The Greenville-Mason Rail Trail near Mason, New Hampshire is an easy 6-mile out-and-back trail that features a beautiful views of Pratt Pond and the mixed forest along the route.
Trail name: Greenville-Mason Rail Trail.
Location: This section of the trail runs from the Pratt Pond Road parking area in Mason NH to the termination of the trail at Route 31, in Greenville NH.
Allowed activities: walking, geocaching, picnicking, mushing. OHRV, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, fishing, bicycling, bird watching and horseback riding.
Forbidden activities: No fires, no littering.
Hours: There are no signs posted concerning the trails hours for use.
Fees and Parking: There are no designated parking areas along this section of the rail trail. As with other New Hampshire Rail trails, limited parking can usually be found at road crossings. Please be sure not to park in front of any gates and pull safely off the road. There are no fees to park or use the rail trail. There is plenty of easy parking at the Pratt Pond Road area, at the coordinates provided. There is NO parking where the trail terminates at route 31 in Greenville, NH. The closest parking to the termination of this section of rail trail is on Adams Hill Road, Greenville NH which is roughly a quarter of a mile away from the termination point.
Pets: There are no signs posted prohibiting dogs. Please obey local leash laws as well as laws pertaining to the removal of pet waste.
Accessibility: This section of the Mason Rail Trail is about 90% wheelchair accessibility. The section from Adams Hill Road in Greenville NH to the termination at route 31 is not recommended, as the substrate can be rutted and muddy in some sections.
Sanitation: There are no restrooms or trash receptacles along this section of the rail trail. Please carry out all trash or animal waste.
Length: This hike is an easy 6-mile (round trip) trail that goes out and back.
Trail information: This section of Rail Trail, from Pratt Pond Road in Mason NH, to its termination at Route 31 in Greenville NH is a lot like most rail trails; the trail terrain is wide and flat, with a fine gravel substrate that makes for easy hiking. There is no information kiosk here, and no posted signs about hours or uses. Information on the rail trail use can be found at the NH State Park website. There are no trail blaze markers on the rail trail, but markers for use by snowmobiling can be seen frequently along the trail. If any hiker needs or wants a map of the rail trail, it can be downloaded and printed from the link below:
Hikers can enjoy beautiful views of Pratt Pond at the start of the journey as well as easy access to the pond. Sections of the trail are quite built up creating interesting views to the forest floor below. Hikers will be able to see evidence of old stone walls and streams from a high vantage point. There are fun geocaches along the trail and a beautiful view of the valley below when crossing over the powerline corridor. Several sections of the rail trail cut through massive sections of rock and evidence of drilling can still be seen along the rocky walls. These stone corridors make it easy to imagine a time when the trains traveled these same byways.
