Mount Monadnock requires a parking reservation through NH State Parks. Book it before you leave home.
Common Pathway along the Contoocook
Starts in the Noone Falls parking lot
Easyas far as you likepaved and flat
The town's riverside path begins right in our parking lot and runs north along the Contoocook River into downtown Peterborough. Walk out as far as you like and turn around, or take it all the way to Depot Square for lunch.
Guests love the easy loop from the front door. The paved section is plowed in winter.
Fremont Trail
Old Jaffrey Road, half a mile from Noone Falls
Easy2 mi out and back
Open fields and forest with lots of birds and wildlife, a few minutes from the mill.
Park off the pavement near mailbox #100.
Shieling State Forest
Old Street Road, Peterborough
Easyshort loops
Gentle loop trails past a wildflower garden, old granite quarry and brickyard remains, and huge glacial boulders.
Wheeler Trail
Route 101, 0.7 mi east of the 101/202 lights
Easyshort loop
A quiet loop near downtown through mature forest along Wallace Brook, with a spur to a pond and an old-growth white pine.
Cunningham Pond Conservation Area
Cunningham Pond Road, Peterborough
Easyloops under a mile
Woodland and hayfield trails with pond and mountain views, opened by the Monadnock Conservancy in 2020.
Evans Flats Trail
End of Evans Road, off Elm Street
Easy1.6 mi loop
A mostly forested loop through the Nubanusit Brook lowlands, with old farm history along the way.
Wear waterproof shoes; it can be muddy.
Pack Monadnock, Miller State Park
Miller State Park, Route 101, Peterborough
Moderateabout 3 mi round trip
New Hampshire's oldest state park, about 10 minutes away. Climb to the summit fire tower for a view straight across to Mount Monadnock. In season you can also drive the summit road.
In September, hawk watchers count thousands of migrating raptors from the summit.
Cranberry Meadow and Raymond Trails
Old Street Road to East Mountain Road
Moderate4.5 mi town to summit
Link the Cranberry Meadow Bog Trail with the Raymond Trail for a town-to-summit hike up the west side of Pack Monadnock, through wetland and hemlock forest.
Stay on the trail: it crosses private land.
Mount Monadnock: White Dot and White Cross loop
Monadnock State Park, Jaffrey
Strenuous3.9 mi loop1,843 ft
One of the most climbed mountains in the world, with a bare granite summit and views across New England on a clear day. About 25 minutes from the loft.
Parking reservations are required at the state park headquarters. Book online ahead of time, start early, and skip the steep Chute section when it's wet.
Edward MacDowell Lake
Peterborough (US Army Corps of Engineers)
Easytrails and fields
Over 1,100 acres of trails, fields and water just west of town, with picnicking, fishing and paddling.