Town of Belmont, New Hampshire
Town of Belmont
New Hampshire
Town of Belmont, New Hampshire
Town of Belmont
New Hampshire

Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail

 



"Winni" Trail is on Facebook!

 

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 Contact:  Rick Ball, Land Use Technician
 Address:  PO Box 310
 143 Main Street
 Belmont, NH 03220-0310
 Phone:  603-267-8300 x 125 
 Fax:  603-267-8307
 Hours:  Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm

Project Info











Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Brochure  


Other Area Trail Projects:

Laconia WOW Trail

Winnipesaukee River Trail

Northern Rail Trail

 









Granite State Rail Trail Map

 

 

 


News 2018















Seamus Bradford has earned his Eagle Scout by building this pavilion on the Conservation Commission/Rotary Club property along the Trail.


News 2017





Members of the Belmont Police Department and Belmont Fire Department held a cleanup/safety walk along the Belmont Winnisquam Scenic Trail and Leslie Roberts Town Beach recently. Belmont police & fire personnel lead cleanup of Winni Trail Winni Echo 6/1/17




In addition, Volunteers from Belmont's Penstock Gardeners, Belknap County's Recovery Court and Restorative Justice Programs and others recently planted more than 100 trees and shrubs and wild flower seed along the "Winni" Trail. Volunteers and Conservation District improve habitat on Belmont trail  Winni Echo 6/8/17





 


News 2016

The Winnisquam Scenic Trail ribbon cutting occurred on Saturday, September 17th at 10am.  There were guided tours of the 1.8 mile paved trail, with markings of where there will be future activity. Parking is available along Leslie Roberts Road and at Winnisquam Agway.







 

 
Beach Entrance
 
Agway Parking 


Belmont officials christen first phase of Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail 9/22/16 Winni Echo
Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail in Belmont Opens  9/19/16 Citizen
Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail opens Saturday  9/16/16 Citizen
Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail opening to be celebrated Saturday  9/15/16 Daily Sun
Winni Trail ribbon cutting on September 17th  9/5/16 Citizen
 

Paving the Winni Trail  Daily Sun 8/12/16

WOW Trail: putting state-owned land to more productive use  Daily Sun 7/14/16

Belmont's Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Nearing Completion Newsletter 07/16

Belmont Recreation Trail to be finished at end of July  Daily Sun 6/24/16
 

 













 

   
     

 


Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Meeting

Thursday, June 16, 2016, at 6:30pm

Corner Meeting House - Lower Level
16 Sargent Street

Agenda


Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Meeting

Thursday, May 19, 2016, at 5:30pm

Leslie E. Roberts Beach Parking Lot

Leslie E. Roberts Drive

Agenda

BRATT members tour finished portions of Winnisquam Scenic Trail  Sun 5/20/16 
Tour and Progress Update for Lake Winnisquam Trail Offered this Evening  Daily Sun 5/19/16


Newsletter May, 2016

Belmont Heritage Commission salutes three local initiatives  Daily Sun 4/28/16


Winnisquam Scenic Trail Under Construction

What a View!!

Glacial erratic near trail - 05/04/16


4/21/16


4/15/16
 

 

New Trails in Belmont  WinniEcho 4/22/16


Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Meeting


LAKE WINNISQUAM SCENIC TRAIL MEETING

Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 6:30pm
Corner Meeting House - 16 Sargent Street

Agenda


Clean-up Saturday

Belmont & Laconia Recreation Trails Hosting Join Clean-up Saturday

October, 2015  Laconia Daily Sun - BELMONT/LACONIA — Volunteers will gather for a Fall clean-up of Belmont's Winnisquam Scenic Trail and WOW Trail in Laconia on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to noon. The organizing spots are Leslie E. Roberts Road near the Belmont Town Beach and at the Messer Street entrance to the WOW Trail in Laconia. "Families are welcome. We'll have some Halloween treats. Our goal is to clean up litter and spruce up the trail area," said Donna Hepp, from the Belmont Trail Team.

Construction on the Winnisquam Trail is underway with tree cutting completed and clearing and grading to come next. The plan is to complete the gravel base this fall and pave the trail in the Spring. The Belmont clean-up will be in an area unaffected by the construction where the trail connects to the next phase of Laconia's WOW Trail. Phase 2 for the WOW Trail will span from the current North Main Street trail head in Laconia to the Belmont Town line when it is completed next summer. "When these two new trail segments are completed next year, we'll have a 5 mile section of paved rail trail for area residents and visitors to enjoy," said Gretchen Gandini from the WOW Trail.

For more information on the trail clean-up contact Hepp at 527-9339 dhepp3@gmail.com for Belmont and Gandini at 520-8952 or info@wowtrail.org for Laconia.

Belmont's Winnisquam Scenic Trail and Laconia's WOW Trail are a part of a planned regional rail trail network (with Tilton/Franklin's Winnipesaukee River Trail) that will one day connect Meredith to Franklin and the Northern Rail Trail.

Learn more...the Trail from then to now...November News 


Winni Trail Construction Starts This Month!!

October, 2015  Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail Construction Starts This Month!!  October 2015 Newsletter 

Be sure to follow all the news on our Facebook page!  "Like" us and get news as it happens!  

Belmont Ready to Break Ground on Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail  Daily Sun 10/17/15 
Winni Trail Team Planning For Future  Citizen 10/17/15  
Party to Celebrate Belmont's Winni Trail will be held on Thursday  Daily Sun 10/10/15 


Contracts Awarded

Contract for Phase 1 of the Winnisquam Scenic Trail has been Awarded!

September, 2015  The Contract for Phase 1 of the Winnisquam Scenic Trail has been awarded to Nelson Communications Systems, Inc.
Contrarct for Belmont scenic trail awarded to Conway firm  Daily Sun 9/15/15
Belmont chooses contractor for Winni Trail  Citizen 9/17/15


Advertisement for Bids - Winni Trail

Winni Trail Goes to Bid!!

Full Bid Advertisement
 

August, 2015  The Winnisquam Trail Phase 1 Project proposes to construct a multi-use trail extending from US Route 3 & 11, along the edge of Lake Winnisquam and back on Route 3 &11. The entire length of the trail, approximately 8,000 linear feet, will be paved with hot mix asphalt. Work includes but is not limited to the following: constructing 1.5 mile of trail including sub-base and hot mix asphalt pavement, drainage culverts, timber guard rail and fencing.
 

BIDS shall be received by the Town of Belmont at the Town Office until 1 :00 PM, Tuesday August 11, 2015. The BIDS will be immediately publicly opened after 1:00 PM and read aloud at the Comer Meeting House, 16 Sargent Street in Belmont.
 

Copies of the CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be obtained from the ENGINEER, The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 100 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor North,  Manchester, NH 03101 upon payment of a non-refundable check in the amount of $100.00, payable to The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

Construction bids sought for Belmont's recreation trail  Daily Sun 07/21/15 


Belmont Rotary Donates to Winni Trail



June, 2015  Rotarians donate to Winni Trail  Citizen 06/16/15 
Photo by: TIM CAMERATO/CITIZEN


Winni Trail construction to begin late summer


June, 2015  After 15 years of planning, raising money and bartering with the state Department of Transportation, Phase 1 of the Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail is just about ready!
Winnisquam Scenic Trail ready to go in Belmont  Daily Sun 6/5/15

Winni Trail construction to begin late summer  Citizen 06/05/15  

 

 


 


Winnisquam Scenic Trail update

April, 2015  Area Archaeological Study delayed progress in 2014 Citizen 04/14/15


Trail Update - November, 2014

November, 2014  The Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail continues to move forward toward its Spring 2014 construction. The historical and archaeological studies have been completed and submitted to NHDOT – Bureau of Environment and the NH Division of Historical Resources with a finding that the trail will not impact any cultural resources. Along with the previous finding that no environmentally sensitive resources will be impacted, we will soon have in hand the Categorical Exclusion which means that it has been determined that the trail will not have a significant effect on the human environment therefore neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.


The design plans are undergoing the final tweaks by our engineer to cross the T’s and dot the I’s before the final submission to NH DOT and the FHWA along with the construction specifications, contract documents and final estimated cost. When the final plans are approved we can then finalize any necessary easements with abutters. The current schedule has the project going to advertise for construction bids in December and construction is to occur in Spring 2015.
 

BRATT, Belmont’s trail committee, has started back up and is looking to expand its membership. Once the trail is built there will be many volunteer opportunities to maintain and promote the trail.


Winnisquam Scenic Trail Meeting

October, 2014  Continuing progress on the Lake Winnisquam Scenic Trail will be the focus of a Belmont Recreation and Alternative Transportation Team (BRATT) meeting on Oct. 23rd at 7 pm in the Corner Meeting House. Winni Trail & Conservation Commission News  Newsletter October, 2014

At their meeting on October 23rd members of the Belmont Recreational Alternative Transportation Team (BRATT) discussed the results of the archeological study recently completed and submitted to the state Division of Historical Resources.  Additionally they considered alternative fencing options along the adjacent railroad for this project scheduled for a spring, 2015 construction start.  BRATT Committee talks timeline, fences at meeting  Citizen 10/25/14


No Indian Artifacts Found Beneath Trail Path

September, 2014  The preliminary assessment from Louis Berger & Associates, the engineering company performing the Phase I-B archaeological study, determined that no artifacts were found.
 

This should complete the categorical exclusion required by the grant being used to pay for much of the trail which will allow the Town to move forward to obtain the necessary easements.  It is intended to advertise bids for spring construction by December 1st.  No Indian artifacts found beneath Belmont Trail path Daily Sun 9/24/14
 

Additional Archaeological Review Required on Portion of Trail

Some additional archaeological study of a section of the proposed trail may be required.  Advanced archaeological studies for projects in the Lakes Region are not unusual and the Town is working closely with the State Archaeologist to keep this important project moving on schedule.  Scan for Indian artifacts now likely to delay development of Belmont's Recreation Trail  Daily Sun 6/18/14


Winnisquam Scenic Trail Meeting

July, 2014  BRATT Committee Meets on Progress, Status of Winni Trail  Laconia Citizen 7/17/14


Proposed Route

Public Explored the Proposed Route for the New Winni Trail on May 13th!
 

May, 2014  Explorers met at the Leslie Roberts Town Beach on May 13, 2014 to walk the proposed 1.8 mile unimproved trail route through a forested hillside above Lake Winnisquam.

 

Trail Committee Chairman Ron Mitchell said, "There's strong interest in seeing the "Winni” Trail route. Now that spring is here, the time is right to walk the route and talk about what's planned.”
Public gets first taste of Winni Trail on walk  Citizen 5/15/14


Selectmen Discuss Progress

Selectmen Discuss Progress With Project Engineers

July, 2014  At their meeting on July 7, 2014, Board Members discussed with representatives of The Louis Berger Group the required archaeological study now understood to be necessary for the Trail project to proceed.
BRATT engineers address time concerns   Citizen 7/9/14


Re-Organizational Meeting

April, 2014  During an April 24, 2014 meeting, Ron Mitchell outlined the trail's history since first proposed in 2000.

The Winni Trail will be a paved walking and bicycle path that in the future will link to trails across the state. With Town approval in March, Belmont's trail can now move forward. Funds are in hand for completing the trail's first 1.8 mile section.

Ground-breaking is planned this fall. Public comments at the April meeting made it clear there is strong interest in using the trail, and value to youth and families for safe and healthy recreation.

Representatives of Laconia's WOW Trail congratulated Belmont on its decision and shared their experience with trail benefits to the community, adjacent landowners and businesses. Construction of Phase 1 of the Winni Trail and an adjacent WOW Trail segment may be completed in the same time frame.

Questions during the meeting related to the route, access to adjacent homes and businesses, parking, trail maintenance, and types of fencing where the trail parallels rail tracks.

Ron Mitchell indicated that the Winni Trail Committee is reforming and welcomes new members. For a map of the Winni Trail and more information, you can track what's happening on Facebook. Use the link at the top of this page.


For more information, contact Donna Hepp at 603-527-9339 or 414-258-3287.


Ready for Bids

April, 2014  Belmont Recreation Trail Almost Ready for Bids  Laconia Daily Sun 4/19/14


Belmont Voters Adopt Warrant Article

March, 2014