Bike the North Country of New Hampshire!
New Hampshire's North Country is a bicycling paradise!
Use this brand new website for great information on all kinds of bicycling opportunities, plus where to celebrate your epic or mellow rides afterwards with hearty local food and brews, too: BiketheNorthCountry.com
The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is proud to be included as a part of this collaboration!
What is "Bike the North Country" ?? Click here to Check it out:
"Welcome to Bike the North Country! We are New Hampshire’s year round cycling destination for all types of riding and riders. Whether you’re new to cycling, riding as a family, or out for a killer workout, we've got great rides for you. We have almost 100 miles of mountain bike trails, many of which are groomed for fat tire riding in the winter. Plus, we have some great rail trails and bike paths, and about 100 miles of great road routes that we’ll tailor to the type of ride you want. For those with disabilities and want to be on the road or trails we have adaptive bikes, guides and lessons through our amazing partner, Adaptive Sports Partners. We also have great amenities for riders – a gear library, rental, repair and gear shops, and of course everything a rider needs – coffee shops and breweries and of course some great bike-friendly lodging facilities."
Here are some of the many excellent rides that use a small part of the xNHAT, or are close by. Add them to your itinerary to spend a few more days enjoying great cycling in the North Country of New Hampshire, Northeastern Vermont and Western Maine.
Mostly Dirt Rides:
Northern White Mountains Bikepacking Loop
On this loop, when not on the rail trail, you will be climbing, but it will be well worth it! Check out this excellent overnighter route posted by Danielle Blanca on Bikepacking.com:
bikepacking.com/routes/northern-white-mountains-loop/
A short fun singletrack along North Road: add this to your North Road ride, IF you have a gravel bike or wider tires than what's on a skinny road bike.
https://gravelmap.com/route/103975-the-esker-loop-trail-gilead#15.86/44.4084/-70.8922
In Vermont: The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. A 93 mile rail trail from Swanton, Vermont eastward to St.Johnsbury. This is a beautiful hard packed stonedust rail trail. Fun day or multi-day trip! The are some detours on the route due to the huge washouts that occurred in the 2023 and 2024 summertime flooding. Here is the website for all the details about the route and the detours: LVRT information on Vermont Rail Trails website.
The LVRT is New England's longest rail trail...VERY scenic. The are plans to take the trail all the way from St Johnsbury to the Connecticut River then into New Hampshire to connect with the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail and the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail after a lot of work and grant money! This connection is called the "Twin State Rail Trail Project". It is an amazing project that is a collaboration between VT and NH snowmobile clubs, NH Snowmobile Association, NH Bureau of Trails, Rails to Trails Conservancy, NH Rail Trails Coalition, towns along the way and the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail.
We were making excellent progress, but the "Light at the End of the Tunnel" ....really was the headlight of an oncoming train. The railroad derailed our plans for the connectivity. We are now setting up a collaboration with the railroad that plans to use some of the connecting rail corridor to restore railroad operations. We are looking at RailWithTrail opportunities. Stay tuned.
New Hampshire's North Country is a bicycling paradise!
Use this brand new website for great information on all kinds of bicycling opportunities, plus where to celebrate your epic or mellow rides afterwards with hearty local food and brews, too: BiketheNorthCountry.com
The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is proud to be included as a part of this collaboration!
What is "Bike the North Country" ?? Click here to Check it out:
"Welcome to Bike the North Country! We are New Hampshire’s year round cycling destination for all types of riding and riders. Whether you’re new to cycling, riding as a family, or out for a killer workout, we've got great rides for you. We have almost 100 miles of mountain bike trails, many of which are groomed for fat tire riding in the winter. Plus, we have some great rail trails and bike paths, and about 100 miles of great road routes that we’ll tailor to the type of ride you want. For those with disabilities and want to be on the road or trails we have adaptive bikes, guides and lessons through our amazing partner, Adaptive Sports Partners. We also have great amenities for riders – a gear library, rental, repair and gear shops, and of course everything a rider needs – coffee shops and breweries and of course some great bike-friendly lodging facilities."
Here are some of the many excellent rides that use a small part of the xNHAT, or are close by. Add them to your itinerary to spend a few more days enjoying great cycling in the North Country of New Hampshire, Northeastern Vermont and Western Maine.
Mostly Dirt Rides:
Northern White Mountains Bikepacking Loop
On this loop, when not on the rail trail, you will be climbing, but it will be well worth it! Check out this excellent overnighter route posted by Danielle Blanca on Bikepacking.com:
bikepacking.com/routes/northern-white-mountains-loop/
A short fun singletrack along North Road: add this to your North Road ride, IF you have a gravel bike or wider tires than what's on a skinny road bike.
https://gravelmap.com/route/103975-the-esker-loop-trail-gilead#15.86/44.4084/-70.8922
In Vermont: The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. A 93 mile rail trail from Swanton, Vermont eastward to St.Johnsbury. This is a beautiful hard packed stonedust rail trail. Fun day or multi-day trip! The are some detours on the route due to the huge washouts that occurred in the 2023 and 2024 summertime flooding. Here is the website for all the details about the route and the detours: LVRT information on Vermont Rail Trails website.
The LVRT is New England's longest rail trail...VERY scenic. The are plans to take the trail all the way from St Johnsbury to the Connecticut River then into New Hampshire to connect with the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail and the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail after a lot of work and grant money! This connection is called the "Twin State Rail Trail Project". It is an amazing project that is a collaboration between VT and NH snowmobile clubs, NH Snowmobile Association, NH Bureau of Trails, Rails to Trails Conservancy, NH Rail Trails Coalition, towns along the way and the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail.
We were making excellent progress, but the "Light at the End of the Tunnel" ....really was the headlight of an oncoming train. The railroad derailed our plans for the connectivity. We are now setting up a collaboration with the railroad that plans to use some of the connecting rail corridor to restore railroad operations. We are looking at RailWithTrail opportunities. Stay tuned.
Mountain Bike Trail Systems:
There are 5 mountain biking trail systems along the xNHAT and nearby, plus downhill biking at Loon Mountain Ski Area. Along the xNHAT check out the trail systems in Littleton, Bethlehem, Franconia, Gorham and Bethel. All are part of the Bike Borderlands coalition of 9 mountain biking centers in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec. For lots more info check out the website: BikeBorderlands.com
Pavement Rides (or mostly) on or near the xNHAT
Bretton Woods to the Lupines in Randolph and Jefferson. A great 42 mile mostly pavement but with some dirt roads and rail trail ride with panoramic views of the Presidentials. Excellent in mid to late June for the lupine bloom or in October of the fall foliage, or anytime for the mountain views. Start at the parking lot for Bretton Woods Ski Area. Shorten the ride by starting at the large dirt parking area on the north side of Route 302 near Zealand Campground. Shorten it even more, and reduce the amount of pavement ny starting at the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge.
The Lost Nation Loop, A 50 mile loop ALL ON PAVEMENT. Although this ride only includes 1.8 miles on the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, it is a fantastic ride, a local favorite, had to list it here for you. Park in the center of Whitefield near the town green and gazebo.
The Andover Ride. 49 miles, ALL ON PAVEMENT, mostly out-and-back with one small loop. This excellent ride starts in Bethel, Maine at the endpoint of the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail. Begin in the parking area at Davis Park. The ride is 50 miles round trip on quiet paved roads that travel northward alongside the Androscoggin River and the Ellis River into the village of Andover. This town is an excellent place for a lunch stop at the Andover General Store and a pleasant shady park with gazebo. This ride could be considered a northward extension of the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail further into Maine!
The Vermont Side of the Connecticut River. ALL ON PAVEMENT. This can be as long or short as you like. This link shows a 49 mile out/back version form Lancaster, NH to Bloomfield, VT, but you can just keep going north until you hit the US/Canada border! It is a great out/back on quiet and scenic Route 102 that continues north from Bloomfield to the border with Quebec. Go to the border and back for a century.