Text and photos by NHRTC Board Member Rich Westhoff
Northern Rail Trail – Canaan to Lebanon Section and Mascoma River Greenway
Looking for places to explore this fall to enjoy the outdoors and fall colors? The western section of the Northern Rail Trail is an ideal place for both. With water, water everywhere and leaves turning you should find this to be a satisfying trip for a single day bike ride on this historic rail trail.
This section of the Northern Rail Trail (NRT) is one of our favorites; we have ridden it twice, once in late May and once in early October. We have ridden it out-and-back: from Lebanon to Canaan and back and one-way: from Canaan to Lebanon with an extra round trip on its extension in Lebanon, the Mascoma River Greenway (MRG). This ~15-mile section is mostly downhill as you go west, so keep that in mind when you plan your trip. This section follows the Mascoma River and Lake so closely that the trail crosses the river 15 times between Lebanon and Canaan. The closeness of the river and lake makes this ride cooler on hot days, and even provides a place to dip in the lake at Shakoma Beach at the south end of Main St. in Enfield.
On a Saturday in early October, we took a one-way trip with friends on the NRT from the Town of Canaan Parking lot to Lebanon for a lunch of takeout pizza in the park followed by a round trip ride from there on the MRG. For our friends it was their last leg of the NRT, but for us it was chance to enjoy the fall foliage and complete the MRG as part of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Challenge (https://nhrtc.org/new-hampshire-rail-trail-challenge/). The MRG is beautiful, paved and downhill from Lebanon toward the West, about 3 miles one way. Its steeper than the western section of the NRT, but we still found it to be an easy ride back to downtown Lebanon – the pavement helps a lot! Bottom line, if you plan to ride this section of the NRT, don’t miss the MRG; it’s SO close!
Starting out from Canaan, NH this is one of the culverts that make passage under Rt. 4 so easy. This whole part of the NRT has a good hardpack surface, wide enough for a child trailer. No dual grassy single track here!
This is one of the wooden bridges that appear on this route. The trail crosses the river 15 times between Canaan and Lebanon, so it seems like there is always a water view!
This is near where the river meets Mascoma Lake on the east end. This highway bridge seemed to complement the river and the foliage.
In Enfield, just at the turnout for the lakefront park, just before you cross the historic bridge over main Street. This tree was in full color!
This is the historic bridge on Main St Enfield that trail advocates lobbied to keep for its historic significance and for trail safety. The tree on the left is celebrating the win with fall colors!
On the Mascoma River Greenway. You won’t find a nicer trail surface in NH! And did I mention beautiful?
This bridge over the river goes under the highway bridge making for an excellent display of engineering. Near the west end the trail surface is stone dust but still very bikeable. Rollerblading ends here!