DOVER COMMUNITY RAIL TRAIL:
DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: May 29, 2025
Length: Dover Community Trail; 4 miles (including 0.5 mile on-road section)
Dover Community Trail: Northwestern Section; 2.4 miles
Dover Community Trail: Town Town Section; 1.1 miles
Difficulty: Dover Community Trail: Northwestern Section; Moderate. Hard packed dirt & grass rail trail.
Dover Community Trail: Town Town Section; Easy. Hilly paved rail trail in town.
Directions:
To Start from the Watson Road parking lot [Northwestern End/Northwestern Section]; From Route 16 take exit 9 to Indian Brook Dr west (left). Turn right on 6th St and travel 0.8 miles. Turn left down Country Farm Rd. Take your first left on Watson Rd. Dirt parking lot will be on your left.
To Start from the Dover Transportation Center parking lot [Northern End/ Town Southern Section]; From Route 16 take exit 8E to Route 9 and head right. Follow Route 9 into Dover. Turn left on 2nd St. Cross Chestnut St into the Dover Transportation Center. The trailhead is located at the rear of the parking lot.
The Dover Community Rail Trail is comprised of two sections. The Northwestern Section is more isolated and follows the rail bed of the former Portsmouth & Dover Branch RR Southeast, along the Northern Side of the Cocheco River to downtown Dover. The Town Section travels South, from the Dover Transportation Center along an old rail bed to Central Ave. Past here, the old rail bed is now part of the Spaulding Tpke. On-road route connects the two sections. The planned Southern Section will extend the trail South, alongside Central Ave/Route 108 to Dover Middle School, where it will travel West, past Dover High School to Bellamy Park. It will then follow the Bellamy River West, to Route 155. For more information See; DOVER COMMUNITY TRAIL & DOVER COMMUNITY RAIL TRAIL .
Dover Community Rail Trail; Northwestern Section:
Starting from Watson Road parking lot [Northwestern End]; The hard packed dirt & grass Dover Community Rail Trail travels Southeast, into the woods paralleling the Northern Side of the Cocheco River along your right. I haven't checked out this section. A tunnel takes you underneath Route 16, check out the great murals and brings you to Whittier Falls Way (residential) after 1.7 miles. Follow this road out to Whittier St and travel right a short distance. Across the road the trail continues. Use Caution crossing road. Map Board. I believe this is also a narrow, hard packed dirt & grass trail. Not sure how much of this next section follows the old rail bed. Travel past the Dover Community Garden and come back along the river at 2 miles. You'll pass by the Beckwith Ball fields where the trail is paved, as it turns South, to 4th Street at 2.4 miles.
Note; A Gap exists to the Town Section and requires a 0.5 mile on-road detour. Turn left, East, along 4th St (sidewalk available) to Chestnut St and head right, South (wide shoulder). Cross the RR tracks and turn right into the Dover Transportation Center and travel to the back left corner of the parking lot, where you'll pick up the trail after 0.5 miles.
Dover Community Rail Trail; Town Section:
Starting from the Dover Transportation Center parking lot [Northern End]; Map Board. [Re-zeroing Mileage] The wide, paved Dover Community Rail Trail heads South, downhill through the woods and quickly crosses a bridge over the Cocheco River. Look back right, to spot an active RR bridge crossing the river. Use Caution crossing Washington St at 0.2 miles. You now follow a residential corridor. Continue straight along Scenic Dr where the trail continues. Same after crossing Folsom St. The trail is now sunken and travels through a tunnel underneath Silver St. Cross Fisher St at 0.7 miles, before coming to Central Ave and the end of the trail after 1.1 miles, just below the Spaulding Tpke. Southeast from here, the old rail bed is now part of the Spaulding Tpke.
Note; The Southern Section of the trail has not yet been built, as of 2024.
Dover Community Rail Trail; Southern Section:
The planned Southern Section will extend the trail South, alongside Central Ave/Route 108 to Dover Middle School, where it will travel West, past Dover High School to Bellamy Park. It will then follow the Bellamy River West, to Route 155.
Note; Phase 4 is under design in 2024 and will construct a trail from Bellamy Rd West, along the Bellamy River, to Route 155. See; PHASE 4 MAP .
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