| Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail | |
|---|---|
 Hubbard Hill heath barrens, Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway | |
 | |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) |
| Location | Cheshire /Merrimack /Sullivan counties,New Hampshire, USA |
| Use | hiking, snowshoeing, other |
| Highest point | Mount Monadnock, 3,165 ft (965 m) |
| Lowest point | Seavers Reservoir, 1,200 ft (370 m) |
| Difficulty | moderately difficult |
| Season | easiest late spring to early fall |
| Hazards | deer ticks, weather |
| Trail map | |
 | |
TheMonadnock-Sunapee Greenway (MSG) is a 50-mile (80 km)hiking trail that traverses the highlands of southernNew Hampshire fromMount Monadnock inJaffrey toMount Sunapee inNewbury. Located approximately 27 miles (43 km) from the city ofConcord, New Hampshire, the trail traverses a rural, heavilyglaciated andmetamorphic upland studded with lakes,heath barrens, the rocky summits of severalmonadnocks, and dense woodland of thenorthern hardwood forest type. The trail is maintained primarily through the efforts of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club.[1][2]
Notable features along the route include the summit of Mount Monadnock; Eliza Adams Gorge; the classic New England town commons ofNelson andWashington; the New Hampshire Audubon Society's Nye Meadow Refuge;Otter Brook and Andorra Forest; the high heath barrens ofPitcher Mountain, Hubbard Hill, and Jackson Hill;Lovewell Mountain; 8 miles (13 km) of the Sunapee Ridge; andLake Solitude, a mountaintoptarn near the summit of Mount Sunapee. A number of lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and other wetlands are also located along the route.[2]
The MSGT extends from the summit of Mount Monadnock to the summit of Mount Sunapee throughCheshire County,Sullivan County, andMerrimack County. The MSG passes through the following incorporated communities:Jaffrey,Dublin,Harrisville,Nelson,Stoddard,Washington,Goshen, andNewbury, New Hampshire.[1]
Mount Monadnock, the southern terminus of the MSG, is the most prominent peak of southeast New England. At 3,165 feet (965 m) high, it is 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than any mountain peak within 30 miles (48 km) and rises 2,000 feet (610 m) above the surrounding landscape. Its bare, rocky summit provides expansive views.[3] Eliza Adams Gorge is a scenic and rockyeastern hemlock-clad ravine located just below the dam spillway on Howe Reservoir. The Nye Meadow Refuge is an importantgreat blue heron rookery managed by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. Otter Brook and Andorra Forest, 15,000 acres (61 km2), collectively the largest conservation area in southwest New Hampshire, are cooperatively managed byThe Nature Conservancy and theSociety for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and include extensive tracts ofnorthern hardwood forest, wetlands, and rare plant communities. Pitcher Mountain, 2,153 feet (656 m), Hubbard Hill, 1,846 feet (563 m), and Jackson Hill, 2,061 feet (628 m), offer wide views from upland heath barrens andblueberry fields.
Lovewell Mountain, 2,473 feet (754 m), is a rugged monadnock contiguous with the southern part of Sunapee Ridge; several scenic outlooks on ledges provide views of the surrounding countryside. Mount Sunapee, 2,743 feet (836 m), is the high point of a mountainous 10-mile (16 km) ridgeline that spans four towns. The ridge offers scenic vistas from more than a dozen distinct peaks along its length and from theMount Sunapee ski area on the summit. Other notable peaks along its length include White Ledges, 2,700 feet (820 m), which overlooks Lake Solitude; Lucia's Lookout, 2,500 feet (760 m); an unnamed southern summit, 2,230 feet (680 m); and Kittredge Hill, 2,140 feet (650 m). The commons of Washington and Nelson are small and bucolic classic New England town centers with little commercial development and with architecture dating back to the early 19th century. Washington, 1,507 feet (459 m), is the highest incorporated town in New Hampshire; it is 1-foot (0.30 m) higher than the next-highest town, the ski resort community ofWaterville Valley[2]
Notable bodies of water along the trail route include Seavers Reservoir, Howe Reservoir, Chesham Pond,Silver Lake, Childs Bog, Center Pond, Halfmoon Pond, and the mountaintop Lake Solitude.[2]
The MSG is primarily used forhiking,backpacking, and in the winter,snowshoeing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for,backcountry skiing. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route includehunting,fishing,boating, andswimming.[2][4]
TheMetacomet-Monadnock Trail in southern New Hampshire and centralMassachusetts continues south where the MSGT leaves off. This extends the overall hiking possibilities another 210 miles (340 km) via the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and its logical extensions, theMetacomet andMattabesett Trails inConnecticut.[5][6] To the north, theSunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Trail continues from the northern terminus of the MSG via a 75-mile (121 km) loop trail toMount Kearsarge,Ragged Mountain,Bog Mountain and back to Mount Sunapee.[7]
The MSG was first suggested byAllen Chamberlain, formerly president of theAppalachian Mountain Club, in 1919 and was laid out in 1921 by theSociety for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF). But thehurricane of 1938 andWorld War II "effectively ended the original trail; it was not maintained again." The trail was re-established after a study by the SPNHF in 1974.[8]
The MSG is blazed with white rectangles. It is regularly maintained, and is considered moderately difficult hiking.[2] Mount Monadnock is regarded as a challenging hike for novice hikers during favorable weather conditions.[9] As the crow flies, the MSGT route is never more than a mile or two from a public road, however, cliffs and steep terrain make access much more difficult in some areas. Trail descriptions are available from a number of commercial and non-commercial sources, and a complete guidebook withtopographic maps is published by the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club.[2]
Weather along the MSG is typical of southernNew Hampshire. Conditions on exposed hill tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.[10] Weather atop the exposed and isolated 3,100-foot (940 m) summit of Mount Monadnock can be much more severe than conditions below; high winds are common year round and winter storms on the summit can be life-threatening.Lightning is a hazard on exposed peaks and ledges during thunderstorms.[9] Snow is common in the winter and may require cross-country skis or snowshoes. Ice can form on exposed ledges and summits, making hiking dangerous without special equipment. Snow and ice tend to linger on Mount Monadnock well into the spring.[2][9][11]
Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasiticdeer ticks (which are known to carryLyme disease) are a potential hazard. The trail passes throughblack bear habitat, although problems with bears are rare. More likely are problem encounters with domestic dogs.Skunks,raccoons, andporcupines are common and active after dark.Poisonous snakes are considered extinct along the route.Poison ivy is uncommon on the MSGT and it does not thrive on Mount Monadnock at all.[2][9] Some water sources along the trail flow through inhabited areas or swamps and may be contaminated.[11]
Vehicle-accessible campgrounds with basic amenities are located off the MSG via side trails atMonadnock State Park on the south side of Mount Monadnock, and atMount Sunapee State Park andPillsbury State Park on the west side of Sunapee Ridge. The MSGTC maintains several backcountry campsites and fourlean-tos available to backpackers.Campfires are generally prohibited on the MSG, except in established fire rings in state park campgrounds.[2]
43°14′18″N72°04′50″W / 43.23833°N 72.08056°W /43.23833; -72.08056
