The Northern Rail Trail runs for 57 miles from Boscawen to Lebanon, passing through the Merrimack County towns of Danbury, Wilmot, Andover, Franklin, and Boscawen. It offers opportunities for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, as well as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and dog sledding. This variety of uses defines the trail without limiting it to any one way of getting around.
Trails, Loops, and Summits
The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway takes a different form: the 75-mile loop connects the four state parks of Sunapee, Winslow, Rollins, and Wadleigh in New Hampshire. Bear Brook State Park sets a different benchmark. At more than 10,000 acres, it is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire; its 40 miles of trails lead through densely forested areas, bogs, swamps, summits, and ponds.
These distances describe different types of routes: 57 miles for the Northern Rail Trail between Boscawen and Lebanon, 75 miles for the Greenway loop, and 40 miles of trails in Bear Brook State Park. This puts the figures in context without treating them as comparable individual routes.
A 1-mile footpath leads from a picnic area to the summit of Mt. Kearsarge. A picnic area on an 1,820-foot plateau offers expansive views of the White Mountains to the north and higher peaks to the south and in central Vermont.
Lakes and Shorelines Compared
Clough State Park is located on 150-acre Everett Lake and has a 900-foot-long sandy beach. Boating is also possible there. The beach at Mt. Sunapee State Park is on a 4,085-acre lake; there is a boat launch with restrictions and boat rentals. The area figures show a clear difference between the two lakes, while the beach and boating each offer a different way to access the water.
Restrictions at the boat launch and boat rentals at Mt. Sunapee State Park may vary by season. Check the conditions before your visit. It is also worth checking current conditions for the winter trails at Muster Field Farm Museum before your trip.
Museums, History, and Regional Products
Muster Field Farm Museum is a historic farm with restored farm buildings and offers self-guided tours. In winter, the museum maintains marked trails through woods and fields for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Historic farm buildings and seasonal outdoor activities come together here, though the two offerings do not call for the same kind of visit.
Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum displays artifacts and provides information about Indigenous peoples in North America, from prehistoric times to the present. At Medicine Woods, you can learn about the natural environment and the historic uses of plants by Indigenous peoples: as food, medicine, dyes, shelter, and tools. The experience ranges from the exhibits to the many practical uses of plants.
Canterbury Shaker Village is a museum and a National Historic Landmark. Another historic highlight is the Hannah Duston Memorial: erected in 1874, it is the first publicly funded statue in New Hampshire.
The making of a regional product is another tangible detail of the area. Richardson’s Farm in Boscawen makes ice cream entirely on-site, using heavy cream and milk from New Hampshire cows.
Discover more destinations: Bow, Hooksett, Newbury, Warner, Andover, Bradford, Pembroke, Loudon, Boscawen, Sutton, Henniker, Wilmot.
For the broader travel overview: New Hampshire.
