Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail

Imagine a continuous, paved trail winding along the Merrimack River, connecting Boscawen, Penacook, Concord, and Pembroke!

The Merrimack River Greenway Trail will be a year-round haven for walkers, runners, cyclists, skiers, and snowshoers. Universally accessible, it will serve as a recreational escape and a safe transportation corridor linking villages, open spaces, and existing trails like the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail and the Northern Rail Trail.

This 13-mile trail will be 10-12 feet wide, accommodating a wide range of users and fostering a sense of community while providing access to the natural beauty of the Merrimack River.

Imagine families biking together, friends snowshoeing in winter, and individuals finding solace in a morning jog—all made possible by this transformative project.

Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, an all-volunteer nonprofit, have raised over $700,000 in grants and donations since 2011 and built over a mile of riverside trail. But we need your help to bring the rest of this dream to life. Your donation will directly support Phase 3, the "Riverside Connection."

Join us in building the Merrimack River Greenway Trail and help turn this vision into reality. Every contribution brings us closer to a trail that inspires fitness, connection, and adventure while celebrating the natural beauty of New Hampshire.

Together, we can make it happen!

Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail have been awarded a grant of $10,000 by the Davis Conservation Foundation, contingent on raising $50,000 from other sources.  Your generous NH Gives donation will get us that much closer to qualifying for that grant, which will get us that much closer to our goal of completing Phase 3 of the MRGT in 2025, which will get us that much closer to finishing the entire trail, from Penacook to Pembroke.

"There is an inherent legacy in trails, one that honors the past, enriches the present, and provides a gift to the future."

--Keith Laughlin, President, Rails to Trails Conservancy 

Who We Are

We are an all volunteer led group with the sole purpose of providing Concord residents and visitors with a paved trail that will augment opportunities for non-motorized transportation and active recreation along the Merrimack River;

The Merrimack River Greenway Trail (MRGT) will:

• promote appreciation for the natural environment and cultural resources associated with the Merrimack River;

• enhance the quality of life of present and future generations;

• achieve balance between the protection and the enjoyment of the natural environment;

• open economic development for local businesses and increase the visibility of the Concord business community;

• provide the critical link to the northern and southern portions of the Granite State Rail Trail;

• produce community pride and strengthen the sense of community; and

• integrate other nonprofits with the same or similar purposes.