Northern Rail Trail, Trail Head - Lebanon, NH
Northern Rail Trail, Trail Head in Lebanon, NH, is a premier dog park and pet-friendly trail destination perfect for dog owners seeking outdoor adventures. This well-maintained trail offers wheelchair accessible entrances and parking, making it inclusive for all visitors. The trail supports a variety of activities including biking, birdwatching, hiking, jogging, and walking, ensuring a versatile experience for families and pets alike. With its kid-friendly hikes and ample space for dogs to roam freely, it is an ideal spot for dog-friendly hiking and outdoor fun.
The trail is praised for its scenic views along the Mascoma River, clean and safe environment, and the unique charm of seasonal scarecrows that add character to your walk or run. Dog owners will appreciate the easy access to the Boston Lot trail network and the availability of amenities like parking and porta potties. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful nature walk, a vigorous run, or a leisurely bike ride, this dog park in Lebanon, NH, offers a welcoming and enjoyable experience for pets and their owners.
FAQ for Northern Rail Trail, Trail Head in Lebanon New Hampshire:
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? Dogs are allowed and can be off-leash outside the designated areas.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, the park has wheelchair accessible entrances and parking lots.
- Is there a playground or activities for kids nearby? Yes, the park is good for kids and has kid-friendly hikes.
- Where is the best place to park? There is a parking lot at the trailhead with plenty of room and wheelchair accessible parking.
- Are restrooms available for owners? There is a porta potty available near the parking area, although it may not always be very clean.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, there are multiple trails for hiking, jogging, walking, biking, and birdwatching that are well maintained.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the trails and park are well maintained by the Upper Valley Mountain Bike Club.
Reviews
I’m visiting Vermont from out of town and needed a place to do a 17 mile run. I was so happy to find this place. Parking was right there next to the trail sign. I ran on a Friday morning and mostly had the trail to myself. I loved the dressed up scarecrows along the way. I ran by two beautiful lakes. The trail was very clean and was mostly a combination of paved and gravel/small rocks. I luckily stumbled upon a coffee shop for a bathroom break about 6.5 miles in (there were no porta potties). I felt very safe running on this trail alone. Highly recommend for running, walking, or biking. If you’re hungry afterwards, I recommend the Salt Hill Pub which is walking distance from the parking lot.
Rode it halfway as an out and back as I had to move on. Great trail! Well maintained but not really appropriate for road bikes. The scarecrows along the route were a plus!
Beautiful well maintained trail very nice walking
Family and dog friendly trail where you can walk, run and bike. Great views of the Mascoma river.
This 23 mile rail-to-trail path is very good, and is on par with many of the others that I have done in DC, Maryland, and PA (with the only exception being the amazing rail-to-trail Segment beginning at the Maryland border and proceeding north to Freetown, PA).From the actual trailhead in Lebanon (with free parking in designated spaces), the trail is paved asphalt for about 0.3 miles before crossing an active rural road (Bank Street), where it crosses the first of many old wooden train bridges and transitions to packed earth/crushed gravel (with very few uneven areas or overgrowth) for the next few miles. Within the first 3 miles, there are 5 old wooden train bridges of various designs used to cross the meandering stream/river that this rail line was built along. From the Lebanon trailhead and proceeding east, this rail-to-trail has a very consistant, gradual uphill grade of about 2% (over the first 3 miles, you will gain ~120 feet).If you want to see an actual covered bridge, you can find the very well preserved Covered Bridge #65 before mile 2, but it is 100-m off the trail on an active road (Riverside Road, which also is the second road crossing that you must make as you head east).
It was our first time here and we were mountain biking. There were beautiful views and the trails and were well marked and groomed. We climbed a lot for the mountain biking, but if I known better I could have picked a better route.