Spring! Slowly but surely arriving in Keene, New Hampshire, with the exception of a few snow flurries.
Finally, all the snow has melted and weather is beginning to warm up, like I said, slowly but surely.
With spring comes a whole bunch of activities that people can do to get outside and lose the winter slump.
Now with nicer weather, you can begin to jog outside, go for a hike, ride a bike, play softball, do some gardening or even take your dog for more extensive walks.
With nice weather, the possibilities are endless (I still wouldn’t go swimming, though).
But instead of talking about all the things you could do, let’s focus on one.
Going for hikes is one of my favorite spring and summer activities (even though the full hike requires a lot of energy). Find a trail or mountain and you’re on your way, and there are plenty of both around Keene.
There are about 30 places you can go to have a fun day and great hike near Keene.
Some of those places include Annett Wayside Park, Bear Den Geological Park & Trail, Casalis Forest, Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area, Crotched Mountain, Mount Monadnock and Monadnock State Park and more.
Each place is a little different from one another, but all have qualities that a hiker would enjoy.
The Monadnock State Park is probably the most popular place to hike.
The most popular trail to hike is the Monadnock-Sunapee Green Trail, which is a 48-mile hiking trail.
It is a beautiful and remote trail that has excellent maintenance year round.
Also known as “The Greenway”, this trail provides a getaway for a hiker who’s looking to take a long adventure.
If you’re more of a free roamer, then you can always hike up to the top of Mount Monadnock, which is at an elevation of 3,165 feet.
You can decide to go on the White Arrow Trail, which is about two and a half miles (it will take you about two hours to get to the summit).
You could go down the Birchtoft/Red Spot trail with is about three and a half miles (it will take you three hours to reach the summit).
There is also the White Dot Trail (two miles, two hours to reach the summit) or the White Cross trail (two miles, two hours to reach the summit).
All in all, there are a lot of places you could travel to to have a great day hiking.
If you want a walk in the forest check out areas that provide that. If you’re interested in hiking mountains, there are plenty of places you can find as well.
Being able to stay local is a big perk in Keene, especially if you’re a college student, so look around locally before traveling. You just might save some gas.
If you’re looking to stay fairly close, check out the close mountains and forests, you’re bound to find a nice trail to adventure down.
Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
