Walk/Bike Friendly (Keene: house, college, live)

[Suzet2262]

How walker friendly or bike friendly is the town of Keene? My family and I really enjoy bike riding on the weekends and going for power walks or just plain old walking around town. Are there bike/walking trails to go on, or can you ride/walk in the town itself? Also, can anyone tell me, is snow shoeing hard to do?? Yes, I know it might be a silly question, but hey I am from So Cali, and have no real experience in dealing with snow...

[kelleybell00]

Hi Suzet...I don't have any info on Keene as I myself am planning to move to NH and researching areas, but I do know a little about snow as I was born in NH and most of my family lives in NH and VT. Snow shoeing is very easy. It will just amaze you how such an odd shaped shoe can somehow distribute your weight and keep you on top of the snow! I've only done it in the older tennis raquet looking version, but it was great because you could trek through paths and check out the scenery and wild life without wearing heavy clunky galoshes that tired you out. I imagine that the newer styles are even easier to hike in? You and the kids will also have fun tubing and sledding...it's carrying it back up to the top after the ride down that is tiring I haven't checked out the resorts in the area that offer tubing, but a lot of times they have moving sidewalks to the top which is nice because it's usually MOM that ends up lugging the young ones tubes back up to the top along with their own! I have yet to try snowboarding, but that is next on my list. I had my first experience with skiing in Montana last January and I'll just say my mother should have named me Grace! You and your family are going to have so much fun in the snow!

[Tarastomsgirl]

Keene is a VERY friendly walking and biking town, i actually just went to the chamber of commerce two days ago to pick up their bike path map. They're all over, pretty much all I do is bike, I can bike from my house to almost across town in about 15-20 mins at a very relaxed pace, there are sidewalks on every street, nature bike trails in the parks, across rivers etc. Like I said they even give you maps becasue there are so many trails. Most people who live within downtown walk or ride there. My inlaws called keene the walking town when they came to visit. Alot of the college kids don't have cars so they jsut walk everywhere.. You should find plenty of spaces to ride

This is from the chamber of commerce page

Hike & Bike pathways
Nearly three miles of ten-foot wide paved multi-purpose pathways were created in central Keene from recycled railroad rights-of-way. Another one mile hard-pack gravel trail nestles beside the Ashuelot River.
This park-like setting is reserved for bicyclists, walkers, runners and people on ADA-approved electric scooters. There are trailheads where you can leave your motor vehicle and, when on the trail, you will find convenient benches. These trails provide alternate east-west and north-south passage through central Keene.
Spreading out from central Keene are more than eight miles of packed cinder base trails managed by the State for recreational use by people on mountain bikes, runners, walkers, equestrians, snowmobilers, and cross-country skiers.
This combined trail system, with no cars or trucks, ranges from manicured areas of mowed grass edged with trees and shrubs, through wooded areas with the hills flirting in the distance, to heavily wooded areas providing "long green tunnels". Each trail provides a pleasant surprise around each turn.
It is guaranteed that if you take one trip on these trails you will return again and again.