The Lyon Brook Trail it's one of the most popular hiking trails in the town of New London, New…read moreHampshire. It can either be a point to point at 2.5 miles, or a 5 mile round trip. There is parking at both of the trail heads on Trussell Ridge Road (about 100 yards from Exit 11 on I-89) and at Parkside Road nearby the center of New London. The trail is generally flat, following the contours of Lyon Brook as it meanders from Parkside and County Roads through its Trussell Ridge Road trailhead and then the Brook continues to become the headwaters for Keezar Lake. There is only one part of the trail on Pleasant Road as the trail segments are separated by about 200 feet. The trail is maintained by the New London Conservation Commission and goes through both public and private land, including the New London Outing Club property. It's a great trail for leashed dogs. However, unleashed animals run the risk of a wildlife encounter as the trail traverses wilderness that are home to bears and coyotes. As well, the trail has junctions with the Knights Hill Wildlife Preserve, where pet animals are absolutely forbidden.

Wow ! What a hidden gem ! We were visiting Ludlow VT and saw this fall . Kids wanted to enjoy…read morewater and this was a perfect choice for us . The water was colddddddddddd though. Ufff . Very cold . The first dip was tough ! Later once you get use of it , it felt a bit better . Pathway was a bit crazy , in some places .it is about a 2 mile walk but we just went not too far : .. the lower and middle falls is also accessible from car parking lots outside . Parking is outside and sometimes you have to park 5-8 mins away from the falls . Not much of restrooms around . Lots of dogs in the water :) It was an amazing tint though ! Loved it . 5 stars !

As we were staying near Ludlow, I had put this on our schedule as a "check it out whenever time…read morepermits" item. We drove back after visiting some places to the north, and were passing this around 4 p.m. so we checked it out. This was in early October and the sun was just starting to go down. Though it was pre-dusk, it would be better to visit this site in full sunlight. There are 3 separate falls (the creatively named upper, middle, and lower). You access them from the main highway via a side road that starts as paved but soon becomes (good) dirt/gravel. The total length is less than 2 miles. You first get to a wide spot / parking area from which you can access the middle and lower falls. A trail leads down a hill where you must choose which falls to visit. The middle falls is impressive. It is probably the easiest one to access. The area from which you have the best view is a bit rocky, but navigable. It makes for nice photos. The lower falls appeared accessible from a side trail that descended a bit more steeply. You can also see it from above (somewhat) without descending. It appeared smaller and less photogenic than the middle falls. We then drove another 1/4 mile up the road (to its end) to check out the upper falls. There is a sharp short descent from the road to the top of the falls. It appeared to have a fairly large pool at the bottom and a flat dirt/sand area where some people had laid out a blanket for a picnic. The light was fading more so we skipped walking down the relatively gentle slope to check it out further. If you are in the area and have time, this is a nice spot to visit. It is within 3 miles of Ludlow. I cannot comment on what the swimming is like, but I saw references to that online (during summers, I guess).

Beautiful hike up in the White Mountains of NH that leads you to the summit of a fire tower with…read morebeautiful vistas of the range up at the top. The hike will take someone a few hours, give or take the same few hours based on your hiking experience, pace preference, desire to stop, snack, take in the sights and explore. Get ready for a nice time out in nature when you start the trail. Parking is scarce, you'll likely just park on the side of the road (it's free though) and hope you don't get sideswiped as you start the hike. There's some definite elevation, but it's not super steep or overwhelming like some of the more challenging peaks in NH (Mt Washington for instance!). In the winter, be sure to have snow shoes and spikes. This hike is unique in the firetower at the top which you can access! Everyone I met on the trail was super COVID conscious and put masks on as I passed, which was so appreciated as well. If you're staying in the beautiful town of North Conway, this hike is only a few minutes away - so be sure to check it out! At the top, you'll see views of the tallest peak of the northeast (Mt Washington) on a clear day! I wish this trail was more of a loop, but the out and back was nice too!

Four bucks pays for the ride up then a great hike awaits you. Took the easier of the two trails…read more(stay to the right.) Make it to the top for a view that makes everyday life seem ridiculous. Bugs weren't terrible so you could probably get away with some lemon/lavender oil. Enjoy!

The Kidder Brook Trail is a 1.2 mile one-way or a 2.4 mile round trip through some pristine water…read morescenery. It is both, one of the most popular and also one of the most beautiful trails in the New London area. The trail is managed by the New London Conservation Commission. From the parking area at the bridge on Twin Lake Villa Road, it crosses a stone bridge and ascends 230 feet along Kidder Brook with amazing views of the flowing brook, rushing water, water falls, and views, culminating in a beautiful lake. A camera, either a stand alone or a smartphone, is a must have to capture this trail. Numerous brook scenes with flowing water, gorgeous mature pine forest scenes, and granite formations are part of the trail. This trail also crosses several other trails including the Sunapee, Ragged and Kearsarge Greenway, a magnificent, multi day trail. It also crosses and can join with the Morgan Pond Trail A must see in the area.

This is a cool spot to cool down when it's hot. I would Recommend going to this place.read more

Hurricane Irene really took a toll on 20 foot hole. Most of the stream (and much of VT for that…read morematter) was devistated from huge flash flooding and the swimming hole was filled in with mud, silt,and rocks. Some of the locals have been trying to restore the swimming hole by scooping out the mud with buckets. I will update more this summer on this progress.

This is easily my favorite hike on the east coast. I am certainly biased though - I attended…read moreColby-Sawyer College which is about 15 minutes away from the trail head. Each fall semester we would have a random holiday coined "Mountain Day" where at 10:00 AM the entire school climbs and enjoys the barbecue area at the trail head. I have nothing but fond summer, fall, and microspike infused winter hiking memories here. If you have the means to summit Mt.Kearsarge for the sunset or sunrise, do yourself a favor and get up there. It is simply breathtaking. Without having to travel the additional 2 hours to the White Mountains.. it can't be beat. Note: There are various trails up Kearsarge ranging in difficulty. The one on the Warner side allows you to drive a lot of the way up. On the opposite side of the mountain there is a trail about 1-1.1 miles long (more difficult and steep) and one that is about 1.5 miles long (more gradual and forgiving)

Winslow State Park is one of the trail heads to Mt. Kearsarge. I took the Winslow Trail to the…read moresummit. It is a short 1.1 mi hike, it starts off very rootsy so watch your step so you wouldn't trip on the way up. Then it gets pretty steep near the middle of the hike and rocky. The day that I went was very sunny and dry, so if it was rainy I would think it would be very slippery from the rocks. Once at the top, the view is simply amazing. It is a 360 degree view of rolling hills covered in trees. When I went the leaves just started to change colors so there were speckles of orange and reds in a sea of rolling green tree tops. An added bonus on my hike was that I was able to enter the fire watch tower since that day was classified as a "level 3" fire hazard for the area (whatever that means...) The tower sits another 50 feet above the tippity top and offered shelter from the wind. I definitely recommend this hike since it is relatively short and offers an amazing view!

I was looking for a short and easy hike with views and this place popped up after searching the…read moreinternet. There's a dirt road that leads to the parking area for this trail. The parking lot was packed when we went but some people were parking on the side of the road. There's a sign at the beginning of the trail which is a boardwalk. The boardwalk was nicely maintained and easy to walk on. The whole trail is 0.5 miles and it's out and back. Once we got to the dirt trail, there were a couple of other trail entrances which connects to the larger Appalachian Trail; we decided to head to the waterfall. There was a viewing platform and the waterfall was majestic! We climbed up to near the top of the waterfall and it was steep but worth it. If you're looking for an easy and kid-friendly hike, this is the one you can't miss if you're in the area. I also think it's stroller friendly.

Very easy hike to this huge, powerful waterfall…read more Since we were there in early April, snow has not been melted away. The first part of the walk was easy with clean planks, about half way. But towards the last part of the walk was a bit icy, so walk slowly. Nothing too concerned, but just be mindful of this. Be cautious and take your time, and you will get to the fall in time.

Winter lunch at the Castle was so fun! Tables located in historic converted stable at the carriage…read morehouse. Set menu including starter and entree with n/a drink and gratuity at a reasonable cost. Food was excellent as was the service. Highly recommend- note reservations are required

The scenic road is a MUST (and also a one-way up). There's hiking trails and grounds to explore at…read moreno charge. The paths from what I could tell were pretty well maintained and there were a lot of people hiking in the area. There's a scenic overlook which has quarter operated viewfinders. Once you get to the Carriage House, if you want to take the trolley up to see the "Castle" (house), there's a cost. Adults are $23 and 4 + under a free. The trolley goes every 15 minutes. Once you get to the top, you have to watch a 7 minute video about the estate prior to walking around / taking a tour. The grounds are pretty but it's the view you're looking for. The house is okay, it's neat because most of the furniture is original to the property. But I feel like once you've seen one historic rich man's house, you've seen them all. No dogs or strollers are allowed up to the castle, by the way. There's also only a porta potty available up there. The carriage house has a restroom & a restaurant. There's a cute little gift shop nearby, too. The main draw for all the kids is the candy. Once you walk down to the pond area, there's a little shack "Cafe in the Clouds" which serves Gifford ice cream and some delicious sandwiches - I recommend the turkey pesto! Overall, it's a nice way to spend a morning but if you're not interested in the house itself, there's still plenty to do on the property.