Trail Tour

The North Branch: New Hampshire & Quebec

Although this page isn't finished yet, here is a summary overview of the route:

In New Hampshire

0. Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock is the nexus of the proposed New England Trail; from its summit each of the proposed trail branches--North, West, and East--radiate out. From the summit, the East Branch descends into the Contocook River Valley and ascends the Wapack Range; the north branch traverses a highland ridge to Mount Sunapee via the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway; and the west branch follows the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail south into the highlands of central Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley. 

1.  The Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail (MSG) (THe NET would use the entire MSG footpath).

2.  Eliza Adams Gorge 

3.  Childs Bog (scenic northern wetland)

4.  Nelson Village (A classic New England hamlet common)

5. Pitcher Mountain and barrens (high heath and blueberry barrens with expansive views)

6.  Lovewell Mountain (A rugged monadnock)

7. Sunapee Ridge and Lake Solitude (A long mountain ridge with views and a high elevation glacial lake)

8. Sunapee-Ragged Kearsarge Greenway Trail. (The NET would use part of this long distance loop trail)

9. John Hay Reservation/ Sunset Hill (gardens and summer home of early conservationist; rugged climbing and views from Sunset Hill)

10  Mount Kearsarge (dominant mountain with high rocky ledges)

11.  Ragged Mountain  (Rugged topography and ledges)

12. Bog Mountain (a small Monadnock with excellent views over the surrounding wetlands)

13 Gile State Forest and Butterfield Pond (old pegmatite mines, wetlands, and rugged topography)

14. Grafton Pond and Banks Pinnacle (undeveloped scenic lake; exposed cliff composed almost entirely of quartz)

15. Isinglass Mountain 

16. Mount Cardigan (classic barren New England Summit with extensive views and rugged terrain)

17. Sculptured Rocks (water carved potholes, cascades and chasm)

18.  Crosby and Tenney Mountains 

19. Plymouth Mountain and Rainbow Falls (prominent peak overlooking the Merrimack Valley; attractive waterfall)

20 Town of Plymouth and the Pemigewassett River 

21. Livermore Falls. (gorge, falls and popular swimming area)

22. The Squam Range and Mount Israel (excellent views of Squam Lakes)

23. The Sandwich Range (the first of the high White Mountains peaks).

24. Waterville Valley (small New Hampshire ski town common nestled in the White Mountains  is the highest town in the state)

25. Mount Tripyramid (Rugged 4,000 footer with notable slides)

26. Whiteface, Passaconway, and Paugus mountains (excellent views of the lakes region)

27. Mount Chocorua (one of the most popular mountains in the WMNF; known for its classic conical shape and barren summit)

28. White Ledge (A high, sheer east facing cliff)

29. Swift River Gorge (A popular stop on the Kancamagus Highway).

30. Moat Range (barren peak overlooking the Conway valley)

31. Diana's Bath (A series of water sculpted potholes and waterfalls)

32. Cathedral and White Horse Ledges (among the highest sheer ledges in the Northeast)

33. Attitash Mountain and the Saco River

34. The Montalbon Ridge (A long, isolated mountain ridge that precedes Mount Washington. Including the following mountains: Stanton, Pickering, Langdon, Parker, Resolution, Stairs, Davis, and Isolation). 

35. Mount Washington (Alpine summit; highest point in the Northeast U.S.). 

36. Mount Jefferson and Adams  (Scenic alpine summits)

37. The Crescent Range (Ledges and boreal summits)

38. Cabot and Weeks Mountain; Roger's Ledge, and the Killkenny Ridge (remote, boreal region with occasional barren summits)

39. Devil's Hopyard and South Pond (boulder filled chasm and clear mountain pond). 

30. The Cohos Trail (The NET would follow much of the route of this fine northern hiking trail north to Canada)

31. Stark Village, Devil's Slide, Bald Peak, Victor Head (A classic New England hamlet and overlooking sheer cliff; rounded, bald viewpoints)

32. Percy Peaks (Very scenic barren mountain with symmetric twin summits)

33. Sugarloaf Mountain and Nash Stream (remote mountain topography)

35. Baldhead 

36. Table Rock, Dixville Notch (narrow finger of rock overlooking the valley below; waterfalls; historic grand hotel)

37. Tumble Dick Mountain and Coleman State Park (rugged mountains, remote lakes, and boreal forests)

38. Pisgah and the High Country Trail (The HCT is a proposed eastern extension of the Cohos Trail through the most remote region of New England)

39. Mount Magalloway and Diamond Ridge (remote high peaks with sharp cliffs) 

40. Connecticut Lakes and Deer Mountain. (headwaters of the Connecticut River; clear lakes, cascading rivers, scenic peaks)

In Quebec

41. Border Mountains (remote range on the U.S./ Quebec border; lonesome mountain ponds in between rugged boreal peaks)  

42. Sentiers Frontaliers (network of trails through the scenic rural Salmon River Valley between the Border Mtns. and Mt. Megtantic)  

43. Mount Megantic (unusual horseshoe-shaped isolated mountain range with ledges, observatory, and mountaintop chapel)

Link to North Branch Resource List