Stevens Rail Trail, Hopkinton NH

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

The image shows a person jogging on a forest trail. The trail is surrounded by tall trees with green foliage, and the sky is clear and blue. The person is wearing a red jacket, gray shorts, and running shoes.

The level hardpack gravel surface is great for all trail users.

A century and a half ago up to ten trains a day would steam across the covered railroad bridge over the Contoocook River, packed with vacationers heading to Lake Sunapee and beyond. Now that same traffic motors up Interstate 89 on a mostly parallel journey.

You can now enjoy a section of this old rail route North of Contoocook - thankfully set back and cushioned from the freeway noise by dense forest - along an excellent hardpack gravel trail surface suitable for walkers, runners and bicycle users alike.

The best starting point for this trail is by the Hopkinton town library at the South End. Although the old alignment immediately North of the river is now built over and privately owned, a half-mile trail through sports fields and woodland links to the town-owned trail beginning at Spring Street. The trail mostly travels through forest, with a creek feeding marshland at the halfway point.

⬤ Hardpack ⬤ No Access ⬤ Parking

Trail Options Expand KML · Google Earth ·

⬤ 3★ Stevens Rail Trail 2.2 mi ea way, easy, no gradient
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX?

Eventually bisected to the North by the I-89 freeway, the trail then leads off to the East on a very pleasant meandering quarter-mile route that connects to Warner Road. There are no parking facilities evident at the end of this trail. We recommend taking time to check out Contoocook Village, and what is known as the world's oldest covered railroad bridge which rests alongside the Contoocook Railroad Museum.

Trailspotting has a guide to all publicly accessible sections of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail project linked at the bottom of this page. Further rail trails can be found off this route, about 1 mile West of Contoocook Village the West Hopkinton Rail Trail continues towards Henniker. Subsequent rail trail segments continue even further through Hillsborough and Peterborough and beyond the Massachusetts border.

⚠ Trail Conditions: Hardpack gravel surface good for all. Flat trail.

The image shows a covered wooden bridge spanning a river, supported by stone pillars. It is surrounded by leafless trees, suggesting late autumn or early winter. There's a building to the left and some houses in the background on the right. The river flows steadily beneath the bridge

The nearby Contoocook Railroad Covered Bridge.

The image shows a large, old wooden barn with a weathered appearance. The barn has a steeply pitched roof with a small cupola on top. The front of the barn features large double doors and several windows, some of which are boarded up. The barn is elevated on a stone foundation, with a stone retaining wall in front of it. The surrounding area includes a grassy lawn and another building with a green roof in the background. The sky is clear and blue, indicating a sunny day

Contoocook Village's old hall at the South end of the trail.

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

Trailspotting Nearby
3★ Henniker & Hopkinton Rail Trails (2-6 mi) · 3★ Warner Rail Trails (1-2 mi) · 4★ Marjory Swope Park (2-5 mi) · Show Map

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