Old Caboose at Windham Depot
Smooth pavement for bikes and strollers, along with numerous trailheads for easy access, make the rail trails of south-central New Hampshire ideal for families seeking outdoor recreation. Several of the trails connect, hinting at what could someday be the Granite State Rail Trail extending in an unbroken path from Salem to Lebanon.
A large, informal parking lot on Harvey Road along the east side of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport marks the north end of the Londonderry Rail Trail. There’s variety along the way: in its four and a half miles, the trail passes under I-93, through wetlands, and past an intercity bus station. Watch for Little Cohas Brook and its reservoir along the way, which provide a fine birding habitat.
Spring along the Londonderry Rail Trail
The Derry Rail Trail doesn’t yet connect with Londonderry’s, but riders and walkers can pick up the path in Derry’s Hood Park and head south toward Windham. At the crossing of busy NH Route 102, trail users will find restaurants and other businesses. South of 102, the trail moves into quieter wooded areas. Look for the stencilled tribute to poet Robert Frost on the trail’s pavement. Once on the Derry trail, bicyclists and walkers will have pavement all the way through Windham into Salem.
Find parking for the Windham Rail Trail near Windham’s restored (but closed) depot. A Boston and Maine caboose painted a cheerful blue is on display near the trailhead. The Windham trail with its rock cuts, marshes, and shade trees is among the most scenic in southern New Hampshire.
Once the trail moves into Salem, it’s close to busy Route 28. Look for the coffee shop that offers a short connecting spur from the rail trail to the shop’s parking lot – a real convenience! Further south, the trail abuts the Tuscan Market development.
Trails in all four towns are paved and mostly flat. Motorized vehicles are barred on these sections.
Trail supporters in each town have worked patiently on the development of these trails one section at a time over a period of years. The same enthusiasm is behind plans to create the Granite State Rail Trail by linking Londonderry to Manchester, Concord, and the already-thriving Northern Rail Trail between Boscawen and Lebanon. Learn more by checking out gsrtnh.org.
Text and Photos by Ellen Kolb, NHRTC Board member. For more of Ellen’s walks visit her blog: granitestatewalker.com