Ashuelot Rail Trail is a popular recreational trail located in southwestern New Hampshire. The trail spans 21 miles from Keene to Hinsdale and follows the path of the former Ashuelot Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad.
The trail is open to a variety of non-motorized uses including hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Along the way, visitors can enjoy beautiful views of the Ashuelot River, wetlands, forests, and rural landscapes.
The trail is relatively flat and accessible to people of all ages and abilities. There are also several parking areas and trailheads along the route, making it easy to access the trail from various locations.
In addition to providing recreational opportunities, the Ashuelot Rail Trail also serves as a vital transportation corridor for commuters and other travelers. It is part of the larger East Coast Greenway, which is a developing trail system that will eventually run from Maine to Florida.
This New Hampshire Rail Trail is a scenic and enjoyable destination for anyone looking to explore the outdoors in southwestern New Hampshire.
The town of Keene serves as a hub to both the Cheshire Rail Trail and the Ashuelot Trail. So I found it rather odd that a.) no two people seemed to pronounce Ashuelot the same way (so let’s go with ash-wheel-ot) and b.) no one and I mean no one in Keene could tell me where I could find the trailhead for the Ashuelot Trail. This became especially puzzling when I finally found that the trailhead was located pretty darned close to the heart of the town. So once you get to Keene, just find “The Center at Keene” and the trailhead is directly across Emerald Street from there. Another helpful hint for finding this trail and many other rail trails in the New England area is to get one of the tourist (illustrated) maps of the town (Keene, NH in this case) and they are sometimes easier to follow than other maps.
Ashuelot Trail near Keene, NH trailhead
To start, if you are biking this Rail Trail in New Hampshire, I recommend you use a mountain bike. Although a hybrid bike or recumbent bike may be possible to navigate on most parts of this trail, knobby tires and a little bit of suspension prove to be quite helpful on certain parts of the trail. Having said that, I wouldn’t categorize this trail as a strictly mountain bike trail, and it’s not too difficult to ride since it is fairly flat and is never far from one quaint community or another.
Speaking of quaint communities, I loved some of the towns and villages associated with the Rail Trail. For starters, Keene is a nice New England town with a pretty downtown area, a couple small colleges, and plenty of tourist amenities.
Trail Map
Photos
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- Iron Bridge on Ashuelot Rail Trail
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- Ashuelot Rail Trail
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- Covered Bridge Near Ashuelot Rail Trail
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- Rail Trail passes by ball park
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