O'Reilly-Fleetham Trail, Concord NH
• 3-star hike
• 0.6 to 1.4 mile options
• Easy difficulty | Gain 50 to 60 feet
• Concord, NH | Merrimack Region
• Driving Directions: Trailhead
Best view of the river is at West end of the Riverside section.
We discovered this trail on the opposite banks of the Contoocook River at the end of our exploration of the Fisherville Road section of the Concord to Lake Sunapee Rail Trail. Although the rail line on the West side of the river is long-gone, the earthworks that held the route are still in place and visible are the stone abutments and central pier from the now lost railroad bridge that spanned the river.
The O'Reilly Fleetham Trail is a narrow looping trail through woodland and by the banks of the Contoocook River that begins at the Horse Head Road trailhead. Mostly unremarkable, the trail is notable in part because of the railroad remains, but also thanks to the 0.4 mile out-and-back trail to the South which follows the banks of the river to a pleasant clearing by Bailey's Landing Road. This route requires leaving the bounds of the official park map and passing "entering private land" signs implying that trail use is allowed. Half way along the trail we spotted a very obvious hunting perch up a tree, so as always, please be respectful of local land uses.
Loop Trail,
Riverside Trail O'Reilly-Fleetham Trail 3★0.6 to 1.4 mi options, Easy, Gain 50-60 ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
These trails are in good condition. Mostly solid ground underfoot, with very little in the way of either rocks or mud. We brought our bicycles onto these trails and found the route to be a fun diversion and accompaniment to our rail trail explorations. A circuit of the Loop Trail is 0.6 foot, and add an out-and back along the Riverside Trail for a total of 1.4 miles.
If you'd like to learn more about the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail project, or would like to explore any of the sections available today then check out our link at the bottom of the page.
Walking the Riverside section beyond the mapped O'Reilly-Fleetham Trail.
Tangents:
• External Links: Official
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NH Rail Trails Map
We've published New Hampshire’s first complete rail trail map, including links and details for all rideable trails.
We've published New Hampshire’s first complete rail trail map, including links and details for all rideable trails.
