Harrisville & Hancock Rail Trails NH

• 3 & 4-star trails
• 1-3 miles each way
• Moderate | Low Gradient
• Marlborough-Hancock, NH | Monadnock Region
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The image shows a serene outdoor scene with a stream flowing over rocks, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage. A metal bridge with a simple truss design spans across the stone walls on either side of the stream. The sunlight filters through the trees, creating a picturesque setting. This image captures the beauty of nature in autumn and showcases human-made structures coexisting within a natural environment.

A 100 year old steel truss bridge spanning Jaquith Brook since 2018.

The hilly terrain east of Keene wasn't the most ideal geography for a large nineteenth century civil engineering project, but in 1878 the railroad optimistically known as the Manchester and Keen Railroad successfully connected Keene with Hancock and Bennington. It never made it as far as Manchester. Though the massive valley-spanning trestle bridges are no more, much of this abandoned industrial age infrastructure remains intact if you know where to look.

Efforts have been made to restore and recover sections of the old route for public access, including the recent success at spanning Jaquith Brook with a repurposed steel truss bridge and annual upkeep by both Harris Center and the local snowmobile clubs. Despite this, some sections of these accessible routes remain undiscovered to all except a handful of locals and gravel bicyclists.

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Hardpack,

Rough,

No Access, ⬤ Parking Expand ↓ Map

3-4★ All Harrisville & Hancock Rail Trails 11.4 mi ea way, moderate, gain 640ft (610ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

There's a lot to enjoy along the route including several intact former stations, some massive earthworks including an embankment that has to be at least 100 foot in height, small settlements and mill towns, and many natural woodland sights. Expect rougher trails best suited for rugged hybrid bikes, gravel and mountain bikes. We've highlighted the smoother trails, but expect some brain rattlers on others.

We set out on a mission to live up to our name and conduct a little research - locating and mapping all the navigable routes along this old railroad route while respecting no trespassing signs where the alignment now runs through private property. We also note that much of this route is also described in the 2016 New Hampshire Rail Trails book by Charles Martin, though we arrived at our maps and observations independently.

Below we offer summary descriptions of each section of rail trail to help you decide what to check out first. Where possible we've utilized existing known names for sections of rail trail for reasons of consistency.

The image shows a person standing on the edge of a bridge abutment, looking out into dense trees. The person is wearing a red top and dark pants. The ground is covered with fallen leaves, indicating it might be autumn.

Looking for what remains of the Canada Brook Trestle.

1 3★ Buffler Memorial Rail Trail 0.7 mi ea way, rough, gain 130ft (20ft E-W)
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The Buffler Memorial Rail Trail is a short but wide trail through forest to the east abutment of the former Canada Brook trestle bridge. Marginally rough. Watch out for the left turning spur near the end of the trail which terminates at the stonework abutment. There is also a trail that continues to the north but we have no evidence that this was ever a rail alignment. Trailhead is on a road that may look like a private driveway, but that is not the case. Trailhead is signed and marked for public access.

2 4★ Roxbury Rail Trail 2.2 mi ea way, rough, gain 190ft (40ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Picturesque brook side forest trail that includes vies of the Minnewawa Dam and reservoir. Please respect no trespassing signs. Marginally rough. Parking for only one vehicle is possible on the east side of Roxbury Road without blocking the gate. Wide service road leads from Roxbury Road towards the dam. After the dam the snowmobile club maintained trail continues on, almost all the way to the Chesham Rail Trail through a missing bridge prevents connection.

A further short section of trail is west of Roxbury Road includes a massively tall valley-spanning embankment, but eventually strays from the railroad alignment and terminates at the edge of a field. Remnants of Glen Falls Trestle can also be seen on nearby Horse Hill Road.

The image shows a curved concrete dam with a metal railing on top, extending across a body of water surrounded by a forest. The sky is partly cloudy, and the reflection of the trees can be seen on the water’s surface.

Minnewawa Dam and Trestle (photo on private property with permission)

3 3★ Chesham Rail Trail 0.5 mi ea way, rough, no gradient
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

The Chesham Rail Trail is a short journey that starts at the old Chesham railroad station and follows Minnewawa Brook for a short distance until a missing bridge ends your journey. Open views near Chesham leading into forest. Roots across this narrow trail make this harder going for bicyclists.

4 3★ Harrisville Rail Trail 1.9 mi ea way, rough, gain 90ft (50ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Forest trail that begins by the former Harrisville railroad station now police station. This longer section passes alongside and between several ponds with pleasant views. Marginally rough trail with occasional spots of light mud. To the west the old alignment is now occupied by private houses between Chesham Road and Chesham Pond. To the east, the route of the rail trail can be followed for an additional mile along Skatutakee Lake Road but eventually terminates at private property before reaching the Eastview trailhead on Hancock Road.

The image on the left shows a small, quaint building with a pointed roof and a single red door. The structure is surrounded by grass and trees with autumn foliage, suggesting it may be an old or historical building in a rural setting. The sign above the door reads “CHESHAM,” which could indicate that this is a station or landmark named Chesham. The image on the right displays a framed blackboard labeled “B&M CHESHAM STATION BULLETIN” at the top. Below this header, there is a chalk-written text that appears to be faded and partially erased, making it illegible from this distance. The frame of the blackboard has “7 RAILROAD” written at the bottom.

Not many activities to report at the B&M Chesham Station.

5 4★ Eastview-Jaquith Rail Trail 2.8 mi ea way, hardpack/rough, gain 90ft (240ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Forest trail with a mostly hardpacked surface, and a 0.6 mile rough section at the east end with roots and old railroad ties. We recommend starting at the west end, so you can turn around if the route gets too rough. The trail includes a new 2018 bridge crossing - a repurposed and relocated century old steel truss bridge that now spans Jaquith Brook gully. An additional short ride up Hancock Road at the west end of the trail is also recommended to check out the PJ Memorial Dam and Lake Skatutakee. At the east end, continue to the SE corner of the Jaquith road bridge abutments and find an informal trail that connects you directly to the Old Dublin Road Rail Trail.

The image shows a serene lakeside scene with a clear reflection of the surroundings on the water’s surface. There is a house to the left, partially obscured by trees with autumn foliage in shades of red and green. The sky is overcast, and the calm water creates a mirror-like effect, reflecting the house and trees

Pond reflecting fall colors on the Harrisville Rail Trail.

6 2★ Old Dublin Road Rail Trail 2.3 mi ea way, rough, gain 90ft (170ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Harris Center calls this section an easy 0.7 mile trek from Old Dublin Road to Eaton Road in Hancock, but when we rode the trail we were able to continue for a further 1.6 miles all the way to Jacquith Road and connect with the Eastview-Jacquith Rail Trail. One word of caution however, as this section includes some muddy parts, a few fallen trees and a 0.1 mile length that was substantially overgrown. It's so bad we felt compelled to show this area on our map. This is mostly a wide trail through woodland, with few distinguishing features. The easternmost trailhead is opposite 92 Old Dublin Road down a driveway with a small 'trail parking sign'.

7 3★ Hancock Rail Trail 1.0 mi ea way, hardpack/rough, gain 50ft (90ft E-W)
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Though short, this forested section close to Norway Pond in Hancock includes a preserved station building, ruins of the Moose Brook trestle bridge and a quarter mile of hardpack trail at the east end. Thanks to considerate residents for providing a trail connection between the two ends of the trestle bridge.

The image is a split view showing two different scenes. On the left, there is a path covered with fallen leaves leading through a forest with various trees displaying autumn colors. On the right, there is a wooden deck overlooking a calm pond surrounded by grass and trees, with a folding bicycle parked on the deck.

More scenes from the short but picturesque Chesham Rail Trail.

Tangents:
• External Link: Harris Center
• TrailLink: Eastview-Jaquith
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article

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