Monadnock Trails, Monadnock Mountain, New Hampshire Hiking, New Hampshire Trails, Maps, Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey, Hiking New Hampshire, Mt Monadnock, NH
Monadnock Trails; News, Weather, and Recent Hikes
Current Weather Conditions:
More Weather Information
Mountain Weather and Climate
It is late summer on Mount Monadnock. The bugs seem to be less prevalent but mosquitoes are more likely to carry EEE or West Nile Virus and bug repellent is still recommended. If the weather is hot, it is recommended to hike early in the morning to beat the heat although it still can be humid. It is advisable to bring extra water, at least 2 quarts of water. Accidents can occur and made worse on the mountain because of dehydration. If it is a breezy day and you are familiar with the mountain hiking trails that are exposed to the wind can be refreshing. If there is a west wind, White Arrow, Smith Summit, Marlboro, or Dublin Trails may be a good choice. If there is an east breeze, the White Dot Trail, and adjacent trails may be a good choice. Sometimes a cold windswept rain can occur high on the mountain. The upper 300 to 400 feet of the mountain is above tree-line, can be brisk and is fully exposed to severe weather. Be prepared for such conditions if hiking with just a chance of bad weather.
The weather conditions on top of Monadnock average about 10 degrees cooler than the valleys below not including wind chill. In spring and fall be prepared for brisk cold conditions on top, bring a windbreaker and fleece. In the summer the afternoons can be hot, be sure to bring at least 2 quarts of water. Allow at least 3-4 hours to hike directly up and down the mountain, if storms are likely there isn't any shelter and the mountain is very exposed so choose another day. In winter do not wear any cotton and be prepared for sub-zero wind chills and icy trail conditions.
Current Trail Conditions
Trails can be muddy and hiking boots are recommended and not white sneakers. The mosquitoes and black flies are out and bug repellent such as DEET should help. Higher up the mountain is exposed and breezy which keeps the bugs to a minimum. Sometimes a cold windswept rain can occur high on the mountain. The upper 300 to 400 feet of the mountain is above tree-line, can be brisk and is fully exposed to severe weather. Be prepared for such conditions if hiking with just a chance of bad weather. It can be hot hiking the mountain and it is advisable to carry 2 quarts of water per person on a hike of Monadnock. Check the weather before hiking.
Gilson Pond Campground is Now Open
Gilson Pond Campground is now open as of July 9, 2010. It is a nice new campground including new tables and everything. Gilson Pond Campground is the first new campground in the NH State Park System in over 40 years! This new family camping area at Monadnock State Park and is located just down the road from the park headquarters area at 585 Dublin Road, Jaffrey, NH 03452. The new campground has 35 campsites that can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs plus 5 remote hike-to sites. A new bathhouse with showers and playground complete this facility. There are several trails leaving the area that lead to the summit of Mount Monadnock or shorter hikes around the state park. Mount Monadnock can be hiked from the campground via Birchtoft Trail from Gilson Pond. The new Hinkley Trail extension connects to the State Park and all the trail that emanate from headquarters such as the White Dot, White Cross and Parker to Lost Farm Trails. Reservations are being accepted for Gilson Pond Campground, the headquarters camping area is no longer available for family camping. Monadnock State Park Headquarters camping area will be open for winter camping. Campground Rates for 2010 are $18 to $25 per night.
Update: Hornets Nest Sting Hikers, July and August 2010
Along the Monte Rosa Trail there is a hornets nest and a number of hikers have gotten stung by hornets. Hiking the Fairy Spring Trail may be a better and safer alternative. Hikers hike the trails at their own risk and it is a good idea to use caution hiking the Monte Rosa Trail. In July 7+ hikers got stung on Monte Rosa Trail.
Correction: I had an earlier July story reported to the ranger that it was a bee's nest and it was at the Fairy Spring/Monte Rosa junction, however, I have since got a more credible report directly from a ranger who hikes the mountain and got stung by black and white hornets.
Recent Ice Storms on Monadnock
After a recent ice storm in late March 2010, the State Park has cleared many trails. Hiking on the mountain you may see many spruce trees higher up down and snapped. In the lower elevations especially around State Park headquarters you can see much damage to the hardwood forest from the ice storm of December 2008 making for two winters in a row of severe icing.
Below: Bald Rock from nearby Inspiration Rock
;)
Trails are being blazed with Markers
The hiking trails as well as the Cross Country Ski Trails are getting blazed. The Cliff Walk has been marked with orange disks. The Ski Trails have been marked with blue diamonds. The Great Pasture Trail was recently marked with yellow markers and soon more trails may be blazed so people will not as likely get lost on the trails.
Ice Storm Update: All trails are now Open
All the trails are now open. High on the mountain a severe ice storm created quite a bit of damage in March 2010 to the spruce. The State Park has cleared the trails in the wake of the storm and did not close the park.
The December '08 severe ice storm had created significant damage throughout southern New Hampshire. The ice storm caused a complete closure of the state park the winter of 2008-2009, however the Halfway House Trails from 124 were not hit bad. The severe damage to the forest is still quite evident hiking in Monadnock State Park Reservation, although now the trails are cleared. The trails in the state park reservation on the southeast side of the mountain and cross country ski trails were severely impacted as well as other trails accessing the mountain. All hiking trails as well as the cross country ski trails are now open. The ski trails were cleared during volunteer trail week sponsored by the Forest Society, July 11th-15th 2009. The White Cross Trail from Falcon junction to Spruce Link is closed see: Monadnock Trail News below.
Monadnock Trails News
Some Current Trails are Abandoned or Changed
Monadnock State Park 2009 has now closed / abandoned a few more trails.
The White Cross Trail from Falcon Spring junction/White Dot Trail (lower junction) to Spruce Link is now closed, a 2.2 mile course to the summit. Spruce Link to White Cross is now the White Cross for a hike 2.1 miles to the summit with the White Dot Trail being 1.9-2.0 miles to summit. The reason for this is to simplify search and rescues because searchers would have to check 2 trails instead of the current 3 courses to the summit. Another reason is to keep Falcon Spring from being polluted by hikers on the path directly over the spring. Some people drink from it, which isn't recommended. White Cross via Falcon junction is closed and likely wont be re-opened.
The Smith Connecter from White Cross Trail across White Dot Trail to Red Spot Trail has been removed from maps. This is a lesser used trail but a fine open hike with continuous views of the summit leading to and from the Red Spot and Pumpelly Trails. This area is one of the remaining areas of the plateau not to be reforested. Some hikers hiking the White Dot Trail end up going the wrong way according to the rangers. This is a trail that has been used by hikers accessing the summit when rangers have closed the summit, in one case resulted in hikers that had to be rescued. The Smith Connector from White Cross to Bald Rock will remain maintained.
Many trails have been abandoned / closed in the past on Monadnock. Some have faded to obscurity and some can still be followed. See Monadnock's Abandoned Trails Page.
Hinkley Trail to be extended
from Poole Road to Birchtoft Trail
The State Park has extended the Hinkley Trail to the Birchtoft Trail along an existing cross country ski trail. The purpose of this is for hikers that descend to headquarters but need to get back to Gilson Pond Campground. The rangers will direct them to the Hinkley Trail to Birchtoft back to Gilson Pond. The Hinkley Trail would serve as a connecter trail much like the Parker Trail if someone heads down the wrong way between headquarters and the Old Toll Road. The current signs for the Hinkley Trail from Poole Road is set well back from the road and hikers will need to scan the woods to find the Hinkley Trail sign but once on the trail it is well marked.
Below: Smith Connector (section no longer on current map)
;)
New Monadnock Trails 2009 Map
On this site there is a new 2009 InteractiveMap that is updated to the current layout of trails. There have been some recent changes to the trails. The 2009 Map covers all the currently maintained trails as well as many points of interest on Monanock. An AbandonedTrailsMap that was posted recently that included a number of abandoned trails is no longer linked from this site. There is still some abandoned trails information available on the AbandonedTrails page. The reason for this is to keep it more simple for inexperienced hikers so they don't get lost. The State Park Rangers rangers also objected to the map, saying that I should change it. Many hikers don't explore Monadnock much, anyway. The primary tracts of land were granted for public pleasure. There is much more to see in a hike of Monadnock than the summit.
Below: Monte Rosa
Monadnock Trails to visit:
Monadnock Trails website: Author, Creator, and photos by Frederick Pitcher 2010
Use of the information on this site is the sole risk of the user. The author is not responsible for the trails or anyone's ability to follow them. In addition to the trails there are certain places in this website described that are off trail. Anyone exploring Monadnock does so at their own risk.
Tags: Monadnock Trails, Monadnock Mountain, New Hampshire Hiking, New Hampshire Trails, Maps, Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey, Hiking New Hampshire, Mt Monadnock, NH