Imagine for a moment, it is 1924 and your family has rented a place in Wolfeboro New Hampshire, on Lake Winnipesaukee. The last leg of your trip is from Sanbornville to Wolfeboro aboard a train that will drop you off in downtown Wolfeboro on the shore of the lake.
Well those days are long past, but it’s easy to imagine the train chugging along the last 12 miles of the trip, and the excitement building as it crosses over the fields and ponds along the way.
The Cotton Valley Rail Trail can be accessed in downtown Wolfeboro at the park behind the old train station. We went out to Rt. 109 and started at the Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club headquarters, with parking, maps and restrooms. . The trail is interesting because it alternates between running alongside the existing rails wherever possible, and then running between the tracks when necessary. So bicyclists, must switch back and forth to go over the tracks on wooden mats. The directions at the station cautions bicyclists to stop and walk bikes over the tracks at a 90 degree angle. No doubt this is the safest way, although, after riding over the first several, the inclination is just to slow down and ride over them. That said, my partner and I each fell once at one of the switchbacks because the bike tire caught on the track–minor scrapes that didn’t detract from the ride, but it was clear, that caution is needed for bicyclists on the trail.
For the most part, the trail is level, with only a couple areas where the trail deviates from the rail bed and has a dip and rise with some loose gravel. For some a low gear, others, a short walk uphill. Walkers along the trail stepped aside for the bicycles as we approached. Braver cyclists than us might hug the rails as they passed other bikes coming from the opposite direction. We stopped and let oncoming cyclist pass through. On a busy weekend during the summer, this might be slow going!
Miss Wakefield Diner on the trail intersection with Rt 16
The trail crosses Rt 16 and continues east to Wakefield. We, however, decided the Miss Wakefield Diner would be our turning point. And really, how convenient, to find a turning point with friendly staff and a Reuben Sandwich that’s worth telling your friends about.
If you start the trail at the train station in Wolfeboro, you’ll ride along Back Bay, near shops and restaurants, and past Lake Wentworth and Albee Beach, before crossing Rt. 109. The closer you get to Back Bay, the more foot and cycle traffic you’ll encounter.
Enjoy the ride!
