Keene has four intersecting trails all connecting in the center of Keene, including the Cheshire Rail Trail, the Ashuelot Rail Trail, the Jonathan Daniels Trail and the Appel Way Trail. The Cheshire Rail Trail (green in the above map) is broken into four segments as it travels east-west through Keene: the Cheshire Rail Trail South, Keene Industrial Heritage Trail, Downtown Cheshire Trail and Cheshire Rail Trail. Additionally, the Ami Brown Trail connects to the Cheshire Rail Trail west of Keene.
Ashuelot Rail Trail
The Ashuelot Rail Trail heads south from Keene toward Swanzey (yellow in the above map). The Ashuelot Rail Trail features 1.5 miles of packed stone dust and paved surfaces that begin at Emerald Street. It features the South Bridge, whose steel frame and concrete surface provide a safe crossing over Route 101, and the Ashuelot River/KSC Bridge, a railroad trestle bridge with a wooden deck surface near the campus of Keene State College and the South Bridge.
Cheshire Rail Trail North
The Cheshire Rail Trail North is a 7-mile pathway of packed stone dust and paved surfaces that goes from Main Street west and north to the city limits. It features the steel and wooden North Bridge that permits safe crossing over Routes 9, 10 and 12.
Industrial Heritage Trail & Cheshire Rail Trail South
The Industrial Heritage Trail and Cheshire Rail Trail South feature a mile-long packed surface that connects Main Street to Eastern Avenue.
We are currently fundraising for improvements to the Transportation Heritage Trail, which will extend from Eastern Avenue to Route 101.
Cheshire Rail Trail Downtown
The Downtown Cheshire Rail Trail is approximately a third of a mile of paved surface and concrete from Main Street to the School/Gilbo intersection to Thom Little Way. It features the Ashuelot River Bridge, which has a steel frame and wooden deck surface and crosses the Ashuelot River between Island and Pearl streets.
Thom Little Way/Downtown Cheshire Rail Trail is a half-mile of concrete surface that runs along Emerald Street to School Street to Island Street.
Jonathan Daniels Trail
The Jonathan Daniels Trail in Ashuelot River Park offers three-quarters of a mile of packed stone dust from West Street to Appel Way paralleling the Ashuelot River.