of Southwest New Hampshire
| Outdoor Activities When planning your New Hampshire vacation, be sure to include some time in the outdoors. Here you will find information about hiking, cycling, kayaking, golfing, and other outdoor activities, only minutes from our inns. |
 HikingAmong all of the things to do in New Hampshire, hiking is one of the best ways to see the Monadnock Region. There is no shortage of hikes to choose from, whether you are looking for an easy scenic walk, or a rigorous climb up a mountain. It would be nearly impossible to list all the fantastic hiking in the region, so just a small sample is listed here, but don't hesitate to ask your innkeeper for suggestions on other trails and parks throughout the region.In Monadnock State Park, visit Mount Monadnock, the most popular hiking mountain in North America offering forty miles of trails and a bald top providing 360 degree vistas with landmarks you can spot as far North as the White Mountain National Forest and as far South as the Boston skyline. Click here for pictures and a trail map.At more than 13,300 acres, Pisgah State Park is the largest state park in NH with numerous trails ranging from 1 to 5 miles in length, ridgelines, ponds, wetlands and wonderful views of the surrounding area including Mt. Monadnock to the East and the Green Mountains to the West. Click here for pictures and a link to a map. Madame Sherrie's Forest in Chesterfield (pictured below) has a hiking trail with beautiful views and includes some ruins with an interesting tale.  Miller State Park (a.k.a. South Pack Monadnock)
is the oldest state park in NH, and along with North Pack
Monadnock serves as the Northern terminus for the 22-mile long
Wapack Trail. The climb up offers rewarding
vistas and is considered one of the best places in the state for viewing
the fall hawk migration.The Harris Center is a land trust maintaining over 17,000 acres of pristine land and helping municipalities create a 30,0000-acre "supersactuary" of protected land. There are dozens of beautiful trails throughout the conservation from fairly level and easy rewarding hikes to challenging hikes to 2000' summits. A list of some of our Innkeepers' favorite hiking and walking trails with descriptions can be found here.  CyclingWhether you are a road cyclist or rail-trail rider, the Monadnock Region has a ride for you. There are some wonderful and scenic rides on paved roads with wide shoulders ideal for cycling and plenty of up-and-down terrain for hill climbing. Rail-trails include the... Cheshire Rail-Trail 27 Miles from Massachusetts border north to Keene, NH Ashuelot Rail-Trail 21 Miles from Hinsdale, NH north to Keene, NH Common Pathway 6+ Miles from Peterborough, NH north to Greenfield, NH Monadnock Rail-Trail 7 Miles from Winchendon, MA north to Jaffrey, NH  Kayaking and CanoeingSouthwest NH many not be known for its whitewater rapids but all significant lakes like Dublin Lake, MacDowell Lake, Willard Pond, and Powdermill Pond have public launches, and the major tributaries like the Ashuelot and Contoocook Rivers offer miles of great opportunities for exercise and scenic paddling. Rentals can be reserved from retail outlets around the region.  GolfingLike to challenge yourself on the links? There are many beautiful public courses throughout the region including... Shattuck , Jaffrey, 18-hole Par-71 Championship considered one of the most challenging courses in the United States with a rating of 70.9 and a slope of 141 Crotched Mountain, Francestown, 18-hole Par-71 Championship Bretwood Golf Course, Keene, two 18-hole courses - each Par-72 Keene Country Club, Keene 18-hole Par-72 Hooper Golf Course, Walpole, has been named the top 9-hole course in New England and voted the #11 9- hole course in the United States Geocaching Ever geocached? Caching is a fun hobby that encourages kids and adults alike to get outside. Watch this two minute video that explains it all. It goes hand in hand with hiking and cycling (and in a few cases kayaking) but requires a handheld GPS. There may be thousands of caches hidden all over the Monadnock Region. Winter Sports Of course you can hike all winter long, and many of our guests do. But there are other excellent winter activities calling you to get outside and play like snowshoeing, downhill and x-country skiing, and tubing. In addition to all the public trails... Granite Gorge Downhill and Tubing -- Crotched Mountain Downhill -- Windblown X-Country and Snowshoeing |