This section of the Northern Trail Trail in Boscawen, New Hampshire is an easy 6.7-mile out-and-back trail that also includes a hike into the New Hampshire State Veteran's Cemetery.
Trail name: Northern Rail Trail
Location: This section of the trail runs from the Gerrish Depot off of Route 3 in Boscawen NH to the NH State Veteran’s Cemetery
Allowed activities: Hiking, biking, birding, nature study, horseback riding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, mushing, geocaching
Forbidden activities: no littering, no fires, no camping, no ATVs
Hours: Open daily during daylight hours
Fees and Parking: There is ample parking at the Gerrish Depot. There is no fee to park or use the trail.
Pets: Dogs are allowed, must be leashed and all waste must be taken with the hiker.
Accessibility: The rail trail is wheelchair and stroller accessible
Sanitation: There are no restrooms or trash bins. Please carry out all waste.
Length & Trail information: This hike is an easy 6.7 mile hike done as an out and back hike: as with most rail trails, there is no need for trail blaze markers. There is an information Kiosk at the Gerrish Station parking area. A map is posted along with some information on the history of the rail trail. There is also a historical marker with information about the Gerrish Depot. The Northern Rail trail is 58 miles long and is currently the longest Rail trail in the State of New Hampshire. The trail is wide, and smooth and flat. Hikers will notice here and there, along the trail, old rail road ties, and various metal remnants of the railway. This part of the trail follows along beside the Merrimack River. We noticed several different types of plants and birds along the way as well as some fun hunting for geocaches hidden along the trail.
A very worthwhile and interesting addition to this part of the rail trail is a side hike to the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery. For a printable trail map please follow the link below:
https://fnrt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Northern-Boscawen.pdf
About the NH Veterans CemeteryThe Cemetery is open seven days a week during daylight hours. Dogs are allowed as long as they are leashed and stay on the pavement. Public Restrooms are available at the Administration Building. Visitors may use the grave locator and printer located at the Administration building vestibule during daylight hours. This Cemetery participates in a program called “100 Nights of Remembrance”. From Memorial Day to September 11th each night at 7:00pm a volunteer bugler sounds taps in honor of veterans. From Sept. 12th to Memorial Day, taps is sounded weekly every Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, visitors are asked to follow the following guidelines: “In keeping with all state requested precautions, Please wear a mask when you are going to the Cemeteries. Also please continue to use social distancing by staying 6 feet away while talking to people. Finally, please do not shake hands. If needed do the elbow bump. Remember the precautions are for your safety as well as the public.”
