Figure 1. Map of rail lines both abandoned and active in the area south of Nashua, NH. Also included are rail trails that currently exist.
Anyone exploring New Hampshire’s rail trails should buy or borrow the definitive guide: Charles Martin’s New Hampshire Rail Trails, 2nd Edition One of the excellent parts about Charles’ book is the thorough presentation of each NH rail line and its history before it became a rail trail. From Charles’ clear descriptions an informed observer can find remnants of this history along the trails today.
So, while looking over maps of abandoned railroads in NH, I was surprised to find an abandoned railroad that was not described in Charles’ book! Nashua had not just five, but six rail lines that entered or exited the city. The Worcester-Nashua-Rochester line became the Nashua River Trail (1) and the Nashua Heritage trail (2). The Friends of the Souhegan Valley Rail Trails are working hard to make the Hillsborough line into a “rail-with-trail, ” and the Lowell to Manchester line is still active. But who knew of the Nashua-Acton line that entered the city from the south, through Dunstable, MA, which was abandoned in the mid-1920s? see Figure 1.
For an interesting winter walk on this trail, start from the Arched Bridge Conservation Area in Dunstable, MA which can be accessed from 199 Mid Dunstable Road just north of the NH Border. From the parking area walk 0.1 mile west to the railroad corridor. From there, turn and walk south to see the highlight of this trail, just south of the NH border, the stone arched bridge Figure 2. From here it is possible to continue south for 1.5 miles on the abandoned railroad corridor which parallels the Kennedy Conservation area and the Proctor Conservation area until it the meets Main Street in Dunstable.
Figure 2. Arched Bridge over Salmon Brook in Dunstable, MA, just south of the MA/NH border is a highlight of this conservation area.
After viewing the stone arched bridge, turn north, cross the MA/NH border and walk about 0.2 miles north to where the corridor is interrupted by homes and an easement allows walkers between two homes at 20 and 22 Pinebrook Road. This is a shared neighborhood pass-through, so please respect the neighboring properties if you decide to explore here. From there walk north on Pinebrook Road to Ridge Road, and turn right and walk east until you meet the paved section of trail heading north Figure 3. Continue north for another half-mile to where the paved trail ends where it meets the bridge on Searles Street that crosses Salmon Brook. Retrace your steps back to Arched Bridge Conservation area.
The small, neighborhood rail trail was a pleasant surprise in South Nashua and Dunstable, MA. This condo association should be congratulated for repurposing the abandoned railroad corridor as a neighborhood trail that is available to active users. More homeowner, apartment and condo associations should be encouraged, through creative tax laws, etc. to build such trails and add to the value of their properties by making trails for active use on their properties.
