Littleton Welcomes Bikers!
Nationally Certified as a Bicycle Friendly Community
Visitors appreciate Littleton's biker-friendly vibe that includes great trail riding plus restaurants, craft breweries, shopping, and plenty of lodging options.
Littleton, along with the neighboring communities of Franconia and Bethlehem, make up Tri-Town Bicycle, a collaborative that promotes biker/motorist safety along with ongoing projects to connect and expand the trail networks in the tri-town region. In December 2022, the group received national certification as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
"Come to Littleton where we have plenty of gravel riding, plenty of mountain biking and beer, too," says Dave Harkless, owner of Littleton Bike & Fitness, a full-service shop for bike rentals/repairs/sales, in downtown Littleton.
When bikers work up a thirst, there's nothing better than a cold beer after a trail workout. Littleton's three breweries are all centrally located downtown:
Shilling Beer
Littleton Freehouse Taproom
Wildbloom Beer
The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, part of the 83-mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail that stretches from Woodsville, NH to Bethel, Maine, hugs the burbling Ammonoosuc River as it wends its way through Littleton.
A short hop off the trail as it passes through the downtown area offers plenty of options to raise a brew, grab a burger or pizza, and spend the night. The Curran suspension bridge, adjacent to the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, is a fun access point to downtown attractions, or hop off the trail where it crosses Cottage Street, just a few spins away from Littleton Bike & Fitness.
Historic Thayer's Inn on the Main Street is bike friendly with a bike repair station right out front and accommodations for overnight stays. Traveling west to east along the Rail Trail, bikers can relax at Rail Trail Village, a former manufacturing facility reimagined as an apartment complex, and the site of the Inkwell Café & Tea House, a bistro with an Italian vibe. A variety of coffees, teas, sandwiches and salads are served. Indoor and outdoor seating.
Littleton's popular trail network, PRKR Mountain Trails, is accessed via the parking lot and trailhead at the end of School Street, just a few blocks from Littleton's Main Street. Stretching across more than 1,000 acres, the 22-mile mountain biking trail network was hand-built by community members.
Other Local Area Bike Trails to explore
The Bethlehem Trails Association promotes mountain, road and gravel biking, along with winter fat biking, throughout the community over a network of trails for both beginners and experienced riders. A bike repair station is located in the center of town at the intersection of Routes 302 and 142.
The Profile Recreational Rail Trail, a 1.5-mile-long trail in Bethlehem between Routes 3 and 302. The trail is open year-round. Parking is available on Muchmore Road and Trudeau Road off Route 302.- The Franconia Area NEMBA is a network of trails around the Franconia area. View their trail map and more about Tricycle NH at Tricyclenh.com
- Looking for a paved but challenging trail with many hills and turns? The 8.7-mile Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs through Franconia Notch with access to several of the park's attractions
from the trail: the Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site, Echo Lake, Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway and the Flume Gorge. - Head North for the
Coös Trails! In collaboration with Moose Brook State Park and many others, COÖS TRAILS is 22 miles of trail in Moose Brook State Park and through the woods around the town of Gorham, NH. (about hour north of Littleton)
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