Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Rail-trails: Northern New England: the definitive guide to multiuse trails in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

Rail-Trails: Northern New England

1st Edition

Copyright 2018 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Cover and interior photographs copyright 2018 by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Maps: Lohnes+Wright; map data courtesy of Environmental Systems Research Institute

Cover design: Scott McGrew; Book design: Annie Long

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Title: Rail-trails : Northern New England : the definitive guide to multiuse trails in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Other titles: Great rail-trails series.

Description: First edition. | Birmingham, Alabama : Wilderness Press, an imprint of AdventureKEEN, [2018] | At head of title: The Official Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Guidebook. | Distributed by Publishers Group WestT.p. verso.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018006304| ISBN 9780899978970 (paperback) | ISBN 9780899978987 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Rail-trailsNew EnglandGuidebooks. | Rail-trailsMaineGuidebooks. | Rail-trailsNew HampshireGuidebooks. | Rail-trailsVermontGuidebooks. | Hiking New EnglandGuidebooks. | HikingMaineGuidebooks. | HikingNew Hampshire Guidebooks. | HikingVermontGuidebooks. | Bicycle trailsNew EnglandGuidebooks. | Bicycle trailsMaineGuidebooks. | Bicycle trailsNew HampshireGuidebooks. | Bicycle trailsVermontGuidebooks. | Bicycle touringNew EnglandGuidebooks. | Bicycle touringMaineGuidebooks. | Bicycle touringNew HampshireGuidebooks. | Bicycle touringVermontGuidebooks. | Outdoor recreationNew EnglandGuidebooks. | Outdoor recreationMaineGuidebooks. | Outdoor recreationNew HampshireGuidebooks. | Outdoor recreationVermontGuidebooks. | RailroadsRight of wayMultiple useUnited States. | New EnglandGuidebooks. | MaineGuidebooks. | New HampshireGuidebooks. | VermontGuidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV191.42.N3 .R35 2018 | DDC 796.510974dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018006304

Manufactured in the United States of America

Published by:

An imprint of AdventureKEEN

2204 First Ave. S, Ste. 102

Birmingham, AL 35233

800-443-7227; fax 205-326-1012

Visit wildernesspress.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, at facebook.com/wildernesspress1967, or at twitter.com/wilderness1967 with questions or comments. To find out more about who we are and what were doing, visit blog.wildernesspress.com.

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Front cove r: New Hampshires , photographed by Dennis Coello

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.

About Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

H eadquartered in Washington, D.C., Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.

Railways helped build America. Spanning from coast to coast, these ribbons of steel linked people, communities, and enterprises, spurring commerce and forging a single nation that bridges a continent. But in recent decades, many of these routes have fallen into disuse, severing communal ties that helped bind Americans together.

When RTC opened its doors in 1986, the rail-trail movement was in its infancy. Most projects focused on single, linear routes in rural areas, created for recreation and conservation. RTC sought broader protection for the unused corridors, incorporating rural, suburban, and urban routes.

Year after year, RTCs efforts to protect and align public funding with trail building created an environment that allowed trail advocates in communities across the country to initiate trail projects. These ever-growing ranks of trail professionals, volunteers, and RTC supporters have built momentum for the national rail-trails movement. As the number of supporters multiplied, so did the rail-trails.

Americans now enjoy more than 23,000 miles of open rail-trails, and as they flock to the trails to connect with family members and friends, enjoy nature, and get to places in their local neighborhoods and beyond, their economic prosperity, health, and overall well-being continue to flourish.

A signature endeavor of RTC is TrailLink.com, Americas portal to these rail-trails, as well as other multiuse trails. When RTC launched TrailLink.com in 2000, our organization was one of the first to compile such detailed trail information on a national scale. Today, the website continues to play a critical role in both encouraging and satisfying the countrys growing need for opportunities to ride, walk, skate, or run for recreation or transportation. This free trail-finder databasewhich includes detailed descriptions, interactive maps, photo galleries, and firsthand ratings and reviewscan be used as a companion resource to the trails in this guidebook.

The national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, RTC is committed to ensuring a better future for America made possible by trails and the connections they inspire. Learn more at railstotrails.org.

Table of Contents

Vermonts in Sheldon

Foreword

F or those of you who have already experienced the sheer enjoyment and freedom of riding on a rail-trail, welcome back! Youll find Rail-Trails: Northern New England to be a useful and fun guide to your favorite trails, as well as an introduction to pathways you have yet to travel.

For readers who are discovering for the first time the adventures possible on a rail-trail, thank you for joining the rail-trail movement. Since 1986, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been the leading supporter and defender of these priceless public corridors. We are excited to bring you Rail-Trails: Northern New England, so you too can enjoy some of the regions premier rail-trails and multiuse trails. These hiking and biking trails are ideal ways to connect with your community, with nature, and with your friends and family.