Alton/Alton Bay Recreational Bike Trails Project

Rattlesnake Gal · 09-04-2005, 11:00 AM

Alton/Alton Bay Recreational
and
Bike Trails Project

Come Join Us for Meetings!

Become a Project Volunteer to Make It Happen!

Trails Project Meetings are held at the
Gilman Library
Main Street, Alton
The 2nd and 4th Wednesday of Every Month
From 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Contact: MJ at (603) 875-2253
or
The Alton Parks and Recreation Dept. at (603) 875-0109

E-mail: altontrails@yahoo.com

All Alton/Alton Bay Seasonal and Permanent Residents Welcome!

If you like hiking, biking, running, cross country skiing, or just being outside on a pleasant, scenic, and safe trail, this is the project for you!
If you would like to help develop trails in all parts of Alton/Alton Bay, please plan to attend our meetings and bring your ideas with you.
Help make Alton Trails a reality!

Our group is looking to become a part of the Trails with Rails statewide and nationwide system. There are many community benefits to trails including:

Providing safe places for walking, jogging, biking, and many other sports

Public access to wildlife, nature, scenic views, and local wilderness areas

Connecting existing state forest trails, schools, and town recreation areas through trails not vulnerable to motorized vehicles

Generating positive economic benefits for adjacent & nearby businesses

Reducing automobile congestion and pollution

Winni · 09-04-2005, 04:40 PM

Thanks for your help, RattlesnakeGirl!

Alton Trails appreciates all your help in posting the calendar as well as starting the forum up. Don't forget folks, to also send you communications to: altontrails@yahoo.com!

mcdude · 09-07-2005, 05:24 PM

MJP:
Tell us more about this proposed project....it sounds like a great idea but surely a lot of work!!! Any ideas on where this trail might be located?
Thanks - McD ....and best of luck with this ambitious undertaking!

upthesaukee · 09-07-2005, 06:48 PM

Part of the project will entail following the very railroad bed that you told us about this past year, namely running from Alton to Gilford. The first part of the project will be to try to connect the uptown area of Alton with the Bay, providing a pleasant safe walking area besides the sidewalk along the side of Rte 11.

The route would basically follow the Merrymeeting from the Alton Central Fire Station down to Jones Field, off the Letter S road. In that area, it would pick up the old railroad bed basically to the Bay. Realizing that some of the railroad right of way has been built upon makes for a unique means of completing the project. Hopefully, with the cooperation of landowners and the town and state government (and state agencies), along with grant money that can be obtained, this project can go from a vision to a reality. From the back side of Jones Field, there is access to the State Forest that runs up behind the Camp Advenchur campground, an area which already has trails cut, but not maintained.

Once this project is completed, it will be moving on to heading west along rte 11, and then 11D, hopefully all the way to the Gilford line. It would be hoped that the trail will be equal to the Winnipesaukee River trail that you provided a link to, and the proposed "W.O.W." trail in Laconia, with WOW standing for Winnipesaukee-Opechee-Winnisquam.

There are many inactive railroad right of ways that can be utilized for walking, hiking, biking, and in the winter time, cross country skiing snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. This project is not one that will be completed by next spring, but certainly it is hoped that we can get our town selectmen behind us, then get the voters behind us, and get rolling on grant money and procuring the rights to construct. For our end of the lake, it is a wise investment as our town has always been about family, and family activities. The trail(s) would link the Bay with the uptown area, with the recreation areas within our town, and provide our residents (year round and seasonal) and visitors with safe and enjoyable outdoor activities during all seasons.

thanks for your interest, McD.

mcdude · 09-07-2005, 07:14 PM

Regional Rail Trail Moves Closer to Reality

The W.O.W. Trail

WINNIPESAUKEE RIVER TRAIL

Alton Village Railroad Park (Now Under Construction) looks like it will be a good entryway to access the trail!

The whole concept sounds great. Thanks for the info! McD

Winni · 09-27-2005, 05:52 PM

Alton/Alton Bay Trails Project is No More
Unfortunately this project does not exist any longer. Lack of interest by residents is the main reason. Hopefully someone with an interest in the national and statewide "Trails with Rails" project will pick it up again sometime in the future. I just wanted to let everyone know the meetings advertised in the first post no longer occur. Thanks to those who helped with our attempt to start up the project.

09-04-2005, 11:00 AM	#1
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,447 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Alton/Alton Bay Recreational & Bike Trails Project Alton/Alton Bay Recreational and Bike Trails Project Come Join Us for Meetings! Become a Project Volunteer to Make It Happen! Trails Project Meetings are held at the Gilman Library Main Street, Alton The 2nd and 4th Wednesday of Every Month From 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Contact: MJ at (603) 875-2253 or The Alton Parks and Recreation Dept. at (603) 875-0109 E-mail: altontrails@yahoo.com All Alton/Alton Bay Seasonal and Permanent Residents Welcome! If you like hiking, biking, running, cross country skiing, or just being outside on a pleasant, scenic, and safe trail, this is the project for you! If you would like to help develop trails in all parts of Alton/Alton Bay, please plan to attend our meetings and bring your ideas with you. Help make Alton Trails a reality! Our group is looking to become a part of the Trails with Rails statewide and nationwide system. There are many community benefits to trails including: Providing safe places for walking, jogging, biking, and many other sports Public access to wildlife, nature, scenic views, and local wilderness areas Connecting existing state forest trails, schools, and town recreation areas through trails not vulnerable to motorized vehicles Generating positive economic benefits for adjacent & nearby businesses Reducing automobile congestion and pollution Last edited by Rattlesnake Gal; 09-04-2005 at 04:28 PM.

09-04-2005, 04:40 PM	#2
Winni Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 104 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for your help, RattlesnakeGirl! Thanks for your help, RattlesnakeGirl! Alton Trails appreciates all your help in posting the calendar as well as starting the forum up. Don't forget folks, to also send you communications to: altontrails@yahoo.com! Last edited by Winni; 09-04-2005 at 04:42 PM.

09-07-2005, 06:48 PM	#4
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,547 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,397 Thanked 1,918 Times in 1,061 Posts	Part of the project will entail following the very railroad bed that you told us about this past year, namely running from Alton to Gilford. The first part of the project will be to try to connect the uptown area of Alton with the Bay, providing a pleasant safe walking area besides the sidewalk along the side of Rte 11. The route would basically follow the Merrymeeting from the Alton Central Fire Station down to Jones Field, off the Letter S road. In that area, it would pick up the old railroad bed basically to the Bay. Realizing that some of the railroad right of way has been built upon makes for a unique means of completing the project. Hopefully, with the cooperation of landowners and the town and state government (and state agencies), along with grant money that can be obtained, this project can go from a vision to a reality. From the back side of Jones Field, there is access to the State Forest that runs up behind the Camp Advenchur campground, an area which already has trails cut, but not maintained. Once this project is completed, it will be moving on to heading west along rte 11, and then 11D, hopefully all the way to the Gilford line. It would be hoped that the trail will be equal to the Winnipesaukee River trail that you provided a link to, and the proposed "W.O.W." trail in Laconia, with WOW standing for Winnipesaukee-Opechee-Winnisquam. There are many inactive railroad right of ways that can be utilized for walking, hiking, biking, and in the winter time, cross country skiing snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. This project is not one that will be completed by next spring, but certainly it is hoped that we can get our town selectmen behind us, then get the voters behind us, and get rolling on grant money and procuring the rights to construct. For our end of the lake, it is a wise investment as our town has always been about family, and family activities. The trail(s) would link the Bay with the uptown area, with the recreation areas within our town, and provide our residents (year round and seasonal) and visitors with safe and enjoyable outdoor activities during all seasons. thanks for your interest, McD. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!! Last edited by upthesaukee; 09-07-2005 at 06:50 PM.

09-07-2005, 07:14 PM	#5
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,359 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,041 Times in 489 Posts	Some Links Regional Rail Trail Moves Closer to Reality The W.O.W. Trail WINNIPESAUKEE RIVER TRAIL Alton Village Railroad Park (Now Under Construction) looks like it will be a good entryway to access the trail! The whole concept sounds great. Thanks for the info! McD Last edited by mcdude; 09-17-2005 at 12:05 PM.

09-27-2005, 05:52 PM	#6
Winni Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 104 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Alton/Alton Bay Trails Project is No More Alton/Alton Bay Trails Project is No More Unfortunately this project does not exist any longer. Lack of interest by residents is the main reason. Hopefully someone with an interest in the national and statewide "Trails with Rails" project will pick it up again sometime in the future. I just wanted to let everyone know the meetings advertised in the first post no longer occur. Thanks to those who helped with our attempt to start up the project.

09-07-2005, 05:24 PM	#3
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,359 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,041 Times in 489 Posts	MJP: Tell us more about this proposed project....it sounds like a great idea but surely a lot of work!!! Any ideas on where this trail might be located? Thanks - McD ....and best of luck with this ambitious undertaking!