New Hampshire is a cycling dream, from mountaintop to coast.
Stretching from the Atlantic to New England’s highest peaks, woven through with beautiful country roads and rugged trails, free-spirited New Hampshire is a cyclist’s paradise. There are 52 different rail trails here, adding up to almost 400 miles — from the Presidential Rail Trail skirting Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams to the 59-mile-long, village-hopping Northern Rail Trail.
The 34-mile stretch on Route 112 between the ski towns of Conway and Lincoln, including 3,000-foot Kancamagus Pass, passes by stunning White Mountains backdrops (peak foliage is epic). There are six covered bridges within 16 miles of Keene, a silver Bicycle Friendly Community. And don’t miss Route 1A, an ocean-breezy seacoast classic.
With such mountainous topography, NH has countless options for mountain biking, whether it’s the machine-built trails and long descents of Green Woodlands, the 10,000 acres of Bear Brook State Park, or the meticulously planned, lift-served downhill of Highland Mountain Bike Park.
For a backcountry view of North Country majesty and character, grab your gravel bike and follow the 83-mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, a route of sand, singletrack, grass, cinder, gravel, and railroad track ballast from one side of the state to another. Or sign up for the Kearsarge Klassic, a 35-, 55-, or 85-mile offroad adventure out of Warner. Feeling fast? Line up for one of 19 regular crit races at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.