Hop River State Rail Trail

Date: June 17, 2012
Report Type: TA Report:
Trail Name: Hop River State Rail Trail
Town: Manchester to Andover
Trail Conditions: Good
Observations/Information: I led a ride for AMC, Sound Cyclists, NEMBA, and two Meetup Groups on the trail, and had 10 people show up. It was an absolutely perfect day to ride with temps around 70 degrees and Sunday. The trail was very busy with all sorts of users. Along the sides, I could see the remains of the fall storm damage, which the trail elves cleaned up long ago. The trail surface continues to hold up in excellent shape from the Manchester-Vernon border to Burnap Brook Road. From that point to the new bridge over Rt. 316, it's a bit rough. Then it gets bouncy until a mile before the wooden bridge over the Hop River, a section that is a smooth stone dust surface. I took my hybrid on this ride to see how it would do. The last section definitely left my arms a bit sore from all the bounces. I figured it was worth the trade off of not having to push my wider mountain bike tires over 34 miles worth of trail. This section is also getting encroachment from the sides, so it is single track in places. The lights under Rt. 6 in Andover were all working. When I was there two years ago, only one was. The bridge over Rt. 316 is impressive. Be sure to swing down to the road and ride under it to get the full perspective. This is a fine trail to ride and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Trail Ambassador Name: Tom Ebersold

Trail Ambassador E-mail: bikehikekayak123 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
How did you use the trail? MT Biking
Trails Ridden: Hop River State Rail Trail
Time of day: Morning
Time/Duration (hours): 5
Approximate Distance (Miles): 34 miles
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