Conditions on the Nashua River Rail Trail are pretty good for the second week of April, especially in view of the exceptionally cold and snowy winter we had here in New England. I scouted a couple of parking areas and then walked the stretch between MA 113 in Pepperell and Sand Hill Road in Groton.

The trees aren’t yet in bud, so the river was the star of the show today.

Parking areas:

• Gilson Road, Nashua: gate is open; ice and snow cover half the lot but about 20 parking spaces are clear and open.
• NH Route 111-A at Nashua/Hollis line: plenty of roadside parking.
• State line at Dracut: lots of snow was plowed into the far side of the lot, leaving room for three or four cars.
• MA Route 113 in East Pepperell: clear and open.
• Sand Hill Road, Groton: a snow pile covers about half the lot, but there’s still room for about ten cars.

Trail surfaces:

• Pepperell: some patches of ice and snow, which should be gone soon with a few more 50-degree days.
• Groton: mostly snow-covered between town line and Sand Hill Road. About three inches of well-trodden soft snow make for an uneven surface, but it’s certainly passable on foot.

It’s the beginning of another beautiful season on the NRRT. I’m looking forward to it.