The Upper Valley area of New Hampshire and Vermont is home to wonderful outdoor activities all year long. One area favorite is bicycling.
Here in Lyme we are fortunate to have amazing mountain bike trails made available by the Green Woodlands Foundation. One of the Foundation’s goals is to “connect people to nature through healthy outdoor community experiences.” To that end, Green Woodlands offers its acreage for public use with 50 miles of trails that the whole family can enjoy. The cost? A smile from those using the trails.
Cyclists are ever-present on the roads during summer months and area drivers are very cyclist friendly. A local weekend ride from Lyme could take you north along the Connecticut River or across the river to Vermont.
The Northern Rail Trail is 60 miles of off-road paths in New Hampshire running from Lebanon to Boscawen. Once a railway track, these converted and well-maintained paths are used by walkers and bicyclists in the summer and snowmobiles and dog sleds in the winter. There are tunnels and bridges all along the path and signage from local businesses directing you to refreshments.
There are too many trail options to list here,but there are great resources that do. This list from TrailLink shows 34 trails in the areas surrounding Lyme, including the Franconia Notch Recreation Path which is a paved path running the length of Franconia Notch State Park.
For even more ideas for bicycling adventures, here are several resources:
• Trail Link
• Bicycle New England
• Bike New England
• Visit NH
• Vermont Vacation
There are some local bicycle shops that can help you too. Drummond Cycles, in nearby Enfield, NH, is a great resource and offers both bicycle service and sales. Omer & Bobs, also nearby, in Lebanon, NH, offers service, sales, and rentals. And e-bike rentals are available too from Vermont Bike & Brew and Hanover Adventure Tours!
The Lyme Inn is a great base from which to enjoy regional cycling adventures and offers historic elegance and contemporary luxury in a casual country setting.
