White Mountains has great countryside for biking

Happy trails for all types of bikers are everywhere in the Androscoggin Valley, NH region. Nestled amid two of New Hampshire’s most scenic regions, the White Mountains and the Great North Woods, the area is blessed with scenic trails that wind along rivers, through scenic parks – even down mountains. Imagine mountain biking surrounded by the explosion of color that marks autumn in New Hampshire (Milan Hill State Park is a great option), or leisurely biking along smooth, rolling carriage roads past meadows at Great Glen Trails, stopping to enjoy a picturesque mountain view while enjoying a picnic lunch. Bike by the lake in Jericho Mountain State Park. And don’t think biking has to stop when winter arrives. Check with area ski resorts about fat biking.

Whether you enjoy leisurely pedaling on a forest path, zooming down a winding mountain trail, or gliding over the snow on a fat tire bike, the Franconia Inn is your base camp for every biking adventure. Set on 65 lovely acres in the White Mountains, this Inn offers easy access to the beauty and excitement of the area every season of the year. The folks at the “Bike Barn” next to the Inn will gladly recommend the best trails in the area and point you in the right direction. Just beyond the Inn’s front door, take off on over 100 miles of incredible mountain biking trails with varied terrain for every skill level. Or admire the stunning mountain views on the area’s most popular road rides Road bikes, mountain bikes, and fat tire bikes are all available to rent or buy.

Bring your bike to Bethlehem, N.H., and you can really call yourself a big wheel: You’ll be biking in the highest town in New England! The area features miles and miles of trails for mountain and road, and gravel bikes all year and fat tire bikes in the winter. Bethlehem has over 14 miles of some of the best mountain bike trails in the area and Parker Mountain Trails in Littleton has a 22-mile network of fantastic trails for all levels. There’s also the Franconia Profile trails which have almost 40 miles of mountain bike trails and the Franconia Notch Bike Path with a 20-mile round trip running parallel to the parkway, and the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail that runs along the Ammonoosuc River from Littleton to Woodstock as well as the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail that goes right through Town. And of course, our roads have spectacular scenery to enjoy while riding. Go on the website and download a printable map of the Bethlehem Trail Association’s many trails for biker of all ages and experience levels.

There may be lots of terrain, and bike types, to choose from when you go biking at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, but they all have one thing in common: fun, fun, fun. Explore the forests, pass by scenic rivers and through beautiful meadows, and revel in the amazing mountain views when you set out on the center’s smooth, well-marked carriage roads. For more adventurous riders, there are sections of single track, from easier to intermediate levels. Bring your own bike or rent one, for two or four hours, at the Outfitters Shop, with all the latest bikes and gear and experienced, friendly staff. The shop features mountain bikes, fat bikes, comfort bikes, Trail-a-Bikes for youth and bike trailers for toddlers.