Warren Recreational Rail Trail, NH
• 4-star trail
• 4 to 15.3 miles each way
• Easy/med difficulty | Easy/med elevation
• Warren, NH | White Mountains
• Driving Directions: Marked ⬤ on map
Redstone Rocket next to the Warren Rail Trail
Trailspotting Rail Trail Map
NH's first complete rail trail map. With links to our reviews, photos & detailed route maps.
NH's first complete rail trail map. With links to our reviews, photos & detailed route maps.
With a 70 foot tall redstone rocket towering above, it's hard to miss the start of the formalized Warren Recreational Rail Trail. It has stood proud in the middle of this small New Hampshire town for over fifty years, for no reason other than it was saved from an Alabama scrapheap by a Warner native who thought it would be a nice inspiration to children and to encourage interest in the US space program.
The New Hampshire State Park manages a four mile trail heading North out of Warren on a wide wooded trail that was once part of the Concord to Woodsville railroad. Well compacted by heavy ATV use the route is an easy ride for cyclists and connects to further sections of former railbed that are kept clear by snowmobile clubs.
It's possible to continue North for over eleven miles, almost as far as the village of Pike, before the route becomes overgrown at Jeffers Hill Road. The Northernmost sections of trail have short washed out areas that you'll have to walk your bike over, and there's a half-mile section of road biking required which is thankfully built out with very wide verges making bike riding mostly safe here.
Hardpack, 
Rough, 
Road,
Historic. Warren Rail Trail 4★15.3 miles each way, Medium, Gain 480ft (640ft S-N)
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South of Warren the rail trail continues as part of a large network of ATV trails, but bikes are still welcome on these routes. Though the northern half of the rail trail is mostly in woodland with occasional glances of Moosilaukee scenery, the southern half follows the course of Baker River and is afforded much more open terrain and some great Baker River Valley scenery, particularly closer to Warner.
We enjoyed following the trail all the way down to the vilage of Wentworth to visit their covered bridge. Though most of the trail is a straight shot on hardpack surfaces, there is a muddy diversionary ATV trail (0.7 miles long) required next to the aerodrome because the nearby lumber company has barricaded off part of the old route.
Wentworth Village Common Covered Bridge.
Biking the rougher Northern section | More views South of Warren.
Steel truss bridge near East Haverhill.
Relocated Wentworth Station, now the village's museum.
Trail Conditions:
Mostly compacted hardpack surface. Rougher North of Glencliff with occasional short washouts. Muddy ATV diversion near Wentworth.
Mostly compacted hardpack surface. Rougher North of Glencliff with occasional short washouts. Muddy ATV diversion near Wentworth.
Tangents:
• External Links: Official, TrailLink
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article
Nearby Trails:
• Show on map: All nearby rail trails
New Hampshire State Parks
Support your New Hampshire State Parks, a self-funded organization managing trails like these without NH tax dollars.
Support your New Hampshire State Parks, a self-funded organization managing trails like these without NH tax dollars.
NH Rail Trail Coalition
Support the NHRTC and check out their Rail Trail Challenge.
Support the NHRTC and check out their Rail Trail Challenge.
Trailspotting's NH Covered Bridges
Maps, directions and links for all New Hampshire's covered bridges.
Maps, directions and links for all New Hampshire's covered bridges.
