Mount Tecumseh

Distance: 5.5 Miles Round Trip

Difficulty: Hard

One of my goals for 2026 is to complete two New Hampshire 4,000 footers. Last year I did my first two 4,000 footers and had a blast. My daughter had a field hockey game up north and we brought our hiking gear just in case.

After doing a little research I found that Mount Tecumseh was one of the shorter 4,000 footers. With limited time thought this would be a good one to try. There are two trailheads. One off of Tripoli Road near Waterville Valley and another near the ski area of Waterville Valley. We started at the trailhead in Waterville Valley. Since it is in a ski area there is plenty of parking. I am not sure what the parking situation is during the winter months.

The first mile of the hike is a gradual incline with two stream crossings. One stream was completely dry, another had a little bit of water in it. The trail was easy to follow due to the well warn path. About a mile up is a lookout over the ski slopes of Waterville Valley.

For the next one and a half miles to the summit, it is steady uphill over small rocks and rock stairs. I have seen Mount Tecumseh called the stair master 4000 and I can see why. The stairs provide quite the workout.

After a fairly steep climb you reach the summit of Mount Tecumseh. The view point was a little disappointing as it is a little overgrown with trees, but there are some beautiful views.

We spent a few minutes enjoying a snack and the views before heading back down the trail.

There is a little loop from the summit before heading back down the trail. I have to admit the stairs on the way down were nice compared to walking down through rocks and roots.

It took us about two hours to hike up and about a little less than an hour and half to hike down. Since we started around 4pm it was almost dark by the time we got back to the parking lot. I was thankful we had a flashlight. This was my third 4,000 footer and my husbands fourth. This was the first one we did together.

Overall, it was a good option if you do not have a lot of time. The views are not great, but you get glimpses of the other White Mountains. The stairs were nice especially when coming down. I am glad to have gotten another 4,000 footer under my belt.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Livermore Falls State Park

Located at 86 Livermore Road in Holderness, NH is a fun state park with a picnic area, small beach, river for floating, a variety of rocks for jumping, a rope swing and if you are able to swim up to it, a waterfall.

Reservations are highly recommended as the parking lot is small and my guess is it can fill up quickly on holiday’s and weekends. For $5 it is worth the small fee. In the parking area is a gate that is staffed by park rangers, a clean outhouse and a dumpster. Near the gatehouse is a wide downhill path to the Pemigewassett River. There are a few picnic tables and grills. A small beach area with calm water to float, play and swim in.

The highlight of Livermore Falls is the cliff jumping and rope swing for adventure seekers. To get to the cliffs either have to bush wack/rock climb the edge of the river or swim up to them. My daughter and I swam up. My husband had a float and floated up and hung out by the rocks while my daughter and I jumped the various cliffs. There are cliffs from just a couple feet high up to several feet high. We were not daring enough to do the highest ones, but did the medium height cliffs. We did not try the rope swing, but saw many doing it. Not something I was comfortable doing.

I swam further upstream to get a glimpse of Livermore Falls.

It was fun to ride the current back down to the cliff jumping area. We spent 2-3 hours swimming, riding the current and cliff jumping. We visited on a Monday afternoon and it was not too busy. While I was cliff jumping and swimming in the current it reminded of my childhood and teenage years at Guantlet Falls in Maine.

After our water play we were hungry and stopped at The Pemi Burger Bar in Ashland. It was very busy due to it being build your own burger night starting at $5. Staff were a little overwhelmed with the amount of people. We had burgers and salad, we enjoyed our meals. The only downfall was how loud it was in the restaurant. If were were to return we would try to go in off hours due to the poor acoustics.

Bun-less Green Chili Burger.

Overall we had a great afternoon playing in the water and eating some yummy food.

Georgiana and Harvard Falls

Mileage: 2.4 Miles Roundtrip

Difficulty: Hard side of Moderate

I love to save places to visit around New England. I have been following photos of Georgiana and Harvard Falls for a few years now. I recently did the hike and dipped in the swimming holes and it was amazing. Below is information on the hike and swimming holes.

Located on Georgiana Falls Road in Lincoln, New Hampshire is the trailhead for Georgiana and Harvard Falls. There is a small parking lot, you can also park on the side of the road as long as you are not blocking a driveway.

The trail starts past the gate, there is a small sign marking the trailhead.

Follow the trail that goes under the highway. After going under the highway bear right to stay on the falls trail. We saw some people going straight, my guess is there is a swimming hole, but we did not check it out.

The trail is fairly flat for the first half mile and follows a beautiful stream. Before you get to Georgiana Falls you come to a steep rocky area. At some points I had to use my hands to help get over the rocks.

Around .8 miles you reach Georgiana Falls. Which are stunning.

This is also a good spot to take a dip in the refreshing mountain water.

If you are able, I highly recommend hiking the .4 miles up to Harvard Falls. This hike is not well marked and very steep with rocks and roots. It was not an easy climb, but so worth it. Harvard Falls is gorgeous.

Continue the climb up the side of the falls to the top where there is an amazing swimming hole with some views of the White Mountains.

My husband and I spent over an hour enjoying this pool. Surprisingly it was not too cold.

It was a total of 1.2 miles up to this pool. I am not sure if the trail goes any further. We visited on the afternoon of July 4th and it was not too busy. My guess is it can be busy, especially the lower pools that are easier to get too.

Overall, I loved this hike. I love a good waterfall/swimming hole that is not easy to get too and this is a good one. I would say the hike is on the harder side of moderate. Since it is not well marked between the two falls you need to know how to navigate the trail. We also found little to no cell phone service on this trail. The hike was a total of 2.4 miles. I did wish I had my small microfiber towel on us for a quick dry off.

After the hike and swim we had dinner at Twin Barns Brewing in Lincoln for some delicious barbecue.

After dinner we took a drive along the Kancamagus Highway and took a dip in the Swift River, which was surprisingly colder than the falls.

We ended the day with a breathtaking sunset.

Overall, it was a spectacular day trip to Lincoln, New Hampshire.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Willard Brook State Forest

Distance: 2 miles, with options for more

Difficulty: Easy Side of Moderate

Fee to use state forest

Located in Townsend and Ashby, Massachusetts is Willard Brook State Forest. This state forest offers an array of outdoor activities from camping, fishing, hiking and swimming. There are a few different areas to Willard State Forest so I highly recommend you check out their map.

I recently did some hiking at the Damon Pond section of the state forest. Located on Townsend Road/Route 119 in Ashby is the entrance to Damon Pond. There is a fee to enter.

At the entrance is a large parking lot with an a small building hosting a nature center. On one side of the entrance is Damon Pond, which is used for fishing, picnicking and swimming.

On the other side was more picnic tables, a dam and a covered bridge marking the start of the hiking trails.

I started by walking across the covered bridge to hike the Brook Trail.

The Brook Trail follows Willard Brook along a well marked trail. Follow the blue blazes for a beautiful stream walk. There are a few different pools where it looks like you can dip your feet or sit on the rocks to enjoy the water. The water looked clean, but I am not sure the quality of it.

I visited in mid June and the Mt. Laurel were in bloom and just stunning. Photos do not do justice to these beautiful flowers. The trail had an abundance of them.

About three quarters of the way down the trail is an incline that veers away from Willard Brook giving you a little workout.

Follow this trail to the end where you will come to a dirt road. It is a little over a mile to the road. You can either turn around to head back to Damon Pond or walk down the road and cross Route 119 to Trap Falls. I chose to turn around as I have visited the falls on several occasions. I really enjoyed the various views of Willard Brook on my hike back.

There are a couple intersections that go to different trails within the forest. I have not explored those trails yet. The round trip hike was a little over 2 miles where most of the trail was flat expect the incline towards the end. The only downside of the trail is that on the other side of Willard Brook is Townsend Road/Route 119 which is a busy road, so I was constantly hearing cars driving by. Other than traffic noise, I loved the flowing water and the abundance of beautiful Mt. Laurel. I also want to picnic near the dam and foot bridge. I cannot wait to return to explore more of this state forest. While you are in the area check out Three Bridges Trail, also part of Willard State Forest.

Three Bridges Trail

Distance: 1.1 Miles Oneway

Difficulty: Easy

Dogs allowed on leash

I hate when I have driven by a trailhead so many times and did not know it was there. That is what happened with the Three Bridges Trail in Ashby, Massachusetts. Located at the intersection of Route 119 and Route 31 is a 2.1 mile out and back trail that follows Willard Brook.

There is a small parking area at the trail head. There is a gate and a sign marking this is part of Willard Brook Forest. It looks like there is a trail off to the right, but stay on the road. The road is fairly flat and even, with a couple washouts and rocky areas.

You can see Willard Brook off and on throughout the hike. As in the trail name, there are three bridges along the path. The first one is a cobble stone bridge. On either side you can get down to the water. It looks like people can dip their toes here and maybe get wet up to your waist. The water looked fairly clean.

The Second bridge also provides access to the water and I saw families enjoying the rocks and water here.

The third bridge is close to the end of the trail. This bridge did not looks like a good place to get in the water like the other two bridges.

After another tenth of a mile you come to the end of the trail and another small parking area off of Valley Road. It was 1.1 miles from end to end. It was fairly flat with a gradual incline.

I turned around and ran the trail back. It was perfect for a little trail run. I loved how most of the trail followed Willard Brook and there were opportunities to get your feet wet or your dog to get a little swim at the bridges or some side trails down to the water. While you are in the area make sure you check out Trapp Falls.

Grassy Pond

Grassy Pond is located on Grassy Pond Road in Rindge, New Hampshire is a great little pond for a paddle. There is a decent size sandy boat launch area with parking along the dirt road. There appeared to be another parking area a little further down, but I did not walk down to check it out.

From the pond we got a glimpse of Mount Monadnock.

We paddled around the edge of the pond enjoying a large number of lily pads and looking for wildlife. We saw a lot of fish jumping and a momma loon and her babies. I did not get close enough for a picture as I did not want to disturb her. I was hoping to see a turtle, but no such luck.

There are only a couple houses on Grassy Pond providing a great connection with nature. We paddled for about 45 minutes. There were other kayakers fishing and enjoying the beautiful day. I am not sure this is a pond I would swim in due to the amount of vegetation in the water and the bottom looked a little mucky. I am also not sure if motors are allowed on the pond as there was a sign saying no personal water crafts at the parking area. Overall, with the easy launch area and relaxing atmosphere I would absolutely come back to visit again.

To or from Grassy Pond make sure you stop at Ark Coffee for a delicious drink and swing into Catherdral of the Pines for stunning views of Mount Monadnock, if you can catch it at sunset it is an added bonus.

Cowdrey Conservation Area

Distance: Varies, we did a little over 2 mile loop, but options for more or less

Difficulty: Easy

Multipurpose Trai

Located in Lunenburg, Massachusetts is a beautiful conservation area with hiking trails through the woods, along a stream and a marsh. There are two parking areas. One on Mulpus Road and another on Massachusetts Ave/Route 2A both in Lunenburg. We parked at the Massachusetts Ave parking area. There is room for about four cars. There is a kiosk marking the parking lot with a trail map.

We started out bearing right following the path down to a bridge that crosses Mulpus Brook.

After crossing the bridge we took a left to follow the brook coming to another bridge that headed back to the parking lot. We did not cross the bridge, we continued the trail along the edge of the brook that turned into an open marsh.

The trail looped away from the water into the woods. There are a few different trails throughout Cowdrey Conservation Area, but the intersections were well marked with trail maps.

We continued through the forest, walking over a couple small bridges.

We looped back to the initial bridge and back to the parking lot. The loop was a little over two miles. We saw other people hiking and biking. In the winter I am guessing this is also a good place to snowshoe and possibly cross country ski. The trails were easy to follow, relatively flat and we enjoyed the water views. Another hiker told us they have seen otters, beaver and a variety of birds while on these trails. I would absolutely hike Cowdrey Conservation Area again.

Kings Cross Outlook

Distance: 2 Miles Roundtrip, options for longer

Difficulty: Easy side of Moderate with steady incline

Located in Townsend State Forest in Townsend, Massachusetts is King’s Cross Outlook. A rocky ledge outcropping with a tall cross. I have tried to find this cross a few times, but have not been successful. You can see the cross when you are driving on Mason Road in Townsend towards the New Hampshire border. I keep telling myself I need to find it. After some research I finally found it. We parked on Old Turnpike Road in Townsend across from Bridal Path Road. There is a small parking area for 2-3 cars. Make sure you do not block the gate.

We walked past the gate on an old road. We walked about a half mile before we took a right up a steady incline. The trails are not marked, but are pretty easy to follow.

The trail was a steady incline meandering through the woods. After another quarter of a mile we took a left and could see the outlook. After walking a few more hundred feet we could see the ledges with the large cross on it.

This looks like a popular hangout spot with lights, a generator and fire pit. With it only being a mile to the cross it is a quick hike with a little workout due to the inclines.

I did follow All Trails App and Google Maps to ensure I was going the right way. As there are several trails throughout Townsend State Forest. Below is my All Trails route.

Overall, I loved this hike and would absolutely return. Townsend State Forest has a large number of trails, so there is a lot of explore and you can make your hike as long or as short as you wish. I am glad I finally found King’s Cross.

The North Central Pathway Winchendon Link

There are three sections of the North Central Pathway. For a total of 11 miles of trails. In Gardner, Massachusetts the section begins at the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink near Crystal Lake and goes behind Heywood Hospital. The path then picks up off Green Street where it goes down an old railroad bed into Winchendon.

Another section is Southeast of Winchendon where the trail goes from Old Gardner Road through woodlands to Gardner's north end near the Perley Brook Reservoir. I have not done either section of this trail.

We recently checked out the northernmost section which travels across Winchendon from Summer Street to N. Ashburnham Road, connecting users to Whitney Pond and the Clark Memorial Community Center. We parked in a parking lot off of Glenallen Street in Winchendon near Route 12. There is a kiosk with a map of the Pathway.

We walked the paved path along Whitney Pond. The path was beautiful.

The trail follows the pond and comes to a bridge, an old mill building and the Clark YMCA. From the Parking lot to Central Street was about .8 miles.

We turned around at Central Street to head back to the parking lot. We saw a decent amount of people walking, biking and fishing. The trail was well maintained and free of trash. We found our walk peaceful and would absolutely return to explore more sections of this trail.

Decathlon Hiking Gear

As a travel and outdoor blogger I am approached frequently to become an affiliate, test items or to help promote various items. I am always careful about who I agree to work with as the company’s products have to be something I would use and enjoy along with needing to support their mission. When Decathlon reached out to me asking for me to consider trying their products and willing to send me some samples I quickly agreed to try out some of their samples as I have admired them from afar.

Decathlon’s mission is “ we believe in making sports accessible to everyone, everywhere. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, our innovative gear and expert advice help you push boundaries and embrace adventure.”

When I agreed to try out a sample of their product I figured they were going to send me a shirt to try. When I got a box in the mail I was shocked and excited at what they sent me. With having a planned trip to hike my first two 4,000 Footers in The White Mountains of New Hampshire it was a perfect time to test out the gear I was sent.

The Simond Women’s MT500 Long Sleeve 100% Merino Wool Shirt is such a great shirt for hiking. It is lightweight, comfortable and moisture wicking. It was the perfect shirt for my long hike in the White Mountains. I have also used this shirt for other outdoor activities like snowshoeing and running and it has quickly become one of my favorites for outdoor activities.

The Simond Women’s MT100 Hooded Puffer Jacket has been used for many different activities from long hikes, to snowshoeing and standing on the side lines of my daughters sporting events. This lightweight jacket is comfortable and keeps me warm no matter what activity I am doing. I also light that it easily fit in my pack and was compatible.

The Forclaz Travel 500 Organizer 40 L Backpack I have only used once for a quick overnight. It easily fit everything I needed for a night away. It was comfortable to carry and appears durable. I am looking forward to using the backpack more on our adventures.

Overall, I have really enjoyed the items that Decathlon as sent me. They have been super easy to work with. I even had to make some returns on items that did not fit and it was a seamless process. I will continue to support Decathlon’s products and their mission.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: Varies

Located on Shirley Road in Townsend Massachusetts is the trailhead for Squannacook River Wildlife Management Area. There is a small parking lot, fitting two to three cars, a gate across the trailhead and a kiosk. I believe there are other trailheads as this is a fairly large trail system, but we did not check them out.

We visited during the winter months. Microspikes were needed due to ice on the trail. There are a variety of trails in this wildlife area. They are well marked, but I did not see any trail maps at the kiosk. These trails can be used for hiking, trail running, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. We did a two mile loop.

We meandered through the woods, which was beautiful.

We walked along the river, where we saw a variety of birds.

It was very relaxing walking through these trails. There are several trails to explore. I could not find an official map, but All Trails had some of the trails on their site. I would absolutely return to explore these trails further.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Tucker Mountain

Distance: 3 Miles Loop

Difficulty: Easy side of Moderate

Located on Tucker Mountain Road in Newbury, Vermont is the trailhead to Tucker Mountain. There is a good size parking lot and kiosk off Tucker Mountain Road. At the trailhead parking area was an interpretive trail that goes towards some wetlands. We did not check this trail out.

From the parking lot we walked up Tucker Mountain Road until we got to a sign for the Upper Putnam Trail

We followed the Upper Putman Trail up a gentle incline. With there being no leaves on the trees we got a nice view towards the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

After hiking a little further we came to a large clearing with a road and fire pit. With 365 degree views of the White Mountains and Vermont Mountains. To get up here with a vehicle it has to be 4 wheel drive and have high ground clearance.

We walked the road to a couple different spots that had signs naming the mountains we could see. The views were stunning.

We walked the road back down to the trail head, which was a fairly easy walk with one section that was a little rocky. The total hike was a little over three miles. I really loved this hike. It was not too difficult and had some amazing views from the top. I read that in the summer there are wildflowers in the fields at the top, which I would love to see.

Wright’s Mountain

Distance: 3.75, options for more or less

Difficulty: Easy Side of Moderate

Located in Bradford, Vermont is Wright’s Mountain. There are a few different trails to hike to the summit. We hiked Wright’s Mountain from the Chase Summit Trailhead on Chase Hollow Road. There are two other trailheads you can access the trails from. At the Chase Hollow Trailhead was a small parking lot, an outhouse and a kiosk. The trail was well marked with signs and trail blazes, which was good with the variety of trails around the mountain. There is a trail map that I found helpful.

There are benches scattered along different sections of the trail.

We followed the Chase Hollow Trail through the woods. There was some incline. We came to the first lookout viewpoint.

We continued on the Chase Hollow Trail until we came to the Wright’s Mountain Trail that took a left. There was a section of the trail that had a rope to help you get up a semi steep rocky section.

We continued up the trail until we reached a rock outcropping with a shelter cabin. The views were stunning.

This is the primary viewpoint of the hike. From here we continued on Wrights Mountain Trail to Sylvia’s Trail which connected back to the Chase Hollow Trail. We took the Chase Hollow Trail back to the parking lot. The total loop was 3.75 Miles. We really enjoyed this hike. It was just the right amount of incline and the views were amazing. I would go back and explore more of these trails again.

Waits River Falls

Located on Route 5 in downtown Bradford, Vermont is a roadside waterfall that is worth the stop if you are in the area. Waits River Falls is located on Waits River and flows through a dam and then over a tall set of ledges. With this beautiful waterfall located in downtown Bradford it is easy to access.

There is a small parking lot with access to a park and some picnic tables. You can also view this waterfall from the road as you are driving by if you do not want to stop. Depending on time of year and what they are doing with the dam we saw the falls flowing pretty well one day, then the next day not a lot of water going over the falls. There is no guarantee that the falls will be flowing when you visit.

There is a lot a little downtown here with some shops and restaurants for exploring if you have some extra time.

Earl Legacy Park

Distance: We did a 2 mile loop, options for more or less.

Difficulty: Easy

Located on New Boston Road in Bedford, New Hampshire is Earl Legacy Park. This is a multipurpose park with various sports fields, skate park, hiking trails and in the winter months a warming hut, groomed cross country ski trails and snowshoe trails. I high recommend checking out the trail map.

We visited on a November afternoon to explore the hiking trails. We parked near the baseball field and walked the Soccer Trail Connector to the Brook Trail.

From the Brook Trail we crossed the bridge to the Powder Hill Loop Trail. This trail had some elevation gain. The trail was easy to walk and well marked.

We looped around the Powder Hill Trail back to the Brook Trail. Then wandered some of the other trails until we got back to the parking lot.

We were impressed by the condition of the trails. They were well maintained. There were maps at some of the intersections. In the winter this is a cross country ski club and I would love to come back and check out their groomed cross country ski trails.

If you are hungry after your hike, I highly recommend checking out Gusto Italiano Market. Their pizza is amazing, has an adorable atmosphere and friendly staff.

Howard Park

Distance: 2 miles, but more or less options

Difficulty: Easy

Located in Townsend, Massachusetts is Howard Park, which has fairly flat walking trails throughout the woods and along with Squannacook River.

There are two options to access the trails. You can park at Hawthorne Middle School off of Brookline Road or at the end of Howard Street. We parked in the small parking lot at the end of Howard Street. When driving down Howard Street it looks like you are driving down someone’s driveway. If I were to visit these trails again I would park at the Middle School.

At the Howard Street trail head there is a kiosk with a trail map.

The trail starts out with a short walk before crossing a bridge.

After the bridge we took a left and walked along the river. We saw over 20 Mallards on one section of the river. I really enjoyed walking the path along the Squannacook River

A little further up the river there was a little ledge outcropping that was kind of fun to stand on.

We continued on into the woods before looping back to the Howard Road Trailhead. We hiked about 2.25 miles. There were a few intersections of trails that were not always well marked and I had to pull up All Trails for their map. Overall, my husband and I enjoyed our walk through these fairly flat trails and would absolutely return for a hike or trail run.

Van Loan Preserve

Distance 1.75 Miles, options for more or less

Difficulty: Easy

Dogs allowed on Leash

We recently had some time to kill in Bedford. After picking up our favorite drinks from Flight Coffee we looked for a short hike. Thanks to Alltrails I found Van Loan Preserve Trail. Located off Wallace Road in Bedford is Benedictine Park. This is were you park. From here walk back down the entrance of the parking lot to Wallace Road. Cross Wallace Road to where the trail starts for Van Loan Preserve.

The trail starts out following some rock walls before heading into the woods.

A after a couple minutes walk there is a side trail marked to a dam. It was worth the short walk to check it out.

We walked back out to the main trail and crossed a fun little bridge.

There are options for different loops and side trails. The trails were well marked with signs and a few maps.

We walked out to checkout Genes View, a viewpoint overlooking a marsh.

Then we looped back to the parking lot via Anna and Pic Loop and the Van Loan Trail. We walked a total of 1.75 miles and really enjoyed the easy relaxing loop through the woods and would walk this trail again.

Hiking Mount Pierce and Mount Eisenhower

New Hampshire 4,000 footer mountains are made up of 48 mountains that are all over 4,000 feet in elevation. There is a popular challenge to complete all 48 of these summits. I have lived in New Hampshire for over 20 years and even though I have admired these mountains from afar, I have never hiked any of them. A friend was talking about wanting to hike her first one and I agreed to join her.

After a lot of research and talking with others who have hiked the 4,000 footers we decided Mount Pierce would be our first hike with the option of doing Eisenhower as our second 4,000 footer if we were up for it. Since the trailhead was over three hours from our houses my friend booked us a room at Hampton Inn, in Littleton. The hotel was perfect for an overnight and only about 30 minutes from the trailhead.

We were up early the next morning to be at the trailhead for Mount Pierce at 6am. The trailhead is located across from the AMC Highland Center on Route 302. You can park at the center for a $10 fee. Since we were at the trailhead at 6am we found plenty of parking along the road for no fee.

To hike up Mount Pierce we took the Crawford Path, which is the oldest, continuously maintained, hiking path in America.

The trail starts out following Gibbs Brook. There is a small bridge with a waterfall near the beginning of the trail. A little further up is a very short side trail to Gibbs falls. Since it was dark, we checked out the waterfalls on the way back.

The trail was very rocky and with a steady incline up. My friend and I both felt that between mile one and two was the most difficult of this trail. The majority of the trail is in the trees, with not much views. A little over three miles up we come to a stunning view overlooking the White Mountains. There was a bench to sit and enjoy the view.

There is a trail behind the bench that goes to the summit of Mt. Pierce, which is less than a half mile up, but there was not much of a view due to the trees.

After a snack of some jerky we decided to make the trek to Mount Eisenhower. We had mixed information on how far it was to the summit from Mt. Pierce and by looking at the mountains were were not sure which one we were heading to, but we decided to try it anyway. The trail started out fairly flat for about a mile meandering in and out of the tree line with some amazing views.

The last half mile of the hike was straight up and not easy. I felt like it took us forever.

Once at the top of Mt. Eisenhower we had 365 degree views of the White Mountains with Mt. Washington being the next mountain over. It took us about three and half hours and 4.8 miles to get to the summit of Mt Eisenhower.

We were shocked that we did not see anyone until we got to the second summit. Supposedly Mt. Pierce is one of the most climbed 4,000 footers. After enjoying some snacks, water and views we headed back down the mountains. The hike down Mt Eisenhower was slow due to how steep it was. In between the two mountains was not bad. We started seeing more people as we were headed back down. Heading down Pierce was not easy as you had to watch your footing with all the small rocks on the trail. Due to my short legs, sometimes getting down the rocks was not easy. We made it back to the car around 1:30pm after a total of a little over 9 and a half miles.

After the hike we reflected on what we brought with us. I had two Yeti Bottles of water and could have used one more. I had a little too much food. We also packed winter items. Decathlon had sent me an amazing Hooded Puffer Jacket which was perfect for the wind on the top of Mt. Eisenhower.

They also sent me a long sleeve Merino Wool Shirt that was perfect for the hike. It wicked the sweat away from my skin and kept me warm during the hike. I did not feel wet from sweat at all.

We were glad we did not wear our fleece lined leggings. We also had a first aid kit, Bivvy Blanket, fire starting tools and a portable phone charger.

Overall it was such an amazing day. We could not have asked for a more perfect day with views for miles to hike our first two 4,000 footer mountains. We were lucky that we did not see a lot of people. We planned accordingly thanks to friends and research. We are already talking about what our next one will be.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small amount of compensation at no cost to you.

Bedrock Gardens

Located on High Road in Lee, New Hampshire is Bedrock Gardens. This is a beautiful and relaxing garden to spend a couple hours. Upon arrival you are greeted with an outdoor space to check in, restrooms and gift and garden shops. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There was a $15 per person charge to get in. We were given a map and educational information on the gardens. They do offer group or private tours that you can sign up for in advance if you wish. We chose to explore on our own.

You start your garden adventure by going under the acrobats sculpture.

From here you start exploring various paths around the garden. I was surprised at the amount of sculptures around the grounds. We really enjoyed finding them throughout the grounds.

There is also a few different water features around the gardens from fountains, a wiggle waggle, babbling brooks with small waterfalls and a pond.

There are several seats of different varieties around the gardens if you wish to stop and enjoy the scenery.

There are also a variety of gardens with different plants and flowers, a pond that we could see fish in, a fairy garden, a small tea house and walking paths. We spent almost two hours exploring the grounds. Bedrock Gardens has been on my to visit list for a while and I am so glad we finally got time to go. If you are in the Lee area it is worth the stop.

Bonner Falls

Distance: 1.9 Mile Loop

Difficulty: Easy with a couple small inclines

I have been hearing about a waterfall on North Pack Monadnock and wanted to check it out, but never got around to it or kept forgetting about it. We had a free afternoon and my husband recommended we try to find it.

The trailhead to Bonner Falls is located on Ted and Carolyn’s Trail off of Mountain Road in Greenfield, New Hampshire. There is a small parking lot and ability to park along the road side. The trailhead is across the street from the trailhead and marked with a trail map.

We followed the trail through the forest and over some bridges.

We hiked until we came to a sign for the split in the trail of Ted and Carolyns Trail. Ted’s Trail went left and Carolyn’s Trail went right. We went left on Ted’s Trail.

The trail was easy to follow with yellow trail makers. The hike was a little over a mile walk through the woods with some ups and downs. When we arrived at Bonner Falls there was a little rock scramble to get to the waterfall, which was kind of fun. Unfortunately the falls were dried up.

We looped back to Carolyn’s trail then headed back to the trailhead. The total loop hike was about 1.9 miles. The trail was fairly flat with some ups and downs, but nothing too difficult. I want to go back and see the waterfall after we have had some rain.