Great Hikes in Southern NH

You don't have to drive way north in New Hampshire to find mountains to hike. There are fun mountains available down south, too, including Mt. Monadnock, the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and the Wapack Trail. Some of this region's great hiking options are highlighted here.

Pitcher Mtn. is one of my favorites, a small mountain near the town of Stoddard, about 50 miles west of Manchester. This mountain is just plain lovely, has an easy trail, and offers a summit fire-tower view. Accompanying this article are two photos from the tower. The first is a sunset view, the second shows rime ice on the tower stairs -- two visits to the same place under very different conditions.

The sunset photo from Pitcher shows the beautiful side of this mountain. I like the soft colors of the pastel sky, with Mt. Monadnock in the background and a farm in the foreground spot-lighted by the setting sun. A pleasing image taken just before actual sunset. Pitcher Mtn. is great for sunset viewing because the short and easily-followed trail down can be

completed during twilight. Twilight: that magical time between day and night, when there is still enough reflected skylight to clearly see your way. While it is always prudent to carry a headlamp or flashlight on a sunset hike, you probably won't need to use it here.

The tower-stairs photo from Pitcher shows another side of this mountain. Rime ice coats every part of the structure, while snow squalls limit the view. But it is still beautiful -- just in a different kind of way. I like the contrast between nature's delicate ice crystals and man's hard metal lines. For me, a fun part of hiking is visiting the same mountain in different seasons -- we live, after all, in a location famous for its four-season variety.

Another great hike in southern NH is Little Monadnock Mtn., near the town of Fitzwilliam. A bonus feature of this hike is that the trail starts within Rhododendron State Park, a National Natural Landmark containing large groves of wild Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum). The first time I hiked Little Monadnock the Rhododendrons were not in bloom;

but I was so impressed with the thick groves that I made it a point to revisit the park in peak season (mid July). The large flowers are white with a tinge of soft pink, providing an exceptional display. The hike itself goes through beautiful woodlands with old stone walls and, in season, wild flowers and forest creatures. On one hike I took the accompanying photo of a cute little red eft (immature Eastern Salamander), also known as a newt. A park brochure with trail map is available from the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. An entrance fee is charged during prime season, when the park is staffed.

The Wapack Trail runs for 26 miles over a chain of mountains starting with North Pack Monadnock in the north and extending to Mt. Watatic, just across the border into Massachusetts. The panoramic photo showing all of the mountains along the Wapack Trail was taken from the summit of Gap Mtn., another good hike in southern NH. The Wapack can be hiked in sections, or you can join fans who hike the full-marathon distance each year in a single day.

North Pack Monadnock Mtn. is located near the town of Peterborough, just north of its more popular twin, Pack Monadnock Mtn. (sometimes called South Pack Monadnock to minimize confusion). South Pack has a road and summit tower; but for the more adventurous, North Pack has a less crowded summit and a more spectacular view. In the cliff photo, my hiking partner Dick Widhu stands out on the edge of North Pack's famous south vista. You get the feeling of being on top of the world here, even though this is actually a little mountain (only a bit over 2000 feet tall). The other photo from North Pack is an artistic cluster of Turkey Tail mushrooms, a sample of the natural beauty you are likely to see along the trail.

The Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway is the other through-trail in southern NH, in this case running from Mt. Sunapee in the north to Mt. Monadnock in the south. This trail meanders through intervening woods and hills, as well as over Pitcher and Lovewell mountains.

Mt. Monadnock, located near the town of Jaffrey, is reputed to be one of the most hiked mountains in the whole world. Its popularity, I think, is due to its isolated prominence, relatively easy hike, and nearness to a major metropolitan area (Boston).

If you want to hike with a crowd, you can do it here. The photo of the silhouetted hiker watching the sun set was taken atop Monadnock on the evening of the 4th of July (our group was up there to see the fireworks displays in surrounding towns) and there were over 40 people on top at that late hour! On the other hand, I've been on top when our group had the summit all to ourselves, on the night of the January full moon. So, if you prefer solitude, you can still hike Monadnock, just be careful to choose an unpopular time.

North Uncanoonuc Mtn. stands west of Manchester, snuggled within its suburbs. Here's a mountain located right in the backyard of a NH city! From the top, looking east, you can clearly see downtown Manchester. There are a pair of Uncanoonucs: South Uncanoonuc with its bristling summit antenna farm, and North Uncanoonuc with its more alluring undeveloped summit. North Uncanoonuc is a fun and easy hike, often overlooked because it seems just too conveniently located.

To find out more about hiking NH mountains, visit my NH Mountain Hiking website (www.nhmountainhiking.com).