A quick hike

Go on a mini-hike

Get reconnected with nature at these hiking destinations, which offer short and easy trails that you can hike in an afternoon with the family or even on your lunch break.

1. MINE FALLS PARK

Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov Six marked trails run through the park’s 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordered by the Nashua River, Mill Pond and canal system. The trails vary in length, from 0.83 miles to 2.94 miles, totalling about 8 miles.

2. MARJORY SWOPE PARK

Long Pond Road, Concord, 225-8815, concordnh.gov The 77-acre park features three connecting trails, including a 1.45-mile loop trail that runs up Jerry Hill, leading to scenic views of the Penacook Lake; a 0.56-mile trail that cuts through the park; and a 0.18-mile trail that passes the large granite outcrop Gilfillan Rock.

3. LAKE MASSABESIC

Off the Londonderry Turnpike, Manchester, 624-6482, manchesternh.gov/ departments/water-works/lake-massabesic-watershed Spanning 2,500 acres in Manchester and Auburn, the lake is the centerpoint for a network of dozens of trails, including a loop to the Massabesic Audubon Center, a wildlife sanctuary situated on a historic farm site in Auburn. The trails range in length from half a mile to more than three miles, making up about 50 miles in total.

4. BEAVER BROOK ASSOCIATION

117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org A hotspot for wildlife, the nature center manages a trail network with more than 35 miles of trails winding through 2,187 acres of forest, fields and wetlands in Hollis, Brookline and Milford.

5. LIVINGSTON PARK

156 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov The park has about one mile of unpaved trail that loops around the 25-acre Doors Pond and includes elevated boardwalks through wetlands.

Continued on pg 40

That’s a lot of lickies and chewies!

Open Later During the Summer

Sun | Thur: 10am to 6pm

Fri | Sat: 10am to 8pm 53 Washington St, Suite 100 Dover, NH 03820 (603) 343-1799

Continued from pg 39 6. MOUNT KEARSARGE

Winslow and Rollins state parks, Kearsarge Mountain Road, Wilmot and Warner, nhstateparks.org The mountain stands at 2,937 feet, with Winslow State Park in Wilmot at the north base and Rollins State Park in Warner at the south base. The quickest way to the summit is a half-mile trail that starts in Rollins State Park. Other popular trails include the 1.1-mile Winslow Trail and the 1.6-mile Barlow Trail, both of which start at Winslow State Park. Kearsarge contributes 5.8 miles of trail to the SunapeeRagged-Kearsarge-Greenway, a 75-mile hiking trail that passes through 10 towns.

7. MOUNT MAJOR

Off Route 11, Alton, nhstateparks.org The mountain’s 1.5-mile Mount Major Trail and 1.6-mile Boulder Loop Trail form a loop at its 1,785-foot summit, which offers a panoramic view of Lake Winnipesaukee to the north.

8. BENSON PARK

19 Kimball Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov The 166-acre park has more than 4 miles of wooded looped trails for walking and hiking, including a mix of paved and natural trails with mild elevations.

9. HORSE HILL NATURE PRESERVE

184 Amherst Road, Merrimack, 424-3531, merrimackoutdoors.org/our-properties/ horse-hill-nature-preserve The preserve consists of 560 acres of varied terrain, scenery and wildlife, with about 60 acres of wetlands and two hills — Blodget Hill, and Horse Hill, from which the property gets its name — both standing at around 400 feet.

10. PULPIT ROCK CONSERVATION AREA

New Boston Road, Bedford, plcnh.org/pulpit-rock-trails The 338-acre conservation land features 10 marked trails totalling three miles, including a connector trail from the gorge and ledge called Pulpit Rock, through Amherst to Bedford’s Joppa Hill Conservation Land.

Marjory Swope Park Photo by Alex Kusnarowis