Biking the Northern Rail Trail

Over 35 rail trails blanket the State of New Hampshire. From the upper reaches of the state in Stewartstown and the Upper Coos Rail Trail to the Nashua Rail Trail bordering on Massachusetts. Rail trails have become a frequent avenue for walking and riding. Close to home there is the WOW Trail, the Belmont Scenic Trail, the Winnipesaukee River Trail, and the Northern Rail Trail, running from Boscawen to Lebanon. Rail trails throughout New Hampshire and the rest of the country have become a fabric of community identity. We are extremely fortunate to have these recreational thoroughfares stretching across our state. They are the result of hard work from local biking enthusiasts, community groups, business owners, and the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails (NHDRED).

I have ridden on several trails in the state, but one of my favorite is the 58 mile long Northern Rail Trail, It starts in Boscawen, and winds through the towns of Franklin, Andover, Danbury, Grafton, Canaan, Enfield, ending in Lebanon. It uses the right-of-way of the former Boston and Maine Railroad’s Northern Line. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1965 and freight traffic ceased in the 1970’s. The state purchased the right-a-way in 1996 and it’s now managed by the NH Bureau of Trails, along with community agencies and volunteers. At one time this heavily used rail line was a main transportation artery for people and goods traveling between Boston and Montreal, Canada.

On a beautiful summer day Steve and I decided to drive to Lebanon and ride south on the Northern Rail Trail. I had done sections of the trail further south, but Steve had done the entire trail a few years back. He liked the trail so much he was willing to accompany me on this out-and-back ride.  Our plan was to ride to Canaan, have lunch at a local restaurant and return to Lebanon. We started our ride at the Witherell Recreation Center near the town square. Parking was readily available and we encountered several walkers when starting our ride on the clearly marked pathway. It appeared that many people use the first few miles of the trail for walking and running. The trail started by following the Mascoma River for several miles, crossing the river seven times on heavily built steel railroad bridges. The trail itself was well maintained, and we ran into mowers cutting the grass on either side of the trail. 

After cruising along for about 5 miles we found ourselves riding along picturesque Mascoma Lake. Here we stopped, rested and had a bite to eat. We then continued through a small canyon, emerging in the Town of Enfield. The quaint village was once home to a large textile mill on the Mascoma River. It’s now a disintegrating relic of the industrial revolution. This abandoned factory complex offered us a glimpse into the past life of this little town, which most likely depended on this mill for its economy. The trail passed by a small, well preserve railroad station, several stores and an eating establishment. This would make a nice stop for lunch or light snack.

Continuing our ride we found the trail bed becoming more rough and worn, most likely from heavy ATV use. As we approached the town of Canaan we came to a sign pointing out that a significant train wreck had occurred in this area in September, 1907. A copy of the front page of the Country Chronicle, September, 2001 was posted on the kiosk. The paper recounted this historic and tragic crash of a passenger and a freight train. Headlines read: “Twenty-Five Dead! Two Score Injured! In the Worse Wreck New Hampshire Ever Knew.”

On September 16, 1907 a Boston and Maine passenger train, the Quebec Express, was traveling south, near Canaan, NH when it collided head-on with a freight train.  The passenger train was filled with revelers returning from a fair in Sherbrooke, Quebec, 160 miles north. 29 Passengers lost their lives and 39 were injured, making it the worst train disaster in New Hampshire history. From reading accounts of the accident, the dispatcher in Canaan mistakenly allowed the freight train to proceed on the same track as the Quebec Express. Meeting head on, the engines smashed into each other causing death and destruction on the tracks.  An account of the train disaster reads, “Canaan people were early astir this morning and the place of the wreck was viewed by hundreds of visitors. A thick mist, just such a one as prevailed Sunday morning when the two trains rushed to their head-on collisions, hung over the valley of the little Indian river and added gloom to the scene. The tangled masses of metal and wood which bordered the track were visible evidences of the disaster. On one side of the embankment lay the two big engines, head to head in an almost demoralized condition. It seemed a strange thing that in such a terrific impact no explosion had occurred and no fire started. As many of the wrecked cars had been filled with grain and paper stock, the fire, if one had started would have cut off all attempts to rescue the injured”. (www.gendisasters.com/new-hampshire/15073/canaan-nh-train-wreck-sept-1907).

A few yards from the train wreck another sign told a different story, that of a tray factory which existed in the early 1800’s near this site. Later the tray factory’s stone foundation was used to build a steam powered machine shop between 1914 and 1918. The timbers were later moved to a location in Canaan to build a garage. The Northern Rail Trail, like many, is filled with New Hampshire history.

Continuing along the trail we came to the town park in Canaan and a local eatery. We stopped for lunch, before returning to Lebanon. The leisurely ride up and back of 27 miles took us about 5 hours. If we had more time we could have continued onto Grafton or even Danbury, but our time was limited. The Northern New Hampshire Rail Trail makes for a terrific outing. The trail has interesting historical markers, beautiful scenery along the Mascoma River and Mascoma Lake, several restaurants and stores in key locations along the trail, and a well maintained trail base. There are even Boston and Maine Railroad granite post mileage markers that were artfully restored giving riders the mileage to Concord (heading south) or to White River Junction (heading north). The Northern New Hampshire Rail Trail is just one of many bike trails located across the state. I suggest taking advantage of this wonderful recreational resource and get out for a ride, with family, friends or just solo. You will not be disappointed.