Downtowns & Trails

Three young people with backpacks stand on a mountain top over looking Lake Winnipesaukee
Connecting the Dots
UNH researchers team up with communities to improve regional trail networks
To address issues and facilitate collaborative solutions, UNH faculty, graduate students, Extension staff and external partners joined forces in 2023 ... Learn More
People sitting around a large round table talking
Collaborative Learning for Trail and Outdoor Recreation Organizations
Every year in New Hampshire, a wide variety of trail and recreation groups across the state are working hard to build, maintain, and improve recreatio... Learn More
Downtowns & Trails program presentation overview cover page
Community Showcase Highlights Downtowns & Trails Program in Hopkinton-Contoocook, NH
Community and Economic Development staff presented the Hopkinton-Contoocook Downtowns and Trail program report and findings at a community showcase he... Learn More
Canadian geese feeding on green grass in a park
Getting to Work with DIRT
Individuals from over twenty groups, organizations, and municipalities from the greater Franklin-Northfield-Tilton “Foothills” region of New Hampshire... Learn More
Multiple vendor tents set up in a grassy area
The Graniteer Festival and the Value of Making Time to Be Together
During the final weekend of September, just as the maple trees were starting to turn red up north, hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts gathered in Francon... Learn More
Gazebo in park
The Right Connection
Downtowns and Trails program helps communities utilize the natural and built world
Extension state specialist and professor Shannon Rogers and Extension field specialist Jada Lindblom have worked with the City of Keene on developing ... Learn More
Bikers on trail
Building Trails and Finding Connections with DIRT
Developing Interconnections for Regional Trails
Almost every community in New Hampshire has some type of trail, whether it be a rail trail, riverwalk, hiking loop or path through a community forest.... Learn More
Extension table at the Hopkinton Farmers Market
Community Engagement at Contoocook Farmers Market
The Town of Hopkinton is the fourth community to take part in UNH Extension’s Downtowns & Trails program. As part of the program, a dedicated group of... Learn More
Group of volunteers standing near the Contoocook River
Collecting Data on Community Capital While Building Social Capital
The Benefits of a Capacity Building Approach to Nature-Based Economic Development
On a recent sunny Saturday morning, a group of dedicated community volunteers gathered in the Village of Contoocook, in the Town of Hopkinton, NH, to ... Learn More
room full of roundtable attendees
Supporting Outdoor Recreation Conversations and Connections
The First Central New Hampshire Trails Roundtable
From rail trails and snowmobile routes to mountain bike singletracks, Central New Hampshire is fortunate to have a growing number of established publi... Learn More