Ranger Rachel here with another alternative to summiting the steep and often slippery slopes of Mount Monadnock. In July, I covered a family-friendly loop on the lower elevations of the 3,165 foot-tall mountain. For this walk, the trails will lead you further from the most popular trails but will not disappoint in natural wonders as well […]
Tag: hike
Lonesome Lake Trail: A guide to one of Franconia Notch State Park’s most cherished hikes
Lonesome Lake Trail can be accessed through the south parking lot of Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia Notch State Park. The trail is very well marked by trail signs and faithful yellow blazes. Although this trail does go through the campground – it’s not a leisurely stroll through the park. This moderate, family-friendly hike is […]
Monadnock Walks: Alternatives to Summiting
Mount Monadnock is known for its summit: the bare schist boulders and breathtaking 360 views that reach to Boston. To get to the summit, however, can be a daunting task. A minimum four-mile trek with boulders, smoothed rock, and steep scrambles might be too challenging of a hike for some visitors – especially on rainy […]
Start with Parks: Lessons from the Trail
01.20.15 “I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news.”- John Muir For the fourth consecutive year, New Hampshire State Parks hosted “First Day […]
Mountains and Everything In Between
Franconia Notch State Park, located between the Franconia and Kinsman mountain ranges, is an easily accessible park with a wide range of attractions. Saved by a 1927 campaign by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Franconia Notch protects over 6,000 acres of wilderness and was once home to the iconic Old Man […]
History with a View: Weeks State Park
Weeks State Park in Lancaster, NH is a little park with a lot of great attractions, and a lot of history. The park sits atop Mount Prospect and includes several hiking trails as well as a 1.5 mile scenic auto road up the mountain with some great views on the way. On the top of […]
Home of Great Spirit
“I see the stanzas rise around me, verse upon verse, far and near, like the mountains from Agiocochook…” – Henry David Thoreau, 1841 1841 was one of many Mt. Washington trips for Thoreau, who knew of the mountain’s previous name of Agiocochook, a Native American word loosely translating to “Home of the Great Spirit.” […]
Legends of Mount Chocorua
This weekend, I hiked Mount Chocorua in Chocorua, NH with my brother, Sean and my friend, Emily. I had heard that it was a great hike with breathtaking views, so we woke up early and drove up 93N to exit 23 and then took 113A to bring us to Chinook Trail Road. There was a […]
9/11 and Boston: A special message to our American Heroes and those who emerged from tragedy
In honor of the state’s commemoration of the 12th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Governor Maggie Hassan has directed flags to half-staff and proclaimed today as a Day of Remembrance in honor of the tragic terrorist attacks. She will speak at three commemorative events around the state: the Beech Street School 9/11 Remembrance […]
Wondrous Waterfalls of the Great North Woods
By Caleb Savage, Interpretive Ranger at Lake Francis State Park One of the most remarkable forces of nature is that of water. Here in Pittsburg there are plenty of opportunities to recreate on or around water. Some of the opportunities include: fly-fishing along the Connecticut River, boating on a few of the Connecticut Lakes, and […]