HANCOCK RAIL TRAIL:
HANCOCK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
EASTVIEW & JAQUITH RAIL TRAILS;
HARRISVILLE-HANCOCK, NEW HAMPSHIRE
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 24, 2023
Length: Hancock Rail Trail; 0.6 miles
Eastview & Jaquith Rail Trails; 2.9 miles
Difficulty: Hancock Rail Trail; Moderate. Flat, hard packed dirt & gravel rail trail with some wood chips, roots and a few old rail ties.
Eastview & Jaquith Rail Trails; Easy. Flat, hard packed dirt, gravel & cinder rail trail. Occasional tree roots.
Directions:
To Start from #92 Old Dublin Road parking lot for the Hancock Rail Trail [Northern End]; From the junction of Routes 123 & 137 (Main St) in Hancock follow Route 123 North. Quickly turn left on Old Dublin Rd and travel 0.9 miles. Turn left up a dirt road at #92 to the parking lot.
To start from the Hancock Road parking lot in Harrisville for the Eastview Rail Trail [Southern End]; From the junction of Routes 123 & 137 (Main St) in Hancock follow Route 137 South for 3.5 miles. Turn right on Hancock Rd and travel 2.6 miles. Just before you come to North Pond, spot a small "Trail Parking" sign on your right and the parking lot entrance. Easy to miss. Across from the entrance spot the old RR abutment.
The Hancock Rail Trail follows the rail bed of the former Manchester & Keene RR, which was completed in 1878 and operated by the B&M RR in 1887 South. The Eastview & Jaquith Rail Trails follow the same rail bed North. Between the 2 trails the rail bed is undeveloped. For more information visit; HARRIS CENTER .
Hancock Rail Trail:
Starting from #92 Old Dublin Road parking lot [Northern End]; Kiosk w/Maps. Travel down the grass trail to a clearing.
Note; A grass path on your right leads down to Davis Brook. Scenic with small water fall, boulders and Pine forest.
Heading right the hard packed dirt & gravel Hancock Rail Trail travels South. Cross a bridge over Davis Brook and follow the old rail bed along a berm. Trail rough in spots with tree roots and some old rail ties. Improves as you pass through a rock cut, however you'll soon encounter wood chips which are too soft for biking. Slight upgrade. Come to the dirt Eaton Rd after 0.6 miles and the end of the trail.
Note; I must have missed this but supposedly at 0.5 miles you'll pass by an old granite RR Mileage Marker K20/N37 (Keene 20 miles/Nashua 37 miles).
Eastview & Jaquith Rail Trail:
Starting from the Hancock Road parking lot [Southern End]; Across Hancock Rd from the parking entrance spot the old RR abutment. The hard packed dirt, gravel & cinder Eastview Rail Trail travels East to a bridge over the Nubanusit Brook. Check out the old RR abutments. Scenic brook. Map Board past the bridge. Occasional tree root as you travel through deep woods along a berm above Nubanusit Brook, which you quickly pull away from. Cross a high berm at 0.3 miles. Cross a scenic causeway past a pond left and marsh right where you'll find a bench. Travel through a long rock cut. Come to the dirt Jaquith Rd at 1.4 miles. The old rail bed across the road is blocked, so you need to travel right, to a small path on your left. This path returns you to the rail trail. Here the hard packed dirt, gravel, grass & cinder Jaquith Rail Trail now travels North through the woods along a rock cut. Cross a medium berm past a boulder field. Another rock cut just before you cross a very high bridge over Jaquith Brook at 1.9 miles.
Note; The old 50-foot RR trestle over Jaquith Brook was replaced by a historic steel truss that was once used as an auto bridge in Roxbury, NH.
Past this bridge find an old cement Mileage Marker 39/77. Not sure what this referenced. This was as far as I traveled. Past here a high berm still had old RR ties embedded in the trail. I was told the trail improves past this rough section before ending at Jaquith Rd at 2.9 miles.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR HANCOCK RAIL TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR EASTVIEW RAIL TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR JAQUITH RAIL TRAIL MAP
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