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 […]
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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 […]
The Mountain That Stands Alone
Mount Monadnock is a pristine mountain tucked into the southwest corner of New Hampshire. Many people come to hike the peak each year. Monadnock State Park offers many trails to the top for all skill levels. On this journey we decided to take the Birchtoft Trail to the summit. Along our way, we were able […]
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 […]
Making my Day
Coming into this position serving with the Student Conservation Association, I expected to be teaching people about the environment in general and the parks where I was stationed specifically. I looked forward to working with a bunch of different people in different environments, from the elementary schools in Manchester to the top of Mount Monadnock. […]
Watatic, Wapack Winter Hike
Winter adventures in the woods with the family take a fair amount of consideration. Weather conditions in New Hampshire change dramatically on a dime and trail conditions become a major consideration. Finally a perfect day dawned for a family hike I’ve taken many times in summer and fall- Mount Watatic in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. This small […]
(Re)Discover the White Dot Trail
Question: What did one autumn leaf say to another? Answer: I’m falling for you. As fall begins, the public falls more in love with Monadnock. While enjoying a hike this week, I noticed that many of the maple leaves were starting to turn red, a sure sign that the busy season is about to begin! […]
Our 2nd favorite things to do in NH State Parks
Of course, being a running team, running is our favorite state park activity, but running isn’t the only thing we love to do. Our Reach the Beach racing team shares our favorite (or second favorite) park adventures and where we suggest you go to try them out including waterskiing, bouldering, snowshoe hikes and racing, funny […]
Monadnock Weekly Report. 08.22.13.
08.22.13. “Comes the morning when I can feel that there’s nothing left to be concealed. Moving on, a scene surreal. Know my heart will never, never be far from here. Sure as I’m leaving, sure as I’m sad, I’ll keep this wisdom in my flesh. I leave here believing more than I had. And there’s […]
Monadnock Weekly Report 08.16.13
08.16.13 “The waving of a pine tree on the top of a mountain-a magic wand in Nature’s hand-every devout mountaineer knows its power.” – John Muir I think I could read John Muir’s writings all day if they didn’t make me want to get outdoors so badly. It is typically why I only […]