Overview
The Windham Rail Trail passes through the woodsy periphery of Windham in southern New Hampshire, but it sits in the heart of the future cross-state Granite State Rail Trail. The trail is 4.3 miles long and has a paved asphalt surface.
About the Route
At its northern endpoint, the trail connects seamlessly to the Derry Rail Trail. That paved trail continues north almost 4 miles into downtown Derry.
From its northern end, the Windham Rail Trail heads south. It passes between the old station and freight house and enters a wooded area that borders most of the path.
The trail passes two marshy areas as it follows Flatrock Brook and crosses over Mallard Road in the first mile. Mitchell Pond comes into view on the right in 0.8 mile. This area presented problems for the railroad builders as the railbed kept sinking into a meadow. Not far past the pond, the trail is in shade provided by the first pass through rock, which also slowed railroad construction.
Scottish immigrants began settling in the Windham area in 1719 and turned to farming. The trail passes the low stone walls that separated their fields as it heads south. Old stone cellars dug below the settlers’ houses can also still be found in the woods. An old stone arch bridge, made of local granite, carries the trail across a stream at about mile 3. Not far past the bridge, the trail enters a rocky, 0.25-mile-long railroad cut through a nearly 30-foot hill. The effects of the shade, water seepage, and the cool breeze funneled through the cut—called the Rainforest Ledge—create a natural air-conditioning system in summer.
The only road crossing on the trail is at Roulston Road (no parking here), then the trail crosses SR 111 via a modern pedestrian bridge at mile 3.6. The trail ends in 0.4 mile on Range Road, where there is a bicycle shop. Cross Range Road to pick up the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor.
Connections
At its northern endpoint, the trail connects seamlessly to the Derry Rail Trail. At its northern trailhead (about 0.2 miles south of the trail's northern endpoint), there is parking available and the Windham Rail Trail connects to the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch).
At its southern end, the trail connects to the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor. The trail's connections to the Derry Rail Trail in the north and the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor in the south make up the longest paved section—10 miles—of a future 125-mile route between Massachusetts and Vermont that will combine several trails.
Trail History
The trail follows a railbed taken out of service by the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1980. Rail service first came to Windham in the 1840s with the Manchester and Lawrence Railroad, which carried freight and passengers to the growing industrial belt. A 3-mile section through Windham cost the most to build because of extensive rock cutting and the filling of lowlands. The Boston and Maine gained control in 1887. After the line fell into disuse, it became a gravel multiuse trail; Windham finished paving the path in 2016.
At the northern trailhead near the Derry town line, explore the Boston and Maine Railroad C-16 caboose and the restored 1849 Windham Depot and freight terminal. The station served the busy junction between the Manchester and Lawrence Division and the Worcester, Nashua & Portland Division of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Today the trailhead serves as a rail-trail crossroads with the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail (Fremont Branch), heading northeast and the future Windham Greenway heading west.
The Windham Rail Trail runs between the Derry Rail Trail at N Lowell Rd/Windham Rd at Brown Rd (Windham) and the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor at Range Rd at SR 28/N Broadway (Windham), where parking is available.
Parking is available at:
Please note that parking is prohibited at Windham Depot from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
These are not official addresses, visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Part of an excellent run of connected trails including Derry and Salem Bike-Ped. Wide trail with great scenery including water.
Easy trail, lots of shade, first time to try pedigo bikes in Salem
I love it here . We started in Windham and went all the way to Tuscan kitchen restaurant . It was a nice ride .
Excellent trail have been using the Londonderry rail trail which is great to but this trail has more scenery to view as you walk. Walked 8.7 miles of the trial this morning was great plan on coming back the only thing I would add is to update the trail map the trail now continues after range road. I recommend this trail it’s well maintained to
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