| Hiking
in Southwest New Hampshire |
|
|   his
region is the perfect spot for hiking. Whether you're interested
in short day hikes or longer backpacking journeys, we've got trails
you're going to love. These range from short walks in the woods
and get-a-ways, to all day (or longer) treks that take you through
some beautiful countryside.
In
addition you can explore Mt. Monadnock, "the most climbed"
mountain in the world. Have you discovered a favorite hike? Send
us an e-mail
and let us know where you like to go in Southwest New Hampshire!
Below
is a small sampling of hiking trails: |
| |
Crotched
Mountain. There are three trails to the summit of this 2,055
foot mountain. Bennington Trail starts 3-miles north of Greenfield
on Rt. 31 at a sign marked "Crotched Mt. Top - Bennington Trail."
Greenfield Trail starts beyond the entrance to Crotched Mountain
Rehabilitation Center buildings. Francestown Trail starts at the
base area of the Crotched Mt. Ski Area and follows the easiest ski
trail. |
| |
Drummer
Hill Preserve. Located off Elm Street in Keene, the Preserve
is a series of unmarked logging roads that wind through 140-acres
of public and private conservation land. |
| |
Fox
State Forest. Located on Center Road in Hillsborough, the Forest
has over 20 miles of trails for the day hiker with 1,432 acres of
woodland. |
| |
Horatio
Colony Trust Nature Preserve. A 415-acre privately held nature preserve, which is open to the public, comprising most of the top of West Hill in Keene. Horatio Colony II established the nature preserve in 1977. A trail marked with red diamonds can be reached by following a woods road/trail west from the parking lot. A free trail guide is available at a kiosk near the start of the trail. The guide points out both environmental and historical landmarks. 3 1/2 miles of hiking trails take you up a steep ridge and through mixed forest. On the top of the ridge are several small swamps. A clearing on the west side of the ridge offers a view of West Keene and the stone foundation of a small cabin, Tip Top House, once used by the Colony family.
Directions: Turn south off Route 9 in Keene onto Daniels Hill Road (about 1/2 mile west of Monadnock Marketplace) and immediately look for a sign and small parking area along the road on the left. |
| |
Metacomet
Trail. This trail was designed as a through trail for backpackers,
but lends itself well for day hikes as it crosses many roads. The
trail, marked with white rectangles, runs from Connecticut, through
Massachusetts and ends on Mt. Monadnock. |
| |
Shieling
Forest. A series of walking trails off Old Street Road in Peterborough. |
| |
Wapack
Trail. The Wapack is a 21 mile ridge-line trail that offers
spectacular views throughout its run from Mt. Watatic in Massachusetts
to North Pack Monadnock in Greenfield, NH. The trails is marked
by yellow paint marks on the trees and is easy to follow. |
