Gorham NH update 2023

[peakbagger]

Update for 2023

The Rattle River Hostel in Shelburne is no more. It appears to be a private home.

The Barn in Gorham is finally going before the planning board to get permission to allow tenting adjacent to the building. They had been allowing it during Covid but it was questionable if it was legit. Now that Gorham is an official AT town, I guess the town and the owner is going to make it legit. It is small space, just a side lot between the Barn and the adjacent neighboring house. The owners worked very hard to make up Rattle River closing. and the result was they are trying to cover a lot of bases with limited resources.

Other than the hostel at White Birches campground in Shelburne and the Barn, I am not aware of any new places in town oriented towards hikers. Hub North is relatively new catering to bicyclists, but it 2 miles from downtown near Moose Brook State Park. Be aware, the motels in Gorham have become very busy on weekends with the ATV crowd. Many require non refundable reservations for multiple days on weekends (Friday and Saturday nights). There are numerous weekend ATV events that will book up every hotel space in the region from May to October. Try to plan your hike to hit town during the week.

The Five Corners Inn (formerly Hikers Paradise) was purchased by a new owner a few years back and is running it to support the ATV crowd. It seems to be run as a hobby more than a business. It is very busy with the ATV crowd on weekends. I do not know if they are permitted to use the former Hiker Paradise's facilities in the upper floors or interested in doing so. AMC still runs their scheduled shuttle bus runs but they are best oriented towards guests of the huts timing. Probably good for a bailout situation as they connect up with two regional buses that can get hikers to a major airport and cover the entire whites on a fixed route. They do not do custom shuttles.

Shuttles - Trail Angels has not updated their website lately but I still see their vehicle in town. They are the only commercial shuttle service in the area I am aware that caters to AT hikers. I suspect they are busier these days, now that the Cross NH bicycle trail is getting popular. This link to the Cross NH trail site has a couple of other services, I do not know anything about them except for the listing https://www.xnhat.org/shuttle-services.html. The White Birches Campground has had a seasonal camper that has run shuttles in the past.

The big news in the Berlin Gorham area is the new brew pub located right down the road from the Barn. The former Mr Pizza that was closed last year is being renovated to be a sports bar oriented to ATVs. The Chinese Buffet place is still in business and the wood fired pizza place is open 4 days a week. There is also a BBQ place and the Yokahama and Jays.

In general, the area tourist businesses that mostly were indifferent to hikers in the past, have really shifted to the far more lucrative ATV trade and on many weekends finding accommodations will be tough. The best options for "stealth" camping is probably in the woods west of the AT trailhead on Hogan road. Hogan road is a private road with very little traffic so anyone using it to head into Gorham is in for 5 mile walk to get to Main Street using the railroad trestle to cross the river and another mile and 1/2 up RT 16 to Walmart. There is Dollar General in Gorham adjacent to post office. There may be a temptation to stealth out on the island connected to Gorham via the pedestrian bridge under the trestle. Be aware that it is "tick central" as is much of Hogan Road. Mascot Pond, a very remote feeling spot with a gravel beach close to town remains a forgotten gem since the AT was rerouted out of Gorham long ago.

[somers515]

Just the info I was looking for . . . as usual thanks peakbagger! Bummer about the Rattle River Hostel, with the AT walking right past it, I'm sure it was a convenient spot. Nice though that the Barn is trying to help pick up the slack! Hoping the hitch into town isn't too tough.

I have in fact walked over that pedestrian bridge on a previous hike that I ended in Gorham after coming down from Moriah. Nice that you can walk into town still, even if its not on the AT.

[One Half]

Excellent info!

[peakbagger]

The Cross NH Adventure Trail is one to keep an eye out on. It runs 83 miles from Woodsville NH (the VT border) to Bethel Maine using old abandoned railroad right of ways (with one road walk that should go away in a year or two and another one on mostly country roads). Its hard to run railroads in the mountains of NH so they railroads ran along rivers and drainages. Some of the trail is shared with ATVs but most of it is non motorized use. Unlike typical rail trails, the surface is rough, mostly old railbed with the tracks ripped out. It crosses the Coos Trail and with some creativity could be used for some interesting loops in the northern Whites around Madison, Adams and Jefferson. I used it as rehab for my ankle break last year, doing out and back sections with my E mountain bike. I would pedal a section with the e assist turned off and use e assist to get back to my car. It goes through some pretty nice territory. Here is link to photos https://www.xnhat.org/photo-tour-of-the-trail.html.
Its definitely unlike a typical white mountain trail, not a lot of hills on former railroad tracks (but the road walks have a few hills). It also goes through a big block of the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge.

[somers515]

Very cool - thanks for sharing peakbagger!

[HankIV]

Super nice post of the sort that makes this site great. Thanks.

[k2basecamp]

Great info, thanks to all��

[peakbagger]

BTW, while driving around town today and saw a potential new a new shuttle. I have not tried them or heard of them so caveat emptor. Their name is Rides with Ron 603-912-0199, they appear to have a Facebook presence.

I looked up their email address and suggested they get on various shuttle provider lists including ATC and Whiteblaze.

I also was at a public hearing regarding the Barn's tenting area. They had been operating under the radar during Covid but the town asked them to go legit. One of the caveats they agree to is enforce some basic rules. Good guests should not have an issue with them but they are under the local radar so those who do not want to follow the rules will need to go elsewhere. Non Medical pot is not legal in NH (it is in Maine and Mass) with neighboring homes very close by so those who need to smoke may want to do if prior to town.