Distance: 3 Miles but options for shorter or longer
Difficulty: Easy
I love exploring trails that have some history to them. Located on Federal Hill Road in Milford is Monson Village a step back in time.
From the Forest Society’s Website,
“Monson Center is considered by leading archeologists to be one of the most significant archeological sites in New England. Many of the original foundations of the homes that were built in this late 1700s village are preserved.
Visiting Monson Center, a historic gem, is literally a breath of fresh air, and a step back in time. This small portion of history is off the beaten path, but once you find it, you will never forget.”
The parking lot is located on Federal Hill Road on the Milford/Hollis Line. There is only room for less than 10 cars so if you are going with a group please plan accordingly. When you leave the parking lot to walk down an old road to a kiosk with trail information and then you walk into a field with various bird houses. When you reach the house there is a box with trail maps and I highly recommend picking one up as the trails are not well marked. This is where you you have the option to go straight past the house or take a left into the field.
We went straight and were able to loop around the outer trails while exploring various cellar holes and stone walls. There are some plaques that mark where old home were dating back to the 1700’s,
I heard there is a view point, but I was not able to find it. We did get the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful bog that still had some fall colors. My guess is that there are also various birds that visit here due to the nests in the trees.
We looped back around to view more cellar holes and popped out at the field. We did about 3 miles through the trails. There are other trails for a longer or shorter hike.
This hike is as easy hike, great for kids and families. I would saw a little difficult to navigate, I use the All Trails app and the map to figure out the loop I wanted to take. We saw a lot of people walking their dogs through the trails. This is a perfect destination for those looking for some New Hampshire history all while enjoying the great outdoors.
