hampshire woods and passes by several small bodies of water, including the Potanipo Pond.

Length: 4.5 mi

State: NH

Surface: Crushed Stone, Gravel

16 Reviews

Canalside Rail Trail

The well-maintained Canalside Rail Trail provides users with a variety of trestle bridges, views of waterbirds stalking fish and frogs, and...

Length: 3.6 mi

State: MA

Surface: Asphalt

Recent Trail Reviews

Sugar River Trail

Beautiful & surprisingly peaceful

August, 2025 by ktrenaud

Visited this trail 8/2/25. It rained the previous day which helped with the dust and packing the loose sections. NOT for skinny tires!! I was fine with my gravel bike but had it been dryer it would have been tougher but doable. There were a few ATV's & dirt bikes but they were VERY respectful and always gave us plenty of room on the trail. The river is gorgeous with plenty of access points to get your feet wet. If you're starting out on the Claremont side I'd recommend parking at the Home Depot just down the road from the trailhead. It's slightly uphill all the way to Newport which makes for a very easy ride coming back. Spoke to a local police officer parked at the trailhead and he said they're going to start patrolling the trail very soon to nab speeding ATV's which I consider a bonus.

Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail

I love this trail!

July, 2025 by 6z87r5x5ct

I have ridden this trail from one end to the other! Parts are wonderful and parts washed out and muddy!

Keene Industrial Heritage Trail

short and delightfully maintained

June, 2025 by erikmurphy1

This portion of the Cheshire rail trail has almost no incline is completely straight and runs past a former major manufacturing complex, which is now vacant. Other sites include Keene police department and Keene ice and American house.

Accordion

Allenstown Rail Trail

I enjoy the trail. I've seen cows bunnies and birds.

June, 2025 by two4disney

I enjoy the trail. I've seen cows bunnies and birds.

Canalside Rail Trail

Still Partially Closed

June, 2025 by gettinlate

As of 6/3/25 this trail is still closed south of 11th street.
There is a detour indicated, which we tried to follow, but quickly lost track of.
Found another way to access the trail further south, only to realize that we'd gotten onto the part of the trail that was officially closed.
I'm sure this will warrant a higher rating once it has re-opened, but we were more than a bit disappointed today.

Old Railroad Trail

Very pleasant but short ride.

June, 2025 by ktrenaud

Start at the Peterborough Shopping Plaza parking lot. Stop in the Information Center across the street. It's operated by very nice local volunteers. Make your way north though the center of Peterborough. The surfaces are mostly paved & packed. You don't hit dirt & gravel until the upper half of the trail. Most riders stop at the school bus parking lot on Rt.202. There's a small parking lot there. If you cross the road you can pick up the Powder Mill Pond Rail trail and follow it northeast for another mile or so until it ends at Forest Rd. The trail gets rougher the further north you go but it's VERY manageable for most riders.

Toonerville Rail-Trail

Modest but very nice trail.

June, 2025 by ktrenaud

Did this trail in the summer of 2024. I agree with some of the previous reviewers that signage could be a little clearer but that's a MINOR concern. The ride was quite pleasant & would make a great lunch hour break for locals. Absolutely no issues with road surfaces and traffic on the nearby highway was very light that day so no competing with cars. Very short trail so make sure you have other activities planned. Visit nearby Hoyt's Landing on the CT river for a nice end of ride picnic :-)

Winnipesaukee River Trail

A Super Trail

May, 2025 by fssn0wsh0e7

I've walked and biked this trail many times. Quite scenic in spots where it follows the Winnipesauke River but less so as it passes by backyards. Its a great way to get through the Tilton-Franklin area without having to ride the commercial strip on Route 3. There are attractions at either end, food mostly including a brewery, that offer a fun reward. Can also be combined with the Norther Rail Trail with a short road ride.

Northern Rail Trail

One of the best in the state

May, 2025 by fssn0wsh0e7

I've ridden this trail many times and it never disappoints. I have ridden all of it in sections and each one has it's own charm. In the Grafton-Canaan stretch it can feel remote even though the highway is nearby. The section from Boscawen to Andover always has folks on it though I have never found it too busy to enjoy. The save can be said for Lebanon out towards Canaan. There are services available along the way though it might require some road riding to access some of them. The Friends of the Northern Rail Trail group does a great job, is responsive to user comments and is working to address issues like toilet access. That being said there are long stretches where you have to be willing to use the bushes. It's absolutely a carry-in/carry-out situation so its a good idea to be prepared.

Winnipesaukee River Trail

Has gone downhill

May, 2025 by ellenkillam

I do not recommend this trail. We have biked this trail a few times in the past, but we biked it on May 2, 2025 and found that is has gone downhill. We started at the Tilton end and had issues right away. First McDonalds and the motel at the start point have posted customer only parking signs (not sure if that is enforced). Going through Tilton business area was not good as we had to walk the bikes on the sidewalk since there is no bike lane and not safe to ride in the street. We had to ask where the trail was as we didn't remember as it had been a few years. Luckily once we got on the trail we remembered the rest of the turns as there are NO signs. The trail is very rough and only about 1/8 mile is paved at the Franklin end. There were also some questionable characters along the way and what looked like a homeless camp at the Franklin end. As one review stated, this trail needs policing. It is too bad because there is interesting history on the trail and nice views of the river.

Bobby Woodman Rail Trail

Could be even nicer

March, 2025 by fssn0wsh0e7

I did this as an extension of a ride down from Newport on the Sugar River Trail. I agree with the comment above about the section along Washington street by all the box stores where you are essentially riding on the verge of the highway. It doesn't seem like it would take much to fix that section up and make for a more seamless connection to the Sugar river trail. It would also be nice at the end of the trail in Claremont to give some indications to local services (food!).

Sugar River Trail

A great ride

March, 2025 by fssn0wsh0e7

Last ride of 2024 and was it super! I have a gravel bike so no real issues with the multi-use aspect of the trail as it was in pretty good shape though you could expect to have a difficult time with skinny tires or after a prolonged dry spell. Very scenic, perhaps the most scenic trail I have ridden on in NH. I tacked on the portion into Claremont to get in the mileage and the part that closely parallels the highway is a bit sketchy.

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