Hiking Trails on Mt. Monadnock— Mossy Brook Trail

Mossy Brook Trail

This route does not go to the summit and is not a link in most routes that do.

Distance from to :  

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Ascending time: 

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Descending time: 

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Difficulty rating/rank: 

1/-

Crowd Factor:

1 (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being near-continuous contact with others.) There may be signs of other people having used the trail.

Access:

The Cart Path.

Trail marker:

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Average Grade:

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The Mossy Brook Trail links the Marian Trail to the White Arrow Trail. Together, along with the Cart Path, they connect the southwestern trails network on Mt. Monadnock with the Marlboro Trail on the western face. Ascending from the White Arrow Trail, the Mossy Brook Trail provides a comparatively gentle climb, bringing you up only 300 feet (90 m) in about 0.8 mile. It begins as the Cart Path on the White Arrow Trail, and at some point is renamed as the Mossy Brook Trail.

This is a beautiful, woodsy trail, starting out fairly level as it goes to the west from the White Arrow Trail, and slowly beginning an ascent as it turns more northerly. About 220 yards (200 m) from the beginning of the trail, you cross the Royce Trail (Metacomet-Monadnock Trail), the only trail you intersect during the ascent. The trail crosses branches of Fasset Brook at a of couple points in it's lower section, shortly after the intersection with the Royce Trail. The second crossing is over a bridge created by large, flat rocks. After that, the trail turns more northerly, and perhaps transitions from the Cart Path to the Mossy Brook Trail as it begins ascending more sharply.  As the name suggests, a long section of the trail follows the Mossy Brook, which is perfectly named for the thick, green carpet that covers the rock of the stream bed. At one point, the trail parrallels a beautiful, rocky gorge that Mossy Brook follows.

As you near the junction with the Marian Trail, the path crosses Mossy Brook itself. From here, it's only about 145 yards (130 m) to the end of the trail. At the Marian Trail, turn right to go to Monte Rosa, or turn left to go to the Marlboro Trail.