Intro

Synopsis of Route

The proposed route is as varied as the terrain of New England itself. 

The New England Trail would include three main branches, North, East and West, radiating out from a common nexus, the dramatic and isolated 3,165 foot high summit of Grand Monadnock in southern New Hampshire. 

The West Branch

From the Connecticut city of New Haven at Long Island Sound to Amherst, Massachusetts, the West Branch of this proposed trail would follow the great traprock ledges of the Metacomet Ridge that parallels the Connecticut River and Quinnipiac River valleys through southern New England. Trails in this region are famous for having more miles of scenic cliff face hiking than any other area in New England. The mountains here are known for their specialized and biologically diverse microclimates. Highlights include East Rock and West Rock, the Sleeping Giant, Higby Mountain, Lamentation Mountain, the Hanging Hills of Meriden, Ragged Mountain, Talcott Mountain,  Peak Mountain, Mount Tom, and Mount Holyoke. Important historic sites include Heublein Tower, Hill Stead Museum, and Hubbard Park.

North of the Metacomet Ridge, the West Branch would pass through the dark hemlock-clad ravines and mountains of the central New England upland. Highlights include the conglomerate Mount Toby and Roaring Falls; the Millers River Highlands; Mount Grace; the many waterfalls of Royalston; and in New Hampshire, Little Monadnock, Gap Mountain, and the extensive, northernmost  stands of native Rhododendron at Rhododendron State Park. 

The East Branch

The East Branch in Rhode Island is characterized by sparkling glacial kettle ponds, ice-scarred rock formations, and a remoteness that is surprising to those unfamiliar with the back country of the Ocean State. Highlights include the pristine Ninigret Beach, the lakes of Watchaug Pond and Bowdish Reservoir, the classic New England Moosup River Hill towns, mysterious pre-colonial stone structures of the Foster Plateau, gorgeous marshlands and abandoned farms of Carolina and Nicholas Farm, and the high ledges, riverways, and woodlands of Arcadia State Park including Rhode Island's Mount Tom and Stepstone Falls. Much of the route shadows eastern Connecticut and is part of a biodiverse, multi-state Nature Conservancy target area known as the Pawcatuck Borderlands.

The East Branch in Massachusetts and New Hampshire is a jumble of high, scenic drumlins and small monadnocks peppered with both abandoned and active classic New England farmland. It culminates in the spectacular 20-mile ridge walk of the Wapack Range of southern New Hampshire. Highlights include the clear, sparkling waters of Wallum Lake and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffumville Lake and Hodges Village Dam projects; the high, bald drumlins of Spencer and Charlton, the vast wildlife corridor of the Ware River Headwaters Region; Mount Wachusett and the rock climbing mecca of the Crow Hills; Mount Watatic; and, of course, the Wapack Range.   

The North Branch

The North Branch would first pass over the wild backbone of southern New Hampshire, visiting its most scenic regions, including, Mount Sunapee, Ragged Mountain, Mount Kearsarge, Mount Cardigan, Sculptured Rocks, Plymouth Mountain, and the Squam Range in the Lakes Region. In the north, it would traverse the White Mountains and remote peaks of the Kilkenny Ridge, Nash Stream Forest, Dixville Notch, Mount Magalloway, and on to the Connecticut River Headwaters and Lakes. Finally, the route would make its way into Quebec to the isolated and dramatic granite summit of Mount Megantic. Highlights include numerous waterfalls, remote wilderness areas, alpine peaks, abandoned mines, and boreal bogs.

Current trails 

The New England Trail proposal suggests using portions of the following trails: *

The West Branch in Connecticut: 
The Regicides, Quinnipiac, Mattabessett, and Metacomet Trails. 

The West Branch in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire: 
The Metacoment-Monadnock Trail, Robert Frost Trail and the Tully Trail.

The East Branch in Rhode Island: 
The North-South Trail and the East Coast Greenway. 

The East Branch in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire:
The Midstate Trail, the French River Greenway (proposed), Wachusett Greenways, and Wapack Trail. 

The North Branch: 
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail; the Sunapee- Kearsarge-Ragged Greenway; the trails of Gile Forest, Mount Cardigan and the Plymouth Mountain region; the Squam Range trails; various trails in the White Mountains; the Cohos Trail in Northern New Hampshire; and, in Quebec, the trails of the Sentier Frontaliers Club and Parc national du Mont-Mégantic.  

For a detailed description of the proposed route, please take the Trail Tour.

*Note: While this proposal suggests taking advantage of the footways of existing trails, it does not always seek to follow them precisely. This does not indicate a snub of existing trail routes or the monumental efforts of groups responsible for them, nor does it suggest that existing trails should be re-routed. The New England Trail proposal recognizes and respects the historic, aesthetic, and recreational value of existing trails. Where the proposed route of the New England Trail diverges from existing trailways, it does so to include certain inspiring features within its route, to promote the creation of more trails in specific areas, and to highlight public awareness of certain features which merit attention.