Hit the Trail
The beauty of hiking in New England is that it can be whatever you want it to be. There are challenging options aplenty, but equally as many opportunities for a relaxing ramble. There are mountains to be scaled, and pancake-flat rail trails to be explored. You can hike for an hour, an afternoon, a weekend, or longer… it all depends on what you want it to be.
The Appalachian Trail
Spanning 2,200 miles between the state of Georgia and Maine’s Mount Katahdin, the Appalachian Trail (or “A.T.” as it’s known) touches every New England state but Rhode Island. And while you could easily pass an entire summer on the A.T., it also offers up innumerable day or weekend hiking options with well-established trailheads and markings to guide you, often to sweeping views that’ll take your breath away… if the hike hasn’t done that, already.
Here’s a short guide to more mountains
Three Mountains Just Made For a Picnic
It’s been said that the best part of hiking is the food, and we couldn’t agree more. Here are our picks for, well, picnics.
- Putney Mountain - short, 1.2-mile hike with beautiful grassy summit and big views
- Rome Point Trail - flat 2-mile jaunt that leads to a beautiful beach
- Pleasant Mountain - follow the 5.4-mile Southwest Ridge Trail for a challenging hike
Get the Boot
If you’re looking to buy your last pair of hiking boots for, well, possibly forever, make your way to Peter Limmer & Sons in Intervale, New Hampshire. Here, you’ll find arguably the most-coveted hiking boots in the entire world, made by hand to last decades, rather than years.
Start ‘em Young
With mountain peaks ranging from just a few hundred feet in elevation to well over 4,000 feet, New England’s hiking is as diverse as its culture. This makes it the ideal destination for families looking to introduce their young ones to the joys of two-foot travel. A few suggestions: Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord, Massachusetts; Crawford Notch State Park in Livermore, New Hampshire; and Talcott Mountain in Simsbury, Connecticut.
You know what else kids like? Skiing!
4,000’ or Bust
In New England, summiting a 4,000 foot (or greater) peak is considered a point of pride. Indeed, a handful of avid hikers have been known to summit all 67 of the region’s 4,000-foot summits. If you’re looking to notch a 4,000 footer or two, we’ve got some ideas.
- Mount Moosilauke, Glencliff, New Hampshire. Summit elevation: 4802’
- Camel’s Hump, Duxbury, Vermont. Summit elevation: 4083’
- Saddleback Mountain, Rangeley, Maine. Summit elevation: 4120’
