Granite Town Rail Trail in Milford

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Parking for the Granite Town Rail Trail

One end of the Granite Town Rail Trail in Milford, NH finishes with a dirt lot right beside the Milford Public Works Office. Have GPS get you to their parking lot and then follow the sign off to the side where there is a dedicated dirt lot for rail trail access. The lot is large enough for a bunch of cars to park. I always get a little worried leaving my car along random parts of rail trails so I love a dedicated lot with a sign that reassures me it is cool to park there!

Milford Public Works Bonus:

What is inside the yard at Milford Public Works? Trucks! Plows, equipment and vehicles are all lined up against the fence. If you have a little one who likes trucks, its a rail trail and a show!

The Stroller Situation

From the parking lot, it is clear which way you should go and easy to navigate back to the rail trail in the woods. The rail trail is perfectly stroller friendly but it is worth bringing your jogging stroller with big air tires for this access section and the tunnel further down the trail. There are two little sections you need to be able to conquer before you get to the actual rail trail: The little dirt path seen above and the old cement dam seen below:

The dirt path along the public works fence is narrow and the cement bridge is minimal. My stroller fit just right going across the bridge, with very little wiggle room. If you bring a 3-wheeled double stroller, you will probably need to hold up the back two wheels to get across. If you need to bring a 4 or 6 wheel double stroller, this access point/parking lot is not for you unless you are ready to just carry it across.

Walking the Granite Town Rail Trail

The actual rail trail is lovely. You will be walking under the cover of the forest right along the slow-moving Great Brook. The water gives it a nice peaceful feel even though there is a busy road just on the other side. The trail is unpaved but very compact, wide and clear.

Walking down the trail you will go about 1/2 mile before you have to cross the street. This makes it simple to know when to turn around if you are looking for a nice and easy one mile walk. If you are just getting out for your first postpartum walks or are doing toddler-led hikes, this is a great section of trail without ever getting too far from your car or having to pay attention to how far you have gone.

For a longer walk, you will cross the street, go across the brook on another concrete span (wider than the one at the start!) and then through a tunnel under the next street. The two ends of the tunnel are just a bit rocky so this is the other spot where your jogging stroller comes in handy.

Once you have crossed the streets, you come out on the other side of the brook and the trail continues on just as lovely as the first span. The tree cover is a little thinner here so I wouldn’t count on it being as shady and cool.

Granite Town Rail Trail Solar System

One fun feature that makes this section of trail special is the model solar system. This series of signs allows you to follow the solar system out from the sun and experience passing each planet as you go. Keeping an eye out for the next planet is also a great motivator for any reluctant hikers on your crew!

Beaver Activity

Another fun thing for your young naturalists to keep an eye out for is evidence of beaver activity. We noticed multiple spots along the trail where beavers had been working on cutting down trees. Keep this fun fact in your back pocket for the trail: Did you know that beavers’ teeth are continuously growing? Constantly gnawing on the hard wood keeps them trimmed down.

The Official Map

The Milford section of the Granite Town Rail Trail is managed by Milford’s Conservation Commission.

Granite Town Rail Trail: Quick Facts