The Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway (MSG) is a

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 ...

trail that traverses the highlands of southern

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

from Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey to

Mount Sunapee Mount Sunapee (or Sunapee Mountain on federal maps) is a mountain ridge in the towns of Newbury and Goshen in western New Hampshire, United States. Its highest peak, at the north end of the mountain, is above sea level. The mountain has three ...

in Newbury. Located approximately from the city of Concord, New Hampshire, the trail traverses a rural, heavily

glaciated A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

and

metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...

upland studded with lakes, heath barrens, the rocky summits of several monadnocks, and dense woodland of the

northern hardwood forest The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south-central Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, extending south into the United States in northern New England, New York, and Pennsyl ...

type. The trail is maintained primarily through the efforts of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club.''Delorme Topo 6.0'' (2006). Mapping software. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme.''Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Guide,'' fifth edition (1994). Concord, New Hampshire: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Notable features along the route include the summit of Mount Monadnock; Eliza Adams Gorge; the classic New England town commons of

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

; the New Hampshire Audubon Society's Nye Meadow Refuge; Otter Brook and Andorra Forest; the high heath barrens of Pitcher Mountain, Hubbard Hill, and Jackson Hill; Lovewell Mountain; of the Sunapee Ridge; and Lake Solitude, a mountaintop tarn near the summit of Mount Sunapee. A number of lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and other wetlands are also located along the route.

Trail description

The MSGT extends from the summit of Mount Monadnock to the summit of Mount Sunapee through Cheshire County, Sullivan County, and Merrimack County. The MSG passes through the following incorporated communities: Jaffrey,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, Harrisville,

, Stoddard,

, Goshen, and

Newbury, New Hampshire Newbury is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. Newbury is home to part of Lake Sunapee, including Mount Sunapee State Park Beach. Mount Sunapee Resort, a ski area in Mount Sunap ...

. Mount Monadnock, the southern terminus of the MSG, is the most prominent peak of southeast New England. At high, it is higher than any mountain peak within and rises above the surrounding landscape. Its bare, rocky summit provides expansive views. Eliza Adams Gorge is a scenic and rocky

eastern hemlock ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...

-clad ravine located just below the dam spillway on Howe Reservoir. The Nye Meadow Refuge is an important great blue heron rookery managed by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. Otter Brook and Andorra Forest, , collectively the largest conservation area in southwest New Hampshire, are cooperatively managed by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

and the

Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) is a private, non-profit, land conservation and sustainable forestry organization based in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It purchases or is given easements on property, or obtains ou ...

and include extensive tracts of

, wetlands, and rare plant communities. Pitcher Mountain, , Hubbard Hill, , and Jackson Hill, , offer wide views from upland heath barrens and blueberry fields. Lovewell Mountain, , 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, , is the high point of a mountainous ridgeline that spans four towns. The ridge offers scenic vistas from more than a dozen distinct peaks along its length and from the Mount Sunapee ski area on the summit. Other notable peaks along its length include White Ledges, , which overlooks Lake Solitude; Lucia's Lookout, ; an unnamed southern summit, ; and Kittredge Hill, . 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, , is the highest incorporated town in New Hampshire; it is higher than the next-highest town, the ski resort community of Waterville Valley Notable bodies of water along the trail route include Seavers Reservoir, Howe Reservoir, Chesham Pond,

Silver Lake Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

, Childs Bog, Center Pond, Halfmoon Pond, and the mountaintop Lake Solitude. The MSG is primarily used for

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

, and in the winter,

snowshoe 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 ...

ing. Portions of the trail are suitable for, and are used for,

backcountry skiing Backcountry skiing ( US), also called off-piste (Europe), alpine touring, or out-of-area, is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas either inside or outside a ski resort's boundaries. This contrasts with alpine skiing, which i ...

. Site-specific activities enjoyed along the route include

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, boating, and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

.New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
Retrieved January 27, 2008.

Intersecting trails

The

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 ...

in southern New Hampshire and central

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

continues south where the MSGT leaves off. This extends the overall hiking possibilities another via the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and its logical extensions, the

Metacomet Metacomet (1638 – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom, Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,Mattabesett Trail The Mattabesett Trail is a long, hook-shaped blue-blazed hiking trail in central Connecticut and a part of the New England National Scenic Trail. One half of the trail follows the high traprock ridges of the Metacomet Ridge, from Totoket Mount ...

s in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

.''Massachusetts Trail Guide'' 8th edition (2004). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club To the north, the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Trail continues from the northern terminus of the MSG via a loop trail to Mount Kearsarge, Ragged Mountain, Bog Mountain and back to Mount Sunapee.Sunapee-Kearsarge-Ragged Greenway Coalition
Retrieved January 27, 2008.

History

The MSG was first suggested by Allen Chamberlain, president of the

Appalachian Mountain Club Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Ma ...

, in 1919 and was laid out in 1921 by the

(SPNHF). But the

hurricane of 1938 The 1938 New England Hurricane (also referred to as the Great New England Hurricane and the Long Island Express Hurricane) was one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to strike Long Island, New York, and New England. The stor ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

"effectively ended the original trail; it was not maintained again." The trail was re-established after a study by the SPNHF in 1974.Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club
Retrieved January 27, 2008.

Hiking the trail

The MSG is blazed with white rectangles. It is regularly maintained, and is considered moderately difficult hiking. Mount Monadnock is regarded as a challenging hike for novice hikers during favorable weather conditions.Baldwin, Henry I. (1989). ''Monadnock Guide,'' 4th edition. Concord:

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 with

topographic map In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...

s is published by the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Club. Weather along the MSG is typical of southern

. Conditions on exposed hill tops and summits may be harsher during cold or stormy weather.NOAA.
Retrieved January 10, 2008 Weather atop the exposed and isolated 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 Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

is a hazard on exposed peaks and ledges during thunderstorms. Snow is common in the winter and may necessitate the use of 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.''Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide'' (1999). Boston: The Appalachian Mountain Club Biting insects can be bothersome during warm weather. Parasitic deer ticks (which are known to carry

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...

) are a potential hazard. The trail passes through

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

habitat, although problems with bears are rare. More likely are problem encounters with domestic dogs. Skunks,

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

s, and porcupines 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. Some water sources along the trail flow through inhabited areas or swamps and may be contaminated.

Camping

Vehicle-accessible campgrounds with basic amenities are located off the MSG via side trails at Monadnock State Park on the south side of Mount Monadnock, and at Mount Sunapee State Park and

Pillsbury State Park Pillsbury State Park is a state park located mainly in Washington and partially in Goshen, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is home to the headwaters of the Ashuelot River The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, ap ...

on the west side of Sunapee Ridge. The MSGTC maintains several backcountry campsites and four

lean-to A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finn ...

s available to backpackers.

Campfire A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires ...

s are generally prohibited on the MSG, except in established fire rings in state park campgrounds.

Trail description

Intersecting trails

History

Hiking the trail

Camping

See also

References

External links