Nashua River Rail Trail

I live on the Nashua end of this trail. I just recently started biking on the trail and scold myself for not finding it sooner. Here on the Nashua side there are some unpaved trails for mountain biking or walking, I prefer running here because of the softer terrain and woodsy feel. This trail is kept very clean and maintained. Most times of the day the trail is more shaded than not. There are some nice views along the way, this is most certainly a great place to visit, whether you are a walker, runner or a biker.
I am so lucky to have this gem within walking distance!

A very nice trail with minimal hills, traffic and bumps. Main qualms: the wooded scenery is similar the entire ride, and there’s not much entertainment (particularly restaurants) to visit along the way if you’re looking to make a day of it.

Four and a half stars for me. One of the fun things about this trail is telling people I walked or biked to a different state. Some stunning vistas higher up and groves of wildflowers surround the trail in the Spring and an old bridge or two to go underneath. I like the overall open feel of this trail. Pepperell is a nice drop off for an ice cream. And everyone from people using the trail to people with houses bordering the trail are ever so friendly.

Beautiful

This is a true hidden gem. Granted, from metro Boston it is a good hour plus to get there, but worth the effort. I have biked a number of rail trails in my life and this one is top flight. A good sized parking lot at the trail head in Ayer. Totally paved, with but a few frost heaves that are marked, terrifiic scenery of farm land, a state forest, wetlands, several ponds and the Nashua River the entire 12.5 miles. Nicely shaded with maples, birch, and pines so that even in the summer its probably relatively cool. Far enough from a big city so that I doubt that overuse becomes a problem. An ice cream stop in Pepperel, and NO litter to speak of. In conclusion, that is as good as it gets in my opinion.

Fantastic rail trail in Central MA about an hour from Boston. Due to the fact that it is just about in the middle of nowhere, this entirely-​paved rail trail only gets a fraction of visitors that the other long rail trails in Eastern MA get.
There are only 7 or 8 road crossings in 12.5 miles of trail (the trail is 25 miles round-​trip), which is quite impressive.
Scenery is good too.
Highly recommended for biking, running and rollerblading.

Just a heads up that the two bathrooms in Ayer are closed from 11.15.11 — 04.23.12. I suggest filling up some gas or grabbing something at the Mobil gas station 50ft from the parking lot and using the bathroom there.

Out for the day today on this great trail. An easy ride — very kid friendly!

Gorgeous rail trail with views of conservation lands. Sweet smells of plants and nature tickle your nostrils for a leisurely bike ride. And it’s a real kick to be biking along and see a sign that says «Welcome to New Hampshire.»
Delightfully quiet on weekdays. Moderately crowded on evenings and weekends, but not nearly as much as the Minuteman.
The Ayer trail head is in downtown Ayer next to the Sovereign Bank, at 1 Park Street, Trail parking lot is *behind* the bank parking lot and they are not connected. To get to the trail parking, turn off W. Main Street onto Park Street at the bank and continue until you can turn right on a side street (I think it is Groton) and then right again.
The trail 11.9 miles one way from the Ayer trail head to the end in Nashua. Then it continues about 1.5 miles on a new trail through a housing development. So if you start in Ayer and go all the way through the housing development and back you’ve done 25 miles. If you want a shorter ride (and still want to hit NH) you can also park halfway in Groton.

IMOH, this is the best trail in the Boston area for inexperienced riders.
It is long and flat, well maintained, and uncrowded. There are few road crossings, which is good for riders who aren’t yet confident starting and stopping.
There is ice cream in Pepperell that everyone stops for, if you need some more motivation. (Get the kiddie size — seriously. It’s huge.)
The scenery is pretty good. It is near a skydiving area so look up!

This was nice trail, very well maintained and some nice scenery. It is mostly flatly, and when I say mostly I mean around 99.9998%. The day we went there were not many other cyclists using the trail (that may have had to do with the impending rain storm… which did catch us 7 miles from the car…) but I did notice the trail seems a bit narrow. Perhaps that is just my own perception, from having ridden the East Bay Bike Trail in R.I. for so many years, but I swear the East Bay trail is about 2 feet wider.
Even with the rain and the seemingly narrow trail, this is certainly a rail trail I plan on riding again.

Probably the best rail trail I have ridden yet. Went from Ayer up to Nashua and back.
For experienced bikers, the 12.3 miles each way is probably no big deal. I’m two weeks into this though, and this was my longest ride yet. There were a lot of stretches of flat ground, and only gradual inclines. Well maintained and the Rail Trail Ice Cream Shop was a welcome break.
There were more people nodding, smiling, and saying hello as I crossed paths on this trail than you get on the Minuteman, that’s for sure. Very pleasant ride.
Tip for riders, when you complete the 24.6 mile trip, pour an entire bottle of water on your head and then turn the car A/​C on high. Best way to refresh after a long ride.

Was out on the trail on bicycle with hubby and youngest yesterday in sunny 50’s weather. Its a 24-​mile loop beginning in Ayer and ending just over the NH border. There are a few other places one can hop on for a shorter distance. Great for walkers, roller-​bladers and joggers alike. It’s well kept by the DCR and DPW and is a relatively flat ride. About ²⁄₃ of the way up, there is an ice cream stop (Rail Trail Ice Cream Stop) as well as a Dunkin Donuts and White Hen Pantry for refreshments. The oldest kids learned to ride longer distances on this trail and they are on their own all over the countryside now. There are plans for extending the trail to hook up with the trail in Nashua, but the extension is gravel for now.

This rail trail is a regular ride of mine, and although the scenery is good and there aren’t too many road crossings, I have to knock it a bit because it is showing significant signs of wear and tear. There are several stretches with significant bumps and rises in the pavement, and the tree damage from the 2008 ice storm is still narrowing the trail.
I usually start from the Ayer end, and this makes a different. The Hollis side of the trail is in better shape, and it also has better views. The trail is an enjoyable ride, but repairs are needed in order for this to be a fully satisfying ride.

Great trail with beautiful scenery and ample parking at the lots that are available at different locations along the way. Good for biking or walking.

I love this trail, but it used to be mine, my horse’s and my dog’s. It wasn’t paved so you could gallop to your hearts content. We rarely ran into anyone except other riders. ATV and dirtbikers would use it back then and we all respected each other, they knew proper horse etiquette. The stretch I rode on was well maintained as a fire road. Now its paved :(gross. A woman with a baby carriage told me to put my dog on a leash! Yes I think everyone should get to use it because some parts are breathtaking. But why do you yuppies have to ruin everything? There was no spandex here 20 years ago and the scenery was so much more beautiful then.

This is one of the best reasons to live in Pepperell. It is nice family trail. It is a well paved flat trail (as it goes along the old railroad track) People are generally polite in regards to passing. People smile and say hi. From Pepperell you can go toward Hollis or towards Ayer. It it beautiful. There are mile markers along the way.
Bring your bug spray the bugs can be brutal as it goes along the river. There are several parking lots; on nice days they fill up. Even then the trail isn’t crowded.
After you can your exercise you can stop at the downtown Pepperell and get an ice cream.

Probably my favorite bike path ever. It’s well-​kept, it’s not crowded, and there are long swathes of it uninterrupted by streets. It’s not very long (just around 12 miles or so) and it’s just ideal for casual to intermediate bikers. Speed-​hungry roadies might have fun on this trail but you might end up mowing down a family with kids on trikes in tow.
This trail is drop-​dead unbelievably gorgeous in the fall. When I lived in Chelmsford this was my weekend activity, now that I’m in Somerville I still make a point to drive to Ayer and go on this trail. It’s a jewel. Don’t miss it.

Great bike path. I live close to one of the parking areas in Dunstable, although I always just bike from home.
The path is well maintained; there are a couple of dips that need to be neon-​painted again, but nothing major. The path takes riders through wooded areas, farms, backyards, fields, over little bridges, wetlands, through a little downtown area in Pepperell. Nice viewing.
My husband and I like to stop somewhere just short of the end in Ayer where there are some granite blocks overlooking a little pond near an apple orchard. We do our bike picnic, then head back home. Makes for a nice way to spend a few hours on a lovely afternoon.

I’ve done this bike path a few times and I start the ride in Ayer, they have a parking lot there for about 60 cars. The trail is 11 miles long and takes you through Ayer, Groton, Dunstable, and Pepperell stopping just short of the New Hampshire border. While there can be a lot of people using it, the path is pretty wide and there’s usually not a problem with bike/​walker/​jogger congestion.
A lot of the path is along open fields, with trees providing some much needed shade. When you get to Pepperell you’ll drive alongside their downtown area. This is a great place to stop as there’s a place there to grab ice cream. I believe you can also find some vending machines right in this area, which is good for those who forget water or have just run out!
Yes, you have to drive a bit to get here, but at this time of the year (Fall) the drive will be a beautiful one as the leaves along Route 2 are starting to change. So you can make it a day of it with of foliage viewing, bike riding, and then stop somewhere on your way home for a nice dinner!