Walking and Hiking
Dartmouth is a lovely setting for walking and hiking
7 listings
Hanover, NH
Mink Brook Nature Preserve
11 Brook Road 603-643-3433Mink Brook Nature Preserve, just south of Hanover and managed by the Hanover conservancy, is a 100-acre nature preserve of white pine and hemlock, and the home of brook trout, bears, and lots of flora. The property has two brooks: Trout Brook, which winds northward to join Mink Brook, and Mink Brook, a tributary of the Connecticut River. Two trails offer a variety of walking terrain.
The easier Quinn Trail is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. It runs along the north side of the brook and connects trails west of Route 10 with Route 120. Grades are gentle with a few moderate slopes.
The Wheelock Trail heads east to Buck Road on a sometimes narrow, rocky path, and west to Route 10. The red-blazed Indian Ridge Trail and orange-blazed Sachem Connector Trail lead south into Lebanon and can be difficult to follow after leaving the preserve.
Leashed dogs are allowed; please clean up after your dog. Fishing is permitted; trapping, hunting, and fires are not allowed.
Hanover, NH
Greensboro Ridge Natural Area
Velvet Rocks 603-643-3433This 113-acre preserve crosses a beautiful landscape as it climbs up the ridge and connects with the Appalachian Trail near Velvet Rocks. Guide.
To get here: From the intersection of Route 120 and Greensboro Road, turn onto Greensboro Road. In 0.4 miles, turn left onto Velvet Rocks Drive. Continue to the trailhead parking area at the top of the road. Please respect the privacy of the residential community on your way to and from the natural area. No overnight parking is permitted at the trailhead.
Trails:
Greensboro Ridge offers an invigorating hour-long hike on a 1.5-mile loop through a classic rocky New England forest. Oli’s Eagle Trail (0.5 miles, foot travel only), connects to the Appalachian Trail in a 20-minute hike, traversing moderate terrain. Sections of the trail pass over ledges and boulders.
The Greensboro Highlands Trail (0.6 miles) meanders past dramatic mossy rock faces and more. Vertical gain is about 300 feet. The trail is for foot travel only.
The Silent Brook Trail (0.4 miles), where mountain biking is permitted in addition to hiking, connects the Silent Brook and Velvet Rocks neighborhoods and links the Greensboro Highlands Trail with Oli’s Trail. Dogs are permitted if under their owners’ control; please pick up after your pet. Hunting is permitted in season. Trail map.
Hanover, NH
River Trail at the Mink Brook Natural Area
Route 10 603-643-0708The Mink Brook Natural Area, just south of downtown Hanover, includes a gentle, one-mile river trail that follows Mink Brook, Hanover’s largest stream, to its confluence with the Connecticut River.. The trail is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. The scenic area offers easy strolling and excellent birding, especially for waterfowl. Leashed dogs are allowed; please clean up after your dog. Foot travel only. The natural areas is managed by the Hanover Conservation Commission.
To get here: from downtown Hanover, drive south on Route 10 to the bottom of the hill. Turn right into a small parking area near an electric substation just before Route 10 crosses a bridge over Mink Brook.
Newbury, NH
Mount Sunapee State Park
86 Beach Access Road 603-763-5561Year-round outdoor fun with lake and camping; near downhill ski resort
Mount Sunapee State Park has year-round activities for outdoor recreation, including hiking. Hiking map. See full description of Mount Sunapee State Park.
Wilmot, NH
Winslow State Park
475 Kearsarge Valley Road 603-526-6168Winslow State Park is on the northwest slope of Mount Kearsarge. The picnic area is on a high plateau with outstanding views of the White Mountains and the peaks of Vermont peaks. A one-mile foot trail leads from the picnic area to the summit of Moutt Kearsarge. A two-mile trail offers a loop walk
Hanover, NH
Hanover and Dartmouth College
A sweet walk through a New England college town, including a short trip around a recreational pond, is yours in the center of Hanover, home to Dartmouth College. You are surrounded by both traditional and modern college building and sites, among with stores and eateries that serve the student community.
From Dartmouth Green, which is bracketed by North Main Street, East Wheelock Street and College Street, walk northward on Main Street and take a left onto Webster Street, moving through the frat house neighborhood and past the college president's house. Turn right onto Occom Ridge and pass between Occom Pond and the Connecticut River. At the end of Occom Ridge, a right turn onto Hilton Field Road and another right onto Rope Ferry Road will return you North Main Street and the center of town.
Warner, NH
Rollins State Park
1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road 603-456-3808Rollins State Park is on the south slope of Mount Kearsarge. A three-mile scenic auto road rises from the park entrance through woodlands to the parking and picnic areas. The picnic area has views from Mount Monadnock to the state’s coastal plain. A one-half mile trail to the summit of Mount Kearsarge leaves from the picnic area.