Author: jimzim

The Trail

Trail Description

This five-mile pedestrian / biking trail links Tilton, Northfield and Franklin along the Winnipesaukee River.The trail affords views of the Winnepesaukee River including a spectacular view of a gorge frequently used for whitewater kayaking.The area contains many historic and cultural sites including an old railroad trestle, the Sulphite Bridge ( an upside down railroad bridge on the National Register of Historic Sites), remains of old paper mills.

About & Contact

WRTA Officers and Board of Directors

 

Officers/Directors

Title

Business & Community Affiliations

Richard Silverberg  Director
  • Health First Family Care, Executive Director
  • Winnipesaukee Public Health Council
  • Appalachian Mountain Club, Teacher/Volunteer
  • Principle Synergy Works Consulting
Ken Norton  Director
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness,
  • Director Frameworks Youth Suicide Prevention
  • Licensed Foster Parent
  • Trustee Hall Memorial Library (Tilton-Northfield)

 

Katherine Zink  Treasurer
  • Katherine Broughton Zink Bookkeeping/Tax Service
  • Franklin Business & Professional Women
  • Franklin Savings Bank, Corporator

 

Charles North  Director
  • Continuing Education School at SNHU
  • Secretary of Northfield Historical Society
  • Franklin Historical Society
  • Franklin Animal Shelter
  • Senior Lecturer NHTI
Marcia Feener  President
  • Business Professional Woman
  • Caring Community Network of Twin Rivers, BOD
  • Webster Lake Association, Board of Directors
Iris Ianno  Director
  • State Street Bank & Trust (Retired)
  • Computer Operations Manager/Officer
  • Caring Hands Assisting Tilton Members
  • Executive Board of Tilton Senior Center
Sheryl Tedford Secretary
  • Open Spaces Committee; Northfield
  • Granite State College -Program Supervisor/Manager
Alyssa Norton Director
  • Community Volunteer, Town of Tilton
Jared Paskavitch  Director
  • Community Volunteer, Town of Northfield
About & Contact

Winnipisaukee River Trail Association Mission Statement

The Winnipesaukee River Trail Association is a unique coalition of volunteers representing local business, environmental and health care organizations whose goal is to develop and maintain a multi-use trail along the Winnipesaukee River.

By preserving and increasing access with a positive physical health approach to the Winnipesaukee River and its natural surroundings, the trail will: bring together the communities of Franklin, Tilton and Northfield, connect with regional trail systems, and offer increased access to many scenic, recreational and historical sites in the area.

Winnipesaukee River Trail Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

 

About & Contact

Contact Us

The trail is maintained by the Winnepesaukee River Trail Association (WRTA)

Website:  http://www.techra.com/winnistage/

Email contact:  [email protected]

Mailing Address: Winnipesaukee River Trail Association, PO Box 464, Franklin, NH 03235

The Trail

Directions and GPS Coordinates

GPS Coordinates:

  • Trail  Access at Route 140 in Tilton
  • Trail Access @ Northfield      N 43o 26.483’  W 070 o 35.669’
  • Access on Crossmill Road      N 43o 26.538’  W 071 o 37.293’
  • Trestle View Park in Franklin N 43o 26.718’  W 071 o 37.293’

Directions: The trail currently begins at Trestle View Park on Central Street in Franklin and runs to Route 140 in Tilton.  The are trail access sites along the trail including in Northfield and at Cross Mills Road in Franklin

Description: This five-mile pedestrian / biking trail links Tilton, Northfield and Franklin along the Winnipesaukee River.  The trail affords views of the Winnepesaukee River including a spectacular view of a gorge frequently used for whitewater kayaking.   The area contains many historic and cultural sites including an old railroad trestle, the Sulphite Bridge ( an upside down railroad bridge on the National Register of Historic Sites, remains of old paper mills).

Viewing Information:   Bike or walk this trail to explore a variety of rich riparian habitat including cattail wetlands, a beaver pond and tumbling water.  Look for evidence of beaver activity as well as raccoon, mink and otter.  The river provides a variety of summer homes for belted kingfishers, tree swallows, bank swallows, song sparrows, gray catbirds, common yellowthroats, red-eyed vireos and many more.  A variety of waterfowl including mergansers, wood ducks and mallards may also be seen.  Keep your eyes out for the occasional bald eagle or osprey.

In the Press

Two more miles added to Winnipesaukee River Trail

by Meghan Siegler
Editor of The Meredith News, Winnisquam Echo and Gilford Steamer

October 13, 2010

TILTON — Phase II of the Winnipesaukee River Trail is complete and ready for use, just in time for fall foliage season.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday near the trail’s intersection with Route 140. Work on Phase II, which runs from the train station in Northfield to Route 140, started this spring, though the project itself is more than 10 years in the making.

“Bit by bit we’ve gotten there,” trail association member Ken Norton told the crowd gathered at Thursday’s ceremony.

The first meeting about the possibility of building a trail parallel to the Winnispesaukee River was held in 1998. Board of Directors Vice President Rick Silverberg said that for the first few years, board members walked along the river to decide which side the trail could go on.

“We got our feet wet quite a few times,” he said.

After spending several years submitting grant applications and fundraising, construction for Phase 1 began in 2004 and was completed in 2005. That portion of the trail is 3.1 miles long and runs from Trestle View Park in Franklin to the Northfield train station.

It took another five years to get the funding, easements and safety concerns taken care of for Phase II. This 2-mile section of trail is the first “rail with trail” approved in the state, and there were some liability issues that had to be resolved before the project could move forward.

The construction easement was given by Dick and Shirley Maher, and the Towns of Tilton and Northfield have worked on several aspects of the project alongside the trail association.

“This is all about collaboration,” Silverberg said.

Silverberg joked about the project’s lengthy timeline.

“Don’t ever underestimate how long it’s going to take,” he said.

Eventually the Winnipesaukee River Trail will connect to the Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee Trail in the Laconia area, the Belmont Recreation Alternative Trail in Belmont, and the Northern Rail Trail that moves west from Franklin into Lebanon.

“The vision long term is to go from Lebanon all the way to Meredith,” Silverberg said.

Currently there is a temporary route through Tilton, on a sidewalk on Route 3; the next phase will build a bridge over the river to move that portion of the trail off of Route 3.

Silverberg said they do have some alternative transportation grants at this point, and fundraising continues.

“With any luck next summer we’ll be building a bridge,” he said.

The next fundraiser is “Taste of the Trails,” scheduled for Oct. 21. There is a trail clean-up day Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon, starting at Trestle View Park in Franklin.