North Pack Monadnock

Located at the North end of the Wapack Trail is North Pack Monadnock Mountain. There are a couple of trail heads for this trail. We parked on Mountain Road in Greenfield and hiked the Wapack Trail to the top. There is a good amount of parking here.

The trail starts out fairly flat for the first .8 miles of the trail.

Then the trail is a steady to steep incline for another .8 of a mile.

At the summit there is a large cairn and some views looking towards Mt. Monadnock.

From here we continued onto the Cliff Trail. I have never been on this trail before and thought the trail went around the top rim of North Pack providing a lot of views. The first part we did walk around the summit which provided some views. There is one view point that opens up onto a set of rocks giving stunning views towards Boston, the southern part of the Wapack Trail and Mt Monadnock.

We continued along the Cliff Trail which has some rock scrambles descending down the mountain and some flat areas. The trail connected with the Wapack Trail before heading back up to the summit of North Pack Monadnock. The total loop was about 2 miles, which had some difficult sections due to rock scrambles, the only view points were at the beginning of the Cliff Trail.

After reaching the summit again we continued to follow the Wapack Trail back to the parking lot. With it being fall there were a lot of leaves and pine needles on the trail making the climb down tricky at times.

Overall, we really enjoyed the hike. The total mileage was 5.25 miles. Some of those miles were difficult due to rock scrambles. There was some beautiful views. I would rate this trail on the harder side of moderate, good for those who have experience hiking a variety of terrain.

Coolidge Reservation

Distance: A little over two miles

Difficulty: Easy with a couple inclines.

No dogs allowed on the Ocean Lawn

Located in Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts is Coolidge Reservation featuring hiking trails, forests, a pond and beautiful ocean views. There is a small parking lot off of Summer Street, we felt lucky to get a parking spot. There is a kiosk with a map of the trails.

We started off our hike by going up Bungalow Hill, which was off to the right from the trail head. This is a short incline hike up to a rock out cropping with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

There was supposedly a connector trail that went to the ocean lawn, but we could not find it so we went back the way we came and then followed the trail out to the ocean lawn from the trail head.

Even though the trail was not marked well, it was easy to follow down to the ocean lawn.

We passed a pretty little pond that had birds in it.

The trail came out to a beautiful lawn overlooking the ocean.

We could see the Boston skyline and overall gorgeous views of the ocean.

After walking around the ocean lawn and enjoying the views we walked back and near the pond took a side trail down to Magnolia Beach. This beach is not part of the reservation, but still worth the visit.

After walking the beach we heading back to the parking lot. Our total hike was a little over two miles. The trails were mostly flat except going up Bungalow Hill and near the ocean lawn was some incline. The ocean lawn did not allow dogs. I loved this hike, as you got a little bit of everything, a small incline hike with a view, beautiful scenery and a beach.

After our hike we drove into Gloucester and had lunch at Drift, which had great open air seating with ocean and downtown views and delicious food options.

If you are looking for something else to do in the area I highly recommend checking out Hammond Castle and Halibut Point State Park.

Benson's Park

I have been hearing about Benson’s Park for many years, but have never visited it. Located in Hudson, New Hampshire, Benson’s was an Animal Park up until the late 1980’s. Since the animal park closed its doors the town of Hudson and many volunteers has been transforming this park.

The entrance to Benson’s is located on Kimball Hill Road. There is a good size parking lot. Off the parking lot is a dog park, access to the playground and walking paths. I recommended looking at the map to get an idea of the area.

Since we had never been there before we just explored some of the trails without a plan or destination. There were people picnicking, biking, hiking, lots of photographer’s and dogs being walked on leashes. Even though there was a lot of people around once we got on the trails we only saw a couple other people hiking.

The trails were easy to follow and well marked. There are maps at some intersections which was nice.

My favorite part of the Benson’s was the different water features such as a variety of ponds, streams and marshes.

There is also evidence of the animal park around the grounds with old buildings and attractions. They have restored some of it and are working on restoring other area’s. There are a couple monuments, some garden areas and overall beautiful landscapes. There was a restored old shoe, which was cool to see.

We were limited on time and only saw a small section of the park including a two mile hike. I cannot wait to go back and explore more of this beautiful park.

Barrett Mountain to Pratt Mountain on the Wapack Trail

Distance: 7 Miles with option for more

Difficulty: Moderate

The Wapack Trail is a 21 Mile Hike that goes from Mt Watatic in Ashburnham Massachusetts to North Pack in Greenfield New Hampshire. This is a popular trail in the Monadnock Region. The nice thing about the Wapack Trail is there are several options to hike sections of it, if you do not want to do the whole 21 miles. We typically do the Sharon Ledges to Temple Mountain section, but I have been eyeing the Barrett Mountain to Pratt Mountain Section.

We parked in the Wapack Parking Lot across from Windblown and also the trailhead for Kidder Mountain. We crossed Rt 123/124 to walk up the driveway for Windblown. There are signs that mark the Wapack Trail. They have been doing some timber harvesting. There was a nice view of Mt. Monadnock thanks to this harvesting.

After a steady incline you reach the top of Barrett Mountain. There are no view points here, but it is a pretty walk through the forest.

After hiking over Barrett Mountain we continued onto New Ipswich Mountain. Again there was no view point from the summit of New Ipswich Mountain. We continued on to Stony Top where we got some stunning views looking west at Mt. Monadnock.

After leaving Stony Top we continued our hike over to Pratt Mountain. Walking between the mountains is not too strenuous. There are some flat parts and some up and downs.

After summiting Pratt Mountain you start to descend this section of the trail, but make sure you take the short side trail to the lookout over Pratt Pond with views of Boston.

Descending Pratt Mountain is a little steep. We found the steepest sections of this trail was going up Barrett Mountain and down Pratt Mountain. Once we were on the secondary road, Binney Hill Road, you can continue on the Wapack Trail to Mt. Watatic which is roughly another 3-4 miles. We walked down Binney Hill Road, which is a rocky road to the parking lot where a friend picked us up. This total hike was seven miles.

Carroll’s Hill Trail

Located on Westbrook Court in Swanzey, New Hampshire is the trailhead for Carroll’s Hill Trail. As you are driving up Westbrook Court there is a field on your right that has a small trail sign. You can drive into the field and park along the woods. We had my car and chose to park along the road. The grass was long so make sure you check yourself for ticks. Next to the parking area is a small trail sign marking the start of the trail.

The trail starts out fairly flat. There are some intersections in the trail that were well marked with signs with arrows on them pointing to the direction of the trail.

About halfway the trail got more steep. I would classify it as moderate for the Monadnock Region.

The last intersection in the trail directs you up to the viewpoint.

The view was beautiful as you are looking at the top half of Mount Monadnock.

There is a small bench to enjoy the view. There is a pretty steep drop off a cliff in front of the bench so use caution.

It was one mile up to the view point with about a half mile being a steady incline. The view are beautiful and you can get in a good workout in a short amount of time.

Danforth Falls

Distance .3 Miles to Waterfall, but option for longer hike

Difficulty: Easy

Located in the Danforth Conservation Land off of Lincoln Street/Rt 85 in Hudson, Massachusetts is an easy trail to Danforth Falls. There is a small parking lot with a sign marking the trailhead.

The trail is easy to follow. The forest is very relaxing to walk through.

After about a quarter of a mile you come to a junction in the trail. If you go left it loops around giving you a longer hike. If you go right, it takes you directly to the falls. We went right.

As I was walking I noticed the stream was really low and it dawned on me that we have not had a lot of rain this summer so there may not be much of a waterfall. Unfortunately I was right. There was barely any water.

The hike into Danforth Falls was only a third of a mile. It was an easy walk. We will have to come back another time when there is an actual waterfall, which is alright as one of our favorite restaurants, The Railtrail Flatbread Company, is near by and we always love a reason to grab a pizza from there.

Lake Williams Boardwalk and Trail

Distance 1.5 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Easy

Located off Williams Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts is the trailhead for the Lake Williams Boardwalk. There are two small parking lots. One is in the courthouse parking lot, during the week I am not sure if you can park there. On a busy day parking can be difficult to find.

From the parking lot you can either follow the trail to the left to walk around Lake Williams through the woods or go right and start out on the boardwalk. We went right.

This boardwalk is special because it is a floating boardwalk. You walk about a half a mile across Lake Williams.

Once across the boardwalk you can turn around and walk back or continue on the trail around the lake, which is about a mile long. We walked the trail around the lake and found it easy to navigate.

There are also more bridges to walk across.

We enjoyed the 1.5 mile walk around the lake. The floating boardwalk was very cool. It is a little bouncy as it is like walking on a dock. If you have balance issues I may not walk on it. The trail through the woods was fairly flat, making it an easy hike.

Back at the parking lot there is a small park with a gazebo. The day we visited there was an ice cream truck that many walkers were enjoying.

Goffstown Railtrail

Distance: 5.5 miles one way

Difficulty: Easy

Multipurpose Trail

Located in Goffstown, New Hampshire is this shorter rail trail that goes through neighborhoods, by bodies of water and through the woods. This trail is only 5.5 miles long one way. We have walked this trail a couple times as there are softball fields off the trail where my daughter has played.

You can access the trail at different locations from one end of the trail on Factory Street to the other end at Agnes Street. The trail is a mixture of paved and dirt paths.

I have seen people walking, running and riding bikes on this trail. I am sure in the winter people snowshoe and cross country ski here as well.

Even though this is not a long rail trail we enjoy walking along the Glen Lake section near Factory Street Parking. This is a great trail if you want a walk or short bike ride.

While you are in Goffstown make sure you check out Apothem Cafe and Flower Shop for some yummy food and drinks.

Harkness Memorial State Park

Located at 275 Great Neck Road in Waterford, Connecticut is Harkness Memorial State Park. With walking paths, a mansion, gardens, picnic area, ocean access, but no swimming and views of the Long Island Sound this state park is a must visit in Connecticut.

During the off season there is a fee for non state residents to pay through QR code. Memorial Day through Labor Day there is a gate attendant that collects the fees.

I was not sure what to expect with visiting this Connecticut State Park, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Harkness Memorial State Park is home of Eolia, the exquisite summer mansion that was owned by the Harkness family, who were beneficiaries of an oil fortune. The estate itself was not open, but we spent a lot of time walking the grounds of the state park. With it being April the daffodils with just starting to come into bloom.

We found the park map helpful in navigating the property. We explored the carriage house, orchards, and Daffodil Lane. None of the buildings were open so we just walked around the perimeter of the buildings. My favorite part of the property was the East and West Gardens in the front of Eolia. The West Garden had some beautiful Arbor’s.

The East Gardens were beautiful as well. I imagine when all the flowers are in bloom it is more spectacular.

After exploring the gardens we walked down to the beach. There is no swimming here. We enjoyed walking the beach and looking for seashells.

We spent almost two hours exploring this Connecticut State Park. My family and I enjoyed the park and agreed we would visit again if we were in the area or come back when the gardens were in full bloom.

Wingaersheek Beach

Wingaersheek Beach located in Gloucester, Massachusetts is a popular beach for those with young children due to minimal waves as it is set in a cove and has some rocks to explore.

Located off Atlantic Ave is the parking area for Wingaersheek Beach. We visited in April, the off season. During Memorial Day thru Labor Day non town residents need to reserve a parking space in advance to visit Wingaersheek Beach. We did see changing rooms and bathrooms, but there were closed with it being April. I am not sure if any food, drink or other beach amenities are sold here.

We walked about a mile along the beach. With it being April there were a lot of people walking their dogs. I could see the attraction for young families. There were many kids exploring the rocks for sea creatures.

There was plenty of beach to spread out, you just may have to walk down the beach some. I am not sure we would return in the summer months for a beach day as we love to play in the waves. Good Harbor is not too far away and can have some amazing waves If you looking for a more laid back beach the this one is for you.

Hammond Castle

Located on at 80 Hesperus Avenue in Gloucester, Massachusetts is Hammond Castle. This New England Castle is all over social media. When we were in the area visiting Halibut Point State Park I wanted to visit this castle. The website advised you to buy tickets in advance. The day we were in the area there were no tickets available, but my husband convinced me to go anyway.

Hammond Castle has a small parking lot, which I would assume can fill up quickly. Since we were there about a hour before closing they allowed us to go in. There is a fee to enter the castle. The castle is not open in the winter months. You can do a self guided tour or sign up for a group tour. We chose to wander around the castle ourselves. I do wish we were given a map of the castle, but there were staff around that could answer questions and direct you.

Per the Hammond Caste Website, “Hammond Castle was built in the late 1920s by scientist, inventor, and interestingly enough, an art connoisseur of the highest order, John Hays Hammond, Jr.”

We spent about an hour exploring around Hammond Castle enjoying the history and beautiful decor. My favorite part was the atrium.

Outside there is a small amount of grounds and a garden to explore, as well as some beautiful ocean views.

Overall we enjoyed visiting Hammond Castle. I was glad my husband suggested we stop. Out of all the New England castles we have visited Gillette Castle in Connecticut is still my favorite.

Halibut Point State Park

Distance: 1.5 mile look, options for a little more with side trails or less.

Difficulty: Easy, wide packed gravel trails, some strollers could be used.

Located on Gott Lane in Rockport, Massachusetts is a beautiful ocean front state park. Halibut Point State Park consists of hiking trails, a quarry, ocean views, picnic tables and a small museum.

There is a small fee to park and enter the state park. There were porta potty’s in the parking area. Across the parking lot is the start of the trails. Make sure you check out the map. The trails are dirt, mostly flat and easy to navigate. We saw people using strollers on some of the trails.

Our first stop was a granite quarry, which was beautiful. Along with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

After hiking around edge of the quarry. We walked down to a view point over looking the Atlantic Ocean.

From here we walked down to the rocks and climbed around them all while enjoying the magnificent waves. I heard someone say they sometimes saw seals here, but we didn’t see any the day we visited. The waves were fun to watch though.

We looped up to the Visitor Center where they had a small museum and restrooms. We did not go inside.

We spent about an hour enjoying Halibut State Park. We walked about a mile and half. We all agree we would absolutely return as we loved the quarry and ocean views.

Nashua River Rail Trail

Distance: Varies, but up to 12 miles oneway.

Difficulty: Easy

Multipurpose Trail: Walking, Running, Biking, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing

Nashua River Rail Trail is a little over 12 mile rail trail that goes from Nashua, New Hampshire to Ayer, Massachusetts.

We have ridden bikes and walked on different sections of this trail. The few times we have explored this rail trail we parked on the New Hampshire side, on the Nashua/Hollis line. There are several different parking areas along the trail.

When we recently walked from Nashua down into Massachusetts there was a water and soda vending machine set up along the trail, which I thought was a smart idea by whoever put it up.

The trail goes along residential areas, some had farm animals along the trail. It also goes through towns and by businesses as well as different bodies of water.

Overall, I like the diversity of this trail. You can walk in the woods or in more urban areas. This trail is good for walking, running, bike riding, roller blading and during the winter months snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

Pulpit Falls

Distance: .4 Oneway

Difficulty: Easy

Not a marked trail

Pulpit Falls is a small, but beautiful waterfall in Winchester, New Hampshire. Located 2.6 miles south of the intersection of Route 10 and 78 is a curve in the road and a small pull out area on right. The trail head is across the street. Use caution when crossing the busy road with limited visibility.

The trailhead for Pulpit Falls is not marked. When we visited there were some stakes and flags, but it looked some surveying was being done. Do not use those as trail markers.

The trail descends gradually about two tenths of a mile until you get to a small stream

There is no bridge to cross the stream so you have to hop rocks. We did not have any issue finding a place to cross. This could be difficult if we have had a lot of rain.

Once across the stream bear left. There are some blue markings on some trees to mark the trail.

The trails follows a stream for a few hundred feet before turning right for a gradual incline along some large rocks.

After a short hike, the trail descends to the top of Pulpit Falls. It was .4 miles to get to the falls.

There is a little bit of a scramble to get down to the bottom, but there is a beautiful view of the Pulpit Falls.

We did wonder if anyone ever swam in the the smalls pools around the falls.

Due to the trailhead being off a busy road, most of the trail being unmarked and a small stream crossing, it is not an easy trail to navigate. The hike is a short at only .4 miles. If you are comfortable with these things the falls is worth checking out.

If you are in the area and enjoy visiting Distilleries make sure you check out New England Sweetwater Distillery, or for a rustic brewery experience check out Outlaw Brewing.

If you are looking for another hike in the area with a view check out Mount Caesar or Honey Hill.

Gelazauskas Preserve Loop

Distance: 1.5 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Easy with some hills.

Located on Nartoff Road in Hollis, New Hampshire is the trail head to Gelazauskas Preserve, a one and a half mile moderately easy loop trail. There is a small parking lot at the trail head with a gate and a sign marking the start of Galazauskas Preserve.

The trail goes gradually down hill until you meet a split in the trail. This is where the loop starts and finishes. We went straight. After walking a few hundred feet there was another split in the trail. Make sure you bare left. We accidentally went right and it brought us to someone’s backyard. All Trails was helpful in navigating as there were no signs or trail markers.

We continued on the loop that went over a small stream and up and down some hills.

There is an incline up to an Apple Orchard. When I had heard about this trail, I read there were views of Mt. Monadnock. I figured the views would be here, but there were no views.

The trail went down another hill and over another bridge.

After a little further walk through the woods we were back at the start of the loop. It was a very pretty walk through the woods. No view points that we could find. Not a flat trail as there were some hills to go up and down. Overall I enjoyed this short hike through the woods.

Beaver Brook Old City Trail

Distance: 2/1 Mile Loop

Option for Longer Hike

Difficulty: Easy

Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, New Hampshire has a plethora of hiking trails. My husband and I have hiked many of these trails since we started dating over 20 years ago. I recently learned that on the Old City Trail there is a waterfall. If you know me, I love any type of waterfall. I was surprised that I never knew of this one.

My husband and I set out on a hiking date to find the waterfall. We parked at the Old City Trail Parking Lot on Rocky Pond Road in Hollis.

To my surprise, the waterfall was a few hundred feet from the trail head. The waterfall is part of a historic mill site. It is not big by any means, but still pretty.

We continued down Old City Trail to get in a hike. The trail was well marked and easy to follow.

The trail goes along Otter Pond and there are options to take different trails. After looking at the map we learned of another waterfall. Oh course I had to find it.

From Old City Trail we took a left onto the Bridge to Hatfield Trail, which came to a pretty little bridge over a stream with some small cascades.

We continued straight up a small hill to an outlook over Otter Pond that we had hiked by.

After enjoying the view we backtracked towards the bridge, but took a left before the bridge to check out the falls. The falls was only a few hundred feet down stream. They were small, but pretty.

We continued on the trail and found a trail that cut back across to Old City Trail. The only problem was there was a stream crossing that was a little difficult as there was no bridge and it was a little deep. We were able to make it across with the help of some downed trees.

From here we looped back to the parking lot via the Old City Trail. The loop was 2.1 miles. There are so many trails that you could spend all day hiking these woods. It was an easy hike, mostly flat and easy to navigate. I loved all the different water features on this trail. In the winter months microspikes or snowshoes may be needed for this trail.

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Peterborough Common Pathway and Old Railroad trail

Located in Peterborough, New Hampshire is The Common Pathway a multi use trail good for walking, running, biking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The trail starts at Noones Falls on Rt 202 in Peterborough where you walk along the Contoocook River.

The trail leads you through an underpass of Rt 101 and into Downtown Peterborough. If you have time to walk around Downtown Peterborough it is such a great area with lots of shops and restaurants. A couple of our favorite’s are ToadStool Book Store and Sweet Macaron.

The trail continues up Summer Street past the fire station before turning back into the woods. There is another parking area for the trail on Summer Street. This portion of the Peterborough Common Pathway goes between a paved trail and walking on the road as well as pulling away from the river.

The trail comes out at Rt 202 across from Scott Mitchell Road, the Peterborough Recycling Center and another parking area. It is 2.5 miles from the Summer Street Parking area to this one.

This is the end of the Common Pathway which is a total of 6.5 miles

The trail does continue as The Old Railroad Trail.

The trail goes through a tunnel under Rt 202 and continues past the Recycling Center. The Old Railroad Trail brings you back to walking along the Contoocook River. This section of the trail is not paved, but hard packed.

From here the trail can get narrow in places, but is still walk and bike able. The Old Railroad Trail continues up to Forest Road in Hancock for another 2.7 miles.

We have walked sections of this trail so many times since we moved to the area. It is a great place when you want to get in an easy walk without dealing with too much traffic.

New Boston Rail Trail

The New Boston Rail Trail is a four mile long rail trail starting from Hillsborough County Youth Center off of Rt 13 on Hilldale Lane to the Goffstown town line. I have passed this trail many times and loved how it went along the Piscataquog River. Today my family and stopped to check it out. We parked at Lang Station which on Gregg Mill Road, which is off Route 13. After crossing the bridge you will see an old train station building on your left and the parking area is directly after the building.

From the parking lot you can head past the trail sign which goes towards the Hillsborough County Youth Center. This part of the trail had some Christmas ornaments hanging on various trees.

We opted to walk across Gregg Mill Road and over a small foot bridge to continue on the trail that heads towards the Goffstown line.

We walked about a mile up the trail. About half of the walk we were able to follow the river.

The trail is very easy to follow. There are benches along the way if you need to take a rest.

I would love to come back and walk or bike all of the rail trail. My husband and I felt we could have cross country skied and saw evidence of people snowshoeing. Overall this is a great multi use trail that I would absolutely visit again.

While you are in the area drive to the center of Goffstown to Apotheca Flower and Tea to enjoy their cafe and adorable gift shop. Their teas and bagels are delicious.

Sewall Falls Trail

Distance: 2.5 Miles Roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy

Located on Sewall Falls Road in Concord, New Hampshire is an easy hiking trail along the Merrimack River.

I would guess this trail is multipurpose for hiking, walking, snowshoeing, biking and possibly cross country skiing. The day we visited a lot of people were walking their dogs off leash.

There is a large parking lot. We visited in January and it was not plowed very well and was very icy. The trailhead is marked by a small kiosk. Even though the trail itself is not marked, I found it very easy to follow.

The trail follows the Merrimack River most of the way providing a relaxing atmosphere.

We walked to the end of the trail, about 1.25 miles where there was an abandoned hydroplant and views of the river.

As we backtracked to the parking lot there was a side trail down to the river where I believe the falls is located. The water was very high so it was hard to tell if there was actually falls or just the site of an old dam.

The total hike was 2.5 miles of easy walking and terrain. I liked seeing the old dam and hydroplant. It was very peaceful walking along the river. If you are in the Concord area I think this trail is worth the stop.

If you are looking for breakfast, highly recommend Tucker’s on South Street in Concord, their breakfast is outstanding, especially the Maple Bourbon Bacon and breakfast bowls.

Russell Abbott State Forest Loop

Distance: 3.5 Mile Loop, option for further.

Difficulty : Easy side of moderate due to distance and short incline.

Russell Abbott State Forest is located in Mason and Wilton, New Hampshire. There are some trails that go through this forest and connect with the Greenville Mason Railtrail.

Today we explored a loop through the forest. We parked at Pratt Pond on Pratt Pond Road in Mason. We started out by walking up the dirt road towards Starch Mill Road. At the intersection, on the left, there is a small parking area and trail sign for Russell Abbott State Forest.

We walked past the gate down an old skidder road. We walked along a small stream for a short amount of time. The trail is not marked, but it was fairly easy to follow.

We did have to walk through some clear cuts, but were able to navigate through them to where the trail continued.

Once we got to the power line you can go straight or you can take a left. We went left and walked the power line, which was steep in sections, but a little less than a half mile. We came out on the Mason Greenville Rail Trail where we looped back to Pratt Pond.

This loop was 3.5 Miles with the option for longer hike if you wished. The only difficult park was walking up the power line as it was steep and the trail was soft sand. I am not sure what the trail is like if you went past the power line to the next trail that also connects to the rail trail. There was not any great views, but just a nice walk in the woods.