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 His ...

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 in Newbury. Located approximately from the city of Concord, New Hampshire, the trail traverses a rural, heavily glaciated and metamorphic upland studded with lakes,

heath barrens A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

, the rocky summits of several monadnocks, and dense woodland of the northern hardwood forest 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 and Washington; the New Hampshire Audubon Society's Nye Meadow Refuge; Otter Brook and Andorra Forest; the high heath barrens of

Pitcher Mountain Pitcher Mountain is a 2,153 feet (656 m) monadnock located in southwest New Hampshire. The mountain is traversed by the 50 mile (80 km) Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and offers 360 degree views from its open summit. Lower elevations are wooded ...

, Hubbard Hill, and Jackson Hill;

Lovewell Mountain Lovewell Mountain is a mountain associated with the Sunapee Ridge in southwest New Hampshire. The mountain is traversed by the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and offers vistas from several ledges near its summit. Much of the mountain is wooded with ...

; 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 Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third-most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the state capital. The county was organi ...

. 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 ...

, Harrisville, Nelson, Stoddard, Washington, Goshen, and Newbury, New Hampshire. 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-clad ravine located just below the dam spillway on Howe Reservoir. The Nye Meadow Refuge is an important

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

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 Natu ...

and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and include extensive tracts of northern hardwood forest, 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 Waterville Valley is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 508 at the 2020 census, up from 247 at the 2010 census. Waterville Valley attracts many visitors in the winter months with alpine skiing at Watervil ...

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 Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

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

, 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 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/ a ...

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 ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

, and swimming.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 a ...

in southern New Hampshire and central

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

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 and Mattabesett Trails 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 cap ...

.''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, in 1919 and was laid out in 1921 by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (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 sto ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

"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: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests 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 maps 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 average ...

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) are a potential hazard. The trail passes through black bear 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 o ...

s, and porcupines are common and active after dark.

Poisonous snake Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or g ...

s 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 Monadnock State Park in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, United States, is a state park located on and around Mount Monadnock. The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected highlands. The park is open to hiking, picnicking, camping, backpac ...

on the south side of Mount Monadnock, and at

Mount Sunapee State Park Mount Sunapee State Park is a public recreation area in Newbury, New Hampshire. The state park's nearly include most of Mount Sunapee and a beach area on Lake Sunapee. Park activities include swimming, hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, picnickin ...

and Pillsbury State Park on the west side of Sunapee Ridge. The MSGTC maintains several backcountry campsites and four lean-tos available to backpackers. Campfires 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