Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail

Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail scene and a section of chunky trail conditions.

Planning a ride on the 83 mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail (XNHAT) was doable, even in October this year due to the prolonged drought and unusually warm stretch of sunny days. From the western New Hampshire border, eastward to Bethel, Maine, the "trail" is a mix of gravel rail trail - often quite rough - dirt roads, a few sandy stretches shared with ATVs, highway with a couple steep hills, and quiet rolling paved backroads near the eastern terminus. 

End of first day, enjoying the smoother, scenic Presidential Rail Trail.

The XNHAT website includes lots of planning information. They mailed us a waterproof map, which was a huge help because the trail is virtually unsigned - we noticed only 3 markers - so additional phone navigation was necessary. We started on the western end, leaving the car behind.  We reserved a campsite halfway, one in Bethel, and arranged for a shuttle back to our vehicle on the third morning. The only difficulty was getting to each campground by dark. It's odd to camp in October, and my husband and I realized we hadn't chosen to do it in 40 years! 

The well equipped Israel River Campground and a surprise full moon.

The climb from Woodsville along the Ammonoosuc River for the first 20 miles on newly graded, chunky surface gave me trouble. I should've been fine with 2" tires, so I moved slowly, eventually taking a much needed break in Littleton. The afternoon was in the 80sF, but the surfaced improved and we made "time" on the paved portions, arriving at 4:30 at the comfortable Israel River Campground. 

Left: the large bridge span over the Androscoggin River at Gorham. Right: Foliage on North Road, leading into Maine.

The second day's miles were more agreeable, descending gradually on the leaf covered Presidential Trail. We got offtrack in Gorham, unfortunately, letting gravity lead us through sandy shared ATV portion, crossing the amazingly long bridge, into more sand before having to backtrack uphill through the mess to access Gorham and lunch - on the other side of the river! Once we sorted that out, it was easiest to ride on a busy highway for 5 miles, then regain the "trail" on the next bridge crossing. It was a lovely afternoon ride on semi shaded North Road, eventually camping in Bethel, ME. The shuttle back to the car worked perfectly.

I loved that the route followed two major New Hampshire Rivers: Ammonoosuc and Androscoggin. Unfortunately, both were extremely low due to the drought so we missed the waters lovely serenade.

Favorite portions: The Presidential Rail Trail and North Road.