Mast Yard Rail Trail, Hopkinton NH

• 3-star trail
• 2 miles each way
• Moderate | Low gradient
• Hopkinton to Concord, NH | Merrimack Region
. NH Rail Trails

The image shows a forest path lined with tall trees on both sides. The trees have sparse foliage, with many leaves on the ground, indicating it might be autumn. A fallen tree is leaning diagonally across the path, creating an interesting visual element. The path is covered with leaves and grass, and the sky is clear and blue, suggesting a sunny day.

The long straight rail trail through Mast Yard State Forest.

Part of the former Concord to Claremont line, and due to be a section of the Concord to Lake Sunapee Rail Trail this section of the line located on the boundary of Hopkinton and Concord is a stretch of trail through the quiet woodlands of Mast Yard State Forest.

Parking is only available at the East end of the trail by the Horse Hill Road trailhead. The trail heads West across a long bailey bridge spanning the Contoocook River thanks to its use of the old railroad bridge piers. Then it's under a wide power line corridor followed by a straight shot towards Rattlesnake Hill. The trail terminates at the West, before Penacook Road due to restrictions across private property.

⬤ Asphalt ⬤ No Access ⬤ Parking

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

⬤ 3★ Mast Yard Rail Trail 1.7 mi ea way, moderate, low gradient
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX?

The neighboring riverside trail is a charming little single track trail which can be easily incorporated to make a much better looping route than the otherwise straight out-and-back. Check out the Riverside Loop on our Mast Yard State Forest trail review. We found it to be fun non-technical mountain bike route, with a couple of small hills that we walked our bikes up. Note that the riverside trail can be difficult to find from the West side thanks to a mess of logging trails.

⚠ Trail Conditions: Grassy hardpack recommended for mountain bikes and rugged bicycles only. Mostly flat, descending west at an average of 20ft per mile.

The image shows a bridge with a metal structure and a chain-link fence on both sides. The bridge is surrounded by a forest with trees that have lost most of their leaves, indicating a late autumn or early winter setting. The sky is partly cloudy with patches of blue. In the foreground, the handlebars of a bicycle are visible, suggesting that the photo was taken by someone on a bike ride.

The NH Heroes River Crossing spanning the Contoocook.

The image shows a landscape with three large electrical transmission towers standing in a field. The towers are connected by multiple high-voltage power lines. There is a bicycle parked in the foreground on a dirt path. The sky is clear and blue, with a few scattered clouds. The field is surrounded by trees, indicating a rural or semi-rural setting.

The little folding bike we use to power along trails.

Tangents:
• Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail: Official, Trailspotting
• Facebook Group: Comment, Follow Us

Trailspotting Nearby
4★ Mast Yard & Lehtinen Park (4-5 mi) · 4★ Fisherville Road Rail Trail (3 mi) · 3★ Stevens Rail Trail (2 mi) · Show Map

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