Salem-Londonderry

Derry

No ATV (All Terrain Vehicles) Allowed between Kendall Pond Road and Hood Park in Derry!

The Rail-trail is owned by the Town of Derry within its municipal limits.

Paul Doolittle
Derry Paths Committee
PO Box 338 East Derry, NH 03041
Phone: 603-434-5630

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Derry Depot.
 Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 4, 1998.

End of bike path at Derry Depot.
 Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 4, 1998.

Town of Derry decided in the fall of 1999 to purchase the Derry Depot for eventual use as a tourist information center to be staffed by the Chamber of Commerce. 

A paved bike path occupies the railroad bed running south from the Derry Depot on Broadway. This paved bike continues south to South Avenue, briefly parallels a new residential street, then continues along the high railroad embankment over West Running Brook towards Norton St. Note that Norton Street provides a quiet and convenient route to the Parkman Medical Center on Birch Street.

Bike path crossing West Running Brook in Derry.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 4, 1998.

The south end of the paved bike path at Norton Street.
 Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 21, 1999.

An unpaved path continues south from Norton Street.
 Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on July 21, 1999.

Parking A municipal parking lot is located at the south end of Abbott St, just west of the Depot. A very short but steep gravel side-trail leads from the parking lot directly onto the rail-trail. Folks that require an ADA compliant route are advised to detour via Abbott Street to reach the end of the trail at the sidewalk on Broadway.

GroceriesFood serviceToiletsDrinking Water A convenience store is immediately west of the Derry Depot. The business district on Broadway on either side of the Derry Depot contains a variety of restaurants. Toilets and water are presumably available upon request within the restaurants during operating hours.


Derry District Court & Hood Park

Derry District Court Building.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.

New street at Derry District Court Building.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.

The construction of the Derry District Court Building just north of the Derry Depot has broken the continuity of the old railroad bed. A new road and sidewalk swerves onto the right-of-way in front of the building might be usable for trail purposes when it is complete. In the meantime, trail users do not have a convenient means of reaching Hood park from the current end of the Rail-trail at Broadway!

View of swimming area at the rail-trail.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.

Trail barrier just north of Hood Park. Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.

A steel barrier just north of Hood Park completely blocks the railroad embankment. Although the sign prohibits ATV usage south of that point, this barrier blocks all but the most agile trail users that are destined for Hood Park!

Toilets Picnic area Swimming Parking Parking, picnic tables, and chemical toilets are available adjacent to the trail at Hood Park, with an outdoor swimming area a short distance away. 

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South of Derry Depot

The Rail-trail is unpaved as it crosses Kendall Pond Road.

The Rail-trail passes under Bowers road using an oversized drainage culvert (about 5 feet high) that is just too small for usage except by small children on foot. Other trail users can probably cross Bowers road at grade, but the route is not obvious, nor ADA compliant!

Trail culvert at Bowers Road in Derry.
Digital picture by Kenyon F. Karl on August 13, 1998.

 

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North of Derry Depot

An oversized drain culvert passes under Madden Road in a manner similar to the culvert at Bowers Road. Some users are likewise able to bypass this culvert, but the bypass route is poorly defined and not ADA compliant!

In August of 1998, the road overpass that connects Franklin Street and Coteville Road in Londonderry was closed because of its obviously unsafe condition. However there was no obstruction for trail users at that time. However, the railroad bed has been blocked by solid fill located perhaps a quarter-mile south of that abandoned bridge, to enable vehicle access to some kind of land development or land-fill project. Note that able-bodied trail users (and over-powered mechanized users) may be able to cope with the steep slopes on either side of that fill.


Sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs, by Richard C. Moeur.

Updated on February 18, 2001 by Kenyon F. Karl <[email protected]>.
  Unintentional errors are likely!

Click for Derry, New Hampshire Forecast

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