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Old 02-25-2016, 03:36 PM   #1
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Default Lakes Region Mountain Biking

Holla! Looking for places to mountain bike in the Lakes Region (Moultonborough is where I'm located). Thanks!

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Old 02-25-2016, 03:49 PM   #2
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interested as well
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Old 02-25-2016, 03:54 PM   #3
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interested as well
Ever check out highland in Northfield? Pretty good downhill. Kind of pricey but enjoyable.

I would like tips on good areas that are free as well though.
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Old 02-25-2016, 06:39 PM   #4
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Depends on the type of riding you want to do. If you are looking for XC riding, Bear Brook isn't too far south in Pembroke, Clough in Dunbarton, and the area by Franklin Falls dam are a good start.
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Old 02-25-2016, 07:10 PM   #5
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Depends on the type of riding you want to do. If you are looking for XC riding, Bear Brook isn't too far south in Pembroke, Clough in Dunbarton, and the area by Franklin Falls dam are a good start.
All of those are an hour or more from Moultonborough. Hopefully there's stuff closer?!

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Old 02-25-2016, 08:22 PM   #6
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Found these: http://www.lakesregionbicycling.com/...ides-mountain/

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Old 02-25-2016, 08:44 PM   #7
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And these: https://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=10464

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Old 02-26-2016, 06:16 AM   #8
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Is Red Hill too steep? If not, we maintain the snowmobile trail from the VK to the Tower lot. It is LRCT property and I believe that biking would be an approved use.
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Old 02-26-2016, 07:48 AM   #9
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Default Highland Mountain Bike Park

Not mentioned above, one of the first if not the first to offer mountain biking in the area.

https://highlandmountain.com/
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Old 02-26-2016, 07:54 AM   #10
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Not mentioned above, one of the first if not the first to offer mountain biking in the area.

https://highlandmountain.com/
Place is nice. Lift access biking, however it is pricey. 44$ a day to ride.
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Old 02-26-2016, 09:26 AM   #11
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Is Red Hill too steep? If not, we maintain the snowmobile trail from the VK to the Tower lot. It is LRCT property and I believe that biking would be an approved use.
I thought bicycles weren't allowed on that trail. Haven't been on my MB for years, but I seem to remember no bicycles on that trail. I may be wrong.

I used to like to ride my MB from Center Harbor thru the notch road and back.
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Old 02-26-2016, 09:57 AM   #12
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I thought bicycles weren't allowed on that trail. Haven't been on my MB for years, but I seem to remember no bicycles on that trail. I may be wrong.

I used to like to ride my MB from Center Harbor thru the notch road and back.
I am not sure, but some of their properties are on this list. http://www.nemba.org/trails/new-hampshire

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Old 03-28-2016, 06:55 PM   #13
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Default Mountain biking in Lakes Region

I saw this on WMUR-TV on my facebook page about mountain biking at Sunapee. I hope I'm not repeating a post, but I thought I'd just put a link here for the person looking for a place to ride. Have fun!

http://www.wmur.com/escape-outside/m...t%20Type=Story
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Old 04-04-2016, 02:03 PM   #14
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Default mountain biking

If you don't mind long rides, go into sandwich notch and take the last right before the river. There will be a green gate, that will take you to flat Mtn. pond.
There is a shelter, you could spend the night and fish and swim. The next morning you could hike up some of the peak's.
If you can do rough rides try Red hill !!!

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Old 02-24-2019, 07:22 PM   #15
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Hi, all--checking in to see if there are any updates. I know that there are a ton of hiking trails in the area--LRCT, etc.--but I'm not sure which allow mountain bikes.

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Old 02-24-2019, 11:11 PM   #16
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Hi, all--checking in to see if there are any updates. I know that there are a ton of hiking trails in the area--LRCT, etc.--but I'm not sure which allow mountain bikes.

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Almost 3 years to the day of the first post in this thread, just out of curiosity where did "you" actually end up going to?

Anything you can share back.
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Old 02-25-2019, 09:05 AM   #17
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Almost 3 years to the day of the first post in this thread, just out of curiosity where did "you" actually end up going to?

Anything you can share back.
I'm currently in the process of figuring out which LRCT and SLA properties are mountain-bike-accessible. Also, there appears to be a few trails in the Belknaps. Finally, Plymouth and just west of Bristol have a couple parks.

I've not done any of these yet--we ended up sticking to riding at camp and along the Moultonborough Neck bike path, but we're hoping to get out more this summer.

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Old 02-25-2019, 09:09 AM   #18
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As I was posting this, LRCT got back to me: their only property that allows mountain biking is the Page and Glory Hill conservation area in Hill, NH, just past Bristol. ~45 minute ride from Moultonborough, so probably won't be going there often.

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Old 02-26-2019, 07:25 AM   #19
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I'm currently in the process of figuring out which LRCT and SLA properties are mountain-bike-accessible. Also, there appears to be a few trails in the Belknaps. Finally, Plymouth and just west of Bristol have a couple parks.

I've not done any of these yet--we ended up sticking to riding at camp and along the Moultonborough Neck bike path, but we're hoping to get out more this summer.

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Belknap range trails:
http://belknaprangetrails.org/belknap-range-trail-map/
We have hiked most, not aware of any Mt bike restrictions.
Myles Chase at MC Cycle knows many of the trails
http://mccycleandsport.com/

Also Dave and Amy Shibley have a lot of Mt Bike experience in the Belknaps:
http://www.shibleysatthepier.com/
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Old 02-26-2019, 09:32 AM   #20
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Franklin Falls is definitely well worth a trip if you have time, lots of variety and some really fun short but very steep single track descents. It's only about 5 miles down Route 127 from exit 22.
There is also Sky Pond State Park in New Hampton. Leaving the parking lot head out on Beech Hill Road, it's a discontinued class 6 that would eventually bring you over to Straights Road and Winona Heights. About 3/4 mile in there is a steel gate and you'll see a trail going off to the left behind it, take that, You go down a moderate incline, cross a small stream and go about another 1/2 mile on relatively flat ground. On the right there will be 6 or 7 foot high 4x4 upright and a trail to the right. If you take that it will bring you to Bald Ledge looking over Lake Winona and be rewarded with a great view. The first attachment is looking eastward over Waukewan toward Meredith, and the second north over Winona, Hawkins Pond and Squam toward the Sandwich Range. When you come back to the post turn to the right and stay on the woods road for a few miles and it brings right back to Sky Pond. This loop is mainly known as a hiking trail but I've been biking it for years with no problems.
You could also start at the Winona Heights end of Beech Hill Road and come back toward Sky Pond and save some driving time from Moultonboro. But be aware that the steepest incline on the class 6 has been badly eroded over the years and you'll probably have to carry for a hundred yards or so.
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Old 02-26-2019, 09:42 AM   #21
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Oh yeah, the Mighty Chicken Ravine. Yikes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylRrSrUjci4

Well there are tamer trails at Franklin
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Old 03-01-2019, 01:03 PM   #22
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Default ..... WV- by bicycle

About 34-miles, 45-minutes, via Rt 25-Meredith, Rt 175-Holderness, Rt 93-Exit 28, and Rt 49-Campton & Thornton from the big intersection in Meredith to Waterville Valley, which has rocky, hilly, mountain bike trails and paved roads for smooth tire biking.

WV pay trails system for mountain bikes doubles as the cross country ski trails/winter.

WMNF multiple use trails, pedal bicycles welcome: Livermore Rd, a dirt, single lane, 7-mile long Forest Service road with a locked steel gate that excludes all motor vehicles ..... $5/day or $30/year/WMNF- windshield sticker to 'pahk yah cah' at Depot Camp forest parking lot which has solar powered, public toilets. Parking pay rules are heavily monitored on weekends. About 2 1/2 miles up the hilly dirt road, at the small bridge, the pay-WV mountain bike trails start across the bridge, a $6-day pass ($5-senior/youth) is required, and monitored, especially on weekends. You may get away with no pass on a quiet weekday, but on the weekend, you will be stopped.

Local town roads: 5-mile local WV loop, includes ski area and forest roads

NH Route 49 in Campton, Thornton, & Waterville Valley: 11.297-miles of state road with a 3-4' foot wide, smooth, paved shoulder lane on both sides of the two car lanes, traveling along close to the Mad River and the WMNF, good for road biking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Route_49 ... NH 49 at Campton Pond, on the Mad River just above the Campton Dam .... a small photo of Rt 49 shows the shoulder space, approximately 3' to 4' wide, that's actually very good for pedaling a bicycle, and is a great feature for a New Hampshire state road like this. Someone really knew what they were doing when they designed NH Route-49! In December 2017, the speed limit for motor vehicles was increased from 40 to 50-mph by the NH Dept of Transportation but that seems to have made only a little change in people's driving habits on this road. It gets a lot of local police attention from the three towns and still seems like a safe road for bicycles. These two 'bicycle lanes' are mostly 3-4' wide with some areas on the curves narrowing down to maybe 2'-3' wide.

https://www.visitwatervillevalley.com/bike The speed limit for motor vehicles drops from 50-mph on NH-49 down to 25-mph where it enters the village/golf course/town square area of Waterville Valley, which makes it a lot safer for bicycles to share the road.

The WV town square area has a pond, town swim beach, grocery, sandwich store, public rest rooms, huge indoor ice skating arena always 40-degrees inside, mountain bike trails retail center, and bike rentals.

Snow's Mountain chairlift runs in the summer, and is set up for carrying one bicycle/chair with a big hook welded to each chair lift support...... is an old, slow 1960's two-seater chairlift ... and the old Snow's Mountain ski slopes, a former small local ski area, got developed and sub-divided into super expensive homes. It also has close to the bottom of the hill, a large, high, artificial synthetic ski surface, practice ski jump designed for inverted aerial ski maneuvers .... with ski-jumpers walk'n back up the jump hill .... flying down the slope on skis, going airborne, twist'n 'n turn'n, and landing on a large, inflated, air bag. This ski jump is about 100-yards in length, running down a steep slope, next to under the old chair lift, and not designed for bicycles, only for ski jumpers.
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Old 04-10-2022, 07:51 AM   #23
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Any updates to mountain biking in the Moultonborough area? Since my son is a bit older now, we'll probably end up driving to a couple of the above suggestions (Franklin Falls, etc.), but I'm still interested in ±30 minutes from Moultonborough Neck if anyone's get new beta.

Thanks!

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Old 04-10-2022, 08:04 AM   #24
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In Meredith ...... just off Rt 25 ..... 567-acre Page Pond town forest ..... a wetland tributary close to Lake Winnipesaukee ..... free to walk on foot with walking shoes....... NO bicycles, NO atv's, NO snowmobiles .... easy parking off Barnard Ridge Rd in the parking lot with room for about 16-cars

https://www.tpl.org/our-work/page-pond-and-forest

Too bad about the NO bicycles but that's the way it goes, and walking especially in the snowy, icy winter is not half bad and pretty danged good in the spring, summer, & fall ...... suggest you give it a walk!

Is there anyone here who is able to pedal and ride a bicycle but is unable to walk? Possibly, this can be the case with a hip or knee problem when your strong hip/knee powers down on the pedal and your weak hip/knee coasts along for the ride.
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Old 04-10-2022, 09:40 AM   #25
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Default Wolfeboro??

Although I haven't personally ridden this system, it isn't too far from you. A friend used to bike this and liked it. Cross country in winter and MB in summer.
https://www.trailforks.com/region/se...&lon=-71.22768
I believe you have to purchase a pass and you can get it at Nordic skier downtown Wolfeboro.
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Old 04-10-2022, 09:47 AM   #26
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Although I haven't personally ridden this system, it isn't too far from you. A friend used to bike this and liked it. Cross country in winter and MB in summer.

https://www.trailforks.com/region/se...&lon=-71.22768

I believe you have to purchase a pass and you can get it at Nordic skier downtown Wolfeboro.
I literally just came across that and a couple other options in that area that I hadn't known about—thanks!

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Old 04-10-2022, 02:59 PM   #27
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Is there anyone here who is able to pedal and ride a bicycle but is unable to walk? Possibly, this can be the case with a hip or knee problem?
Prior to getting my hip replaced I was a much better cyclist than walker.

Re FLL's suggestion, Route 49 to Waterville Valley is quite nice and leads to interesting places. It doesn't look steep at all to the eye but the slight uphill continues for 10 miles from the junction with 175 to Waterville Valley at just enough pitch to make you think, "Huh, I didn't realize I was this out of shape." The ride back is fun!

The biking around Tamworth is pleasant---Foss Flats Road, for example. 113 near there goes to the Thompson Sanctuary, where you can ride out on a boardwalk to a beautiful observation deck.

Of course, the OP asked about mountain biking, not road. I found lots of good tips for hiking trails in this thread, since many (most?) of these places allow hiking on the MB trails. In some cases snowmobile trails might be in good enough shape for biking.

Be aware that the Franklin Falls trails are poorly marked in my opinion. There are maps at the kiosk, but there are dozens of unmarked cross trails not shown on the map, such that you can lose the main trail. I would take a compass as the trails wind so much that after a while you totally lose your sense of direction. Maybe not a risk for bikers, but definitely a risk for hikers who find themselves lost far from their starting point . . . after sunset . . . with no provisions.

How old is your son, Thinkxingu? There are some easier flattish trails at Franklin Falls, and you can always ride out over the dam, which has a nice view. I see kids around 11 or 12 biking there, not many younger than that. Once you go from route 127 down to the Pemigewasset River valley, it's going to be hard to ride back up.
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Old 04-10-2022, 03:47 PM   #28
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Prior to getting my hip replaced I was a much better cyclist than walker.

Re FLL's suggestion, Route 49 to Waterville Valley is quite nice and leads to interesting places. It doesn't look steep at all to the eye but the slight uphill continues for 10 miles from the junction with 175 to Waterville Valley at just enough pitch to make you think, "Huh, I didn't realize I was this out of shape." The ride back is fun!

The biking around Tamworth is pleasant---Foss Flats Road, for example. 113 near there goes to the Thompson Sanctuary, where you can ride out on a boardwalk to a beautiful observation deck.

Of course, the OP asked about mountain biking, not road. I found lots of good tips for hiking trails in this thread, since many (most?) of these places allow hiking on the MB trails. In some cases snowmobile trails might be in good enough shape for biking.

Be aware that the Franklin Falls trails are poorly marked in my opinion. There are maps at the kiosk, but there are dozens of unmarked cross trails not shown on the map, such that you can lose the main trail. I would take a compass as the trails wind so much that after a while you totally lose your sense of direction. Maybe not a risk for bikers, but definitely a risk for hikers who find themselves lost far from their starting point . . . after sunset . . . with no provisions.

How old is your son, Thinkxingu? There are some easier flattish trails at Franklin Falls, and you can always ride out over the dam, which has a nice view. I see kids around 11 or 12 biking there, not many younger than that. Once you go from route 127 down to the Pemigewasset River valley, it's going to be hard to ride back up.
I gave up the road last year when I sold my unicorn Lemond—I just simply didn't feel comfortable on the roads anymore. Were I still pedaling with a group, I might feel differently.

L'il Buddy is just about 12, and he's a great rider. Franklin Falls would be fine, but it's almost an hour from Moultonborough Neck. It appears there's some good riding in Plymouth at ~30 minutes and some new(ish) stuff in Wolfeboro, which is just over 30. I'll be checking out both this summer!

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Old 04-10-2022, 05:08 PM   #29
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Any updates to mountain biking in the Moultonborough area? Since my son is a bit older now, we'll probably end up driving to a couple of the above suggestions (Franklin Falls, etc.), but I'm still interested in ±30 minutes from Moultonborough Neck
We ride e-mountain bikes all over the place. Here are a few ideas:

1. Google “gravel maps”, and look at that website. We often ride back/dirt roads in the Sandwich/Moultonboro area. Lots of good ones in the Canterbury area as well.

2. The Wolfeboro to Wakefield Cotton Valley Rail Trail is nice. In fact, most rail trails are great if you don’t want to beat yourself up with hills. The Winni rail trail from Tilton to Boscawen, or the Franklin to Lebanon trails are great.

3. Green Woodlands in Dorchester NH is spectacular. You’re going to need an e-bike to keep up with a teenager though!

4. Franklin Falls is great, as is Bear Brook State park.

Download the app “Ride with GPS”. Its great for route planning. Some of the map formats highlight trails by difficulty. Stick to green, until you know what you might be able to handle. If you PM me your e-mail, I can send you some of the trips we’ve made, that you can upload into the app.
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Old 04-11-2022, 10:50 AM   #30
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Not sure what the situation is today, but I used to really enjoy the mountain bike trails at Gunstock. Back in the day, you'd pay a nominal access fee and could ride miles of trails up there. And they used to have racing nights in the summer months.
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Old 04-11-2022, 06:19 PM   #31
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We ride e-mountain bikes all over the place. Here are a few ideas:

1. Google “gravel maps”, and look at that website. We often ride back/dirt roads in the Sandwich/Moultonboro area. Lots of good ones in the Canterbury area as well.

2. The Wolfeboro to Wakefield Cotton Valley Rail Trail is nice. In fact, most rail trails are great if you don’t want to beat yourself up with hills. The Winni rail trail from Tilton to Boscawen, or the Franklin to Lebanon trails are great.

3. Green Woodlands in Dorchester NH is spectacular. You’re going to need an e-bike to keep up with a teenager though!

4. Franklin Falls is great, as is Bear Brook State park.

Download the app “Ride with GPS”. Its great for route planning. Some of the map formats highlight trails by difficulty. Stick to green, until you know what you might be able to handle. If you PM me your e-mail, I can send you some of the trips we’ve made, that you can upload into the app.
Green Woodlands looks amazing and it's much closer than I'd thought.

It sounds like you're talking about a couple different types of riding here, mountain and road/dirt road. Though I'm sometimes interested in road/rail trail, what I'm (ideally) looking for is fast and smooth singletrack with views. If only Yudicky (Creepee Teepee/Windigo/Wormhole/Barbed Wire) were in the Red Hill area!

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Old 04-12-2022, 08:20 AM   #32
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Default Trail biking in the Gilford area.

Gunstock allows mountain biking. Ramblin' Vewe Farm on Morrill Street as well. Ahern State Park on Winnisquam in Laconia is another gem.
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Old 04-12-2022, 08:25 AM   #33
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Gunstock allows mountain biking. Ramblin' Vewe Farm on Morrill Street as well. Ahern State Park on Winnisquam in Laconia is another gem.
Gunstock is all lift-served downhill, though, right? I'm not much of a downhiller with this "compact" (my student's recent description) body!

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Old 04-12-2022, 06:07 PM   #34
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Gunstock allows mountain biking. Ramblin' Vewe Farm on Morrill Street as well. Ahern State Park on Winnisquam in Laconia is another gem.
Agree that all of those are good, albeit fairly hilly if you are not in pretty good shape, or not riding an e-bike.

Gunstocks best mountain biking trails are the cross country ski trails.
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Old 04-15-2022, 07:11 PM   #35
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Although I haven't personally ridden this system, it isn't too far from you. A friend used to bike this and liked it. Cross country in winter and MB in summer.
https://www.trailforks.com/region/se...&lon=-71.22768
I believe you have to purchase a pass and you can get it at Nordic skier downtown Wolfeboro.
I was curious about this place---Sewall Woods in Wolfeboro---so I went to check it out today. I didn't find it very interesting. It's designed for cross-country skiers. The trails are mostly flat and short---most of them took just 5 or 10 minutes to hike. There's no variation in the terrain or the landscape. The area is quite small despite the large number of trails. There's no remote feeling. It's essentially an urban park.

For a once-a-year outing, have you been to Great Glen? I rode my hybrid bike there and really enjoyed it. Excellent views and varied terrain.
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Old 04-15-2022, 07:20 PM   #36
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This website/app has proven handy as we have been traveling to find some trails - probably not much new but good to check nonetheless

mtbproject.com
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Old 04-19-2022, 05:46 AM   #37
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https://www.wolfeborosingletrack.org/
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Old 04-22-2022, 05:20 AM   #38
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Recently noticed a permanent NH-DOT bicycle sign, about 24" x 24", attached to a sign post just above the intersection of the Daniel Webster Hgwy and Steven's Ave in Meredith, heading south, just before the ongoing bridge repair location.

It has a very recognizable drawing of a bicycle and it says "May Use Full Lane" so it's there to inform that bicycle pedalers are good-to-go in the road, there.

This seems like a dangerous crowded busy road for pedaling a bicycle because it has a lot of moving cars, pick-up trucks, big trucks, motorcycles, and even maybe a bus all trying to move it along through there as the road goes uphill. There exists a very narrow sidewalk so maybe the sign was placed there to inform bicycle pedalers they should use the road and not use the sidewalk. Have never noticed this sign before so it's probably a new sign?
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Old 04-23-2022, 08:59 AM   #39
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"May Use Full Lane"
As a lifelong cyclist with a lot of miles, I'm opposed to bikes taking the full lane. It is rarely necessary and only aggravates drivers. The only time when it might be necessary would be a very narrow road with no shoulder, like an underpass. There are bike clubs that ride two abreast in long lines every weekend and make no effort to let cars pass by them. At times there are two clubs coming from opposite directions and occupying both lanes, stopping traffic in both directions. You can't ask cars to "share the road" and then hog the road as a cyclist.
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Old 04-23-2022, 09:31 AM   #40
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People come from all over New England to pedal bikes in Ahern Park. I’ve ridden my snowmobile on the trails, there’s quite a variety of terrain and some great views.
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Old 04-24-2022, 05:55 AM   #41
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNBN3Vl5f6k ...... from the NH State Parks, December 2015 ...... 'Mountain Biking at Ahern State Park' plus You Tube has a couple other similar videos
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Old 04-24-2022, 01:39 PM   #42
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None of the snowmobile access trails will be the single track that he is looking to find.

There may be hundreds of miles of access right outside his door, as non-motorized uses must be post prohibited - unlike motorized usage that must be posted for access through a special marking system.

But single track is much more rare... it has to be specialty built... that usually requires landowner permission to do... and only a few groups engage in it.
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Old 06-26-2023, 04:18 AM   #43
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Update, for anyone who likes to ride: there are reports of new, well-cut and groomed trails at the Holderness School. I've not gotten there yet, but they are reported to be fast and flowy, so I thought I would post the update in case peeps found this.



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Old 06-26-2023, 02:19 PM   #44
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..... filmed one year ago ..... Mountain biking at the Holderness School trails ..... www.youtube.com/watch?v=gekX0cndSP0&t ..... somewhere, unknown, close to the school ...... presumably ....... no clue where exactly?
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Old 06-26-2023, 07:13 PM   #45
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The Ramblin' Vewe farm has single track trails:

https://ramblinvewefarm.org/trail-map/

The white dash trails.

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Old 09-18-2024, 09:35 AM   #46
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For mountain biking in the Lakes Region near Moultonborough, you might want to check out:

The Smith Farm Trails – Located in Moultonborough, they offer a variety of trails.
Pillsbury State Park – Located in nearby Washington, it has some great biking paths.
Gunstock Mountain Resort – They have trails for different skill levels and bike rentals.
These spots should give you some good options for mountain biking in your area.
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