| Mt. Monadnock Trail Comparison Guide | ||||||||||||
| This gu= ide is for planning purposes only. Always check with the State Park for official information. | ||||||||||||
| Not al= l trails have complete information at this time. As time permits, the missing data will be added to the guide. | ||||||||||||
| You can= copy the data below using standard editing tools and paste it into Excel for sorti= ng etc. | ||||||||||||
| Trail | Length | Elevation Change | Difficulty--1 (easy) to 5 (difficult) (exertion) | Average grade over steepest 660 yards (600 m) or length of trail | Direct to summit (Y =3D Yes from base to summit, N =3D No, A =3D More or less wh= en used with other routes) | Leads to summit when teamed with: | Starting point (nearest landmark) | End (nearest landmark) | Typical Time to Summit (Hours) | Highlights and comments | ||
| Miles | Km | Feet | Meters | |||||||||
| Whi= te Dot | 1.9 | 3.05 | 1807 | 550 | 4 | 3= 1% | Y | HQ | Summit | 2:00 | A fairly steady climb, less steep than sections of the White Cross Trail, b= ut with fewer breaks. | |
| Whi= te Cross (Statistics are HQ parking to summit) | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1807 | 550 | 4 | 30% | A | White = Dot | White Dot/Falcon Spring | White = Dot | 2:00 | An al= ternative to the White Dot; time and distance assume that the hiker starts at HQ on= the White Dot and continues to the summit after rejoining the White Dot. Seve= ral sections are a bit steeper than found on the White Dot, but there are balancing sections that are less steep than much of the White Dot Trail.<= /td> |
| White Arrow (Statistics are Old Toll Road parking to summit) | 2.2 | 3.6 | 1654 | 504 | 4 | 27% | A | Halfwa= y House Tr. Or Royce Tr. Or Old Toll Road | Rt. 1= 24 | Summit= | 1:45 | Virtu= ally a stream in wet weather, when teamed with the Halfway House Trail, Royce Tr= ail, or Old Toll House Road, this is a pretty direct route. |
| = Marlboro | 1.9 | 3.1 | 1836 | 559 | 4 | 25% | Y | = | Shake= r Farm Rd. South | Summit= | 1:45 | A lon= g, shallow foot followed by a long, steep section. |
| Dub= lin | 2.1 | 3.4 | 1708 | 520 | 3 | 24% | Y | = | Old T= roy Rd | Summit= | 1:45 | Compa= ratively easy route; the summit is visible for the first time only when a few minu= tes remain in the hike. |
| = Pumpelly | 4.0 | 6.5 | 1631 | 496 | 2 | 24% | Y | = | Dubli= n Lake Rd | Summit= | 3:00 | Very = long, across private property at northeastern end, with a few steep parts. |
| Sidefoot (Statistics are Old Toll Road parking to summit) | 2.1 | 3.5 | 1654 | 504 | 3-4 | 24% | A | Halfwa= y House Tr. Or Royce Tr. Or Old Toll Road, and Amphitheater and White Arrow | Halfw= ay House | Amphit= heater | 1:45 | An al= ternative to the White Arrow, it's less traveled and seems easier on the body both = up and down. |
| = Spellman (Statistics are HQ parking to summit; includes 490 yards at 38% grade) | 2.3 | 3.7 | 1807 | 550 | 5 | 31% | N | White = Dot, Cascade Link, Pumpelly | Casca= de Link | Pumpel= ly | 2:15 | Steep= est route, very challenging, descent is not recommended. |
| C= ascade Link (Statistics are HQ parking to summit) | 3.5 | 5.7 | 1807 | 550 | 2-3 | 20% | N | White = Dot and Pumpelly | White Dot/Falcon Spring | Pumpel= ly | Trave= rses the southeast face away from the summit, perhaps the easiest route when combi= ned with the Pumpelly, but long, and infrequently traveled past the Spellman junction. This is one of the loveliest trails on the mountain. | |
| Old Ski Trail | 4 | N | = | Red S= pot | White = Dot | A sho= rt, steep connector that can cut off a little time when taking the Red Spot. | ||||||
| Red S= pot (Statistics are HQ parking to summit) | 2.4 | 3.8 | 1807 | 550 | 3-4 | 27% | N | White = Dot and Cascade Link and Pumpelly, or Birchtoft and Red Spot and Pumpelly | Casca= de Link | Pumpel= ly | 2:10 | Combi= ned with Cascade Link, this can be a little bit easier than the more direct routes= . |
| Amphitheater | 1 | N | = | Smith= Connector | Smith = Summit | Trave= rses the mountain on the south to southwest, linking an number of trails and point= s of interest: Bald Rock, Black Cliffs, White Dot, Sidefoot, White Arrow, etc.= | ||||||
| Ma= rian (includes 380 yards at 29% grade) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 70 | 21= | 2 | 22% | N | = | Marlb= oro | Great = Pasture Trail/Mossy Brook Trail | Traversing the southwest face, this connects the Marlboro Trail with Mossy Brook Tra= il and Great Pasture Trail, and includes a few quite steep sections. | |
| Lost Farm | 3 | N | = | Cliff Walk/Thoreau Seat | Parker= | Trave= rsing the middle levels of the southern face of the mountain, this can be used as p= art of a long loop from the Park HQ to the summit. | ||||||
| Parker | 2 | N | = | Old T= oll House Rd | HQ | Cross= ing the lower levels of the south face from the Old toll Road to HQ, this can be = used as part of a long loop from Park Headquarters to the Summit. | ||||||
| Cliff Walk (Statistics are Old Toll Road parking to summit) | 1654 | 504 | 3 | N | = | Parke= r Trail | Bald R= ock | One o= f several alternate routes up to Bald Rock from the Halfway House area. This route = in part runs along the upper edge of a steep slope. | ||||
| Do Drop | 4 | N | = | Sidef= oot | Cliff = Walk | One o= f several trails that are involved in alternate routes up to Bald Rock from the Hal= fway House area. This route in part runs along the upper edge of a steep slope= . | ||||||
| Thoreau | 4 | N | = | Cliff= Walk | Cliff = Walk | One o= f several trails that are involved in alternate routes up to Bald Rock from the Hal= fway House area. This route in part runs along the upper edge of a steep slope= . | ||||||
| Cart Path | 1 | N | = | Old T= oll House Rd | Mossy = Brook Trail | A lin= k from the Old Toll Road and Halfway House Trail, it becomes the Mossy Brook Trail to the Great Pasture Trail and Marian Trail. | ||||||
| Noble | 5 | N | = | Sidef= oot | Bald R= ock | One o= f several trails that are involved in alternate routes up to Bald Rock from the Hal= fway House area. A short trail but very steep. | ||||||
| Hedgehog | 0.3 | 0.5 | 272 | 83 | 5 | 22% | N | = | Sidef= oot | Cliff = Walk | One o= f several trails that are involved in alternate routes up to Bald Rock from the Hal= fway House area. A short trail but very steep--the average grade calculation s= eems wrong; it feels more like 40%+. | |
| Smith Connecting | 1 | N | = | Red S= pot | Amphit= heater | Trave= rsing the upper reaches of the mountain, this trail is useful when bypassing the su= mmit during a route from the Pumpelly or upper Red Spot Trails to Bald Rock or= the southwest and west faces. | ||||||
| Harling | 2 | N | Cascad= e Link and its connections | Dubli= n Road | Cascade Link | A sho= rt trail that bypasses the Park HQ. Seldom used. | ||||||
| = Smith Summit (Statistics are Old Toll Road parking to summit) | 2.4 | 3.9 | 1654 | 504 | 4 | 25% | A | White = Arrow and Fairy Spring | Fairy Spring/Monte Rosa | White Arrow/Summit | A les= s traveled route, quite narrow, almost entirely over bare rock faces and thus very o= pen. A good route for a change of pace. | |
| Fairy Spring | 4 | A | White = Arrow and Smith Summit | White Arrow/Halfway House | Monte = Rosa | A ste= ep, narrow, rugged trail, seldom used, through dark hardwoods opening up righ= t at Monte Rosa. | ||||||
| Birchtoft (Statistics are to summit via connecting trails) | 2.6 | 4.3 | 1954 | 594 | 3 | 27% | A | Red Sp= ot and Pumpelly | Pond<= /td> | Cascad= e Link/Red Spot | Part of the second longest, more or less direct route to the summit (when team= ed with the Red Spot and Pumpelly Trails), it starts at a lower elevation th= an most trails and can be harder than you'd expect. | |
| Royce | 2 | A | White = Arrow or Sidefoot | Rt. 1= 24 | Halfway House/Halfway House | Part = of the Monadnock-Metacomet trail system, thisis an alternate route to the Halfway house--but no parking is allowed along Rt. 124. | ||||||
| Halfway House (Statistics are Old Toll Road par= king to summit) | 1654 | 504 | 2 | A | White = Arrow or Sidefoot | Rt. 1= 24 parking lot | Halfwa= y House | A nic= e hike through old farm country now returning to forest. This parallels the Old = Toll Road, but avoids its roadlike conditions. | ||||
| Old Toll Road (Statistics are Old Toll Road par= king to summit) | 1654 | 504 | 2 | A | White = Arrow or Sidefoot | Rt. 1= 24 parking lot | Halfwa= y House | Once = the road to the HalfwayHouse hotel, this is now an active driveway to a private residence. Gravel, but generally under trees, and seldom traveled by vehicles. | ||||
| Great Pasture Trail | 1 | N | = | Maria= n Trail | Monte = Rosa | A sho= rt trail with a moderately steep climb from the Mossy Brook valley to Monte Rosa | ||||||
| Hello Rock | 1 | N | = | Halfw= ay House/Halfway house | Cliff = Walk | Short connecting trail | ||||||
| Point Surprise | 2 | N | = | Halfw= ay House/Halfway house | Cliff = Walk | Short connecting trail | ||||||
| Monte Rosa | 4 | A | White = Arrow, Smith Summit | White Arrow/Halfway House | Fairy = Spring Tr./Monte Rosa | A longer alter= native to the Fairy Spring Trail, <= /td> | ||||||
| Hinkley | 0.7 | 147 | 45 | 1 | N | Harlin= g, Cascade Link and others | Poole= Road | Harlin= g Trail | A sho= rt, fairly level trail following a brook for much of it's length. Leads to the Harli= ng Trail to bypass the HQ parking area. | |||
| Mossy Brook | 0.8 | 1.3 | 267 | 81 | 1 | N | = | White= Arrow Trail | Marian= 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 tur= ns more northerly. | ||
| 7/3/2007 11:52 | ||||||||||||
| Conversions | ||||||||||||
| feet to meters | 1 | 0.305 | ||||||||||
| yards to meters | 1 | 0.915 | ||||||||||
| meters to feet | 1 | 3.279 | ||||||||||
| meters to yards | 1 | 1.093 | ||||||||||
| miles to kilometers | 1 | 1.610 | ||||||||||
| kilometers to miles | 1 | 0.621 |