Little Monadnock Mountain, , is located in the towns of Fitzwilliam and

Troy, New Hampshire Troy is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,130 at the 2020 census. It is situated west of Mount Monadnock. The town's central village, where 1,108 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the ...

. Most of the mountain is located within

Rhododendron State Park Rhododendron State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve occupying on and around Little Monadnock Mountain in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, United States. The state park contains a stand of native ''Rhododendron maximum'', the larg ...

; there are scenic vistas from ledges just below the summit. The 110 mile

Metacomet-Monadnock Trail The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (M&M Trail) is a hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts and the central uplands of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Although less than from Boston and ...

crosses the mountain. The mountain is flanked by Gap Mountain four miles northeast and by the Franconia Range (not the major ridge in the White Mountains), 4.5 miles to the west; its south and east slopes drain into the Tully River, then to the

Millers River The Millers River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in northern Massachusetts, originating in Ashburnham and joining the Connecticut River just ...

, thence to the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

and

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, while its north and west slopes drain into the

Ashuelot River The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, approximately long, in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of , including much of the area known as the Monadnock Region. It is the longest tri ...

, thence to the Connecticut River.

Hiking

The summit ledges of Little Monadnock Mountain are accessible via the

or by the shorter route from the Rhododendron State Park headquarters/trailhead in Fitzwilliam (1.2 mi/1.9 km to the summit). A loop (4.1 mi/6.5 km) via both trails is possible. The mountain is open to

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

, and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

in the winter. Leashed pets are allowed in Rhododendron State Park.

Conservation

Rhododendron State Park features the largest natural grove of native

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

in northern

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

. The grove has been recognized as a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. A loop trail through the grove is accessible from the park trailhead.

References

* ''Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide.'' The Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, 1999. * ''The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide''. 9th Edition. The Appalachian Mountain Club. Amherst, Massachusetts, 1999 *

External links

"New England's Scenic Trail is Secure"
Appalachian Mountain Club.
"Rhododendron State Park trail map"
{{Mountains of New Hampshire Mountains of Cheshire County, New Hampshire Mountains of New Hampshire Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire Troy, New Hampshire Monadnock, Little

Hiking

Conservation

See also

References

External links