Become an Alton Trail Chaser!
local hiking challenge
Alton, NH is famous for Mount Major, but did you know there are a total of 14 official public hiking trails/destinations within town borders?
From easy forest walks to challenging rock scrambles, and everything in between, there is something here for everyone. Celebrate what our town has to offer and #hikelocal!
As a pursuer of hiking patches, graphic designer, and lifelong Altonian, I thought it fitting that I create a local hiking challenge that encompasses all of our trails. Not only is Alton a gateway to the Belknap Mountain Range with its beloved hikes & views, the town also has multiple other conserved properties with diverse trails to explore. There's so much to do here, it's easy to find an excuse to not drive further for a hike. 😉 Of course, non-local visitors can find plenty of adventures to fill their time here as well, and might even travel just to hike in our lovely town!
About the Alton Trail Chaser challenge:
Hike all of the destinations on the list (details below) to earn the patch. Trails may be completed in any order, and there is no time limit. This is not a redlining challenge, so when there are multiple route options, you may choose your own adventure. Past hikes can count - though I encourage you to revisit some trails if it's been a long time!
Required Trails:
- B&M Rail Trail
- Quannippi Trail
- Trask Swamp
- Levy Park
- Knights Pond
- Cotton-Hurd
- Gilman Pond
- Burke Trail
- Pine Mt.
- Blueberry Pasture Trail to Straightback Mt.
- Anna Goat Trail
- Precipice Path
- Mt. Major
- Steinwachs Trail to Quarry Mts.
Click here to see all the trailheads on Google Maps
Once you've completed all of the required hikes, fill out and submit this form along with $10 per patch to cover costs. (Like most patch programs, finishing is based on the honor system.)
Congratulations! You are now an Alton Trail Chaser!
View finishers list
YES, your dog/pet can earn the patch too, as long as they hike the trails with their own paws! 🐾
Share your enthusiasm!
I love to be part of your journey. Tag @trailchaserofficial, #ATChike and #altonnhtrails on social media when you post about your ATC hike. 💜
Get a shirt, stickers, or other merch at any time to celebrate Alton's trails and keep you motivated as you pursue the patch! 20% of all profits go to conservation organizations!
Shop Trail Chaser Merch on Fine Art America
About the 14 official Alton trails:
B&M Railroad Park & John Racine Trail
Description:
.5 mile end-to-end. Easy. Wide gravel walking/biking path that runs
from the center of town at the junction of Rt. 11/Old Wolfeboro Rd. to
Rt. 28 across from Hannaford. Nice shaded path, and convenient access
point to shopping. Continue along sidewalks to make a loop around town
if you wish! Railroad park features playground, picnic area, and
historic train station.
Parking: B&M lot on Depot Rd. by police station, or on-street in town.
Description:
1.7 miles end-to-end. Easy. Varied trail stretching from Rt. 140 to
the Bay. (Official ends are Liberty Tree Park and the Alton Bay
Community Center.) Trail offers a pleasant mix of terrain and sights.
Part of it is road walking. Connected parks feature multiple other
recreation opportunities.
Parking: Liberty Tree Park, Rt. 140 by fire station; or Jones Field, Letter S Rd.; or at the Bay.
Description:
Less than 1 mile to 2-3 miles total, depending on route. Easy. Great
for hiking or snowshoeing. Trail is relatively wide, smooth, and
primarily flat. Further end of red trail gets a bit rolly and rockier,
and blue trail down to the pond has mild elevation change. Keep it
simple and loop out and back to the pond, or enjoy a longer hike by
exploring the entire trail system. Yellow trails in the middle offer
gentle elevation gain and nice forest sights.
Levey Park
Description:
1 to 2 miles. Easy, but hilly. You wouldn't expect it, but this
winding little trail system is a surprisingly good workout. Lots of ups
and downs. Good for a quick hike to get the blood pumping. Nice 10
acre woodland, views of Merrymeeting River and Lake Winnipesaukee, and
picnic area near parking.
Description:
2.5 to 3.8 miles. Moderately easy. Begin on gravel access road to
loop trail around pond. Hiking trail can be rocky and slightly
rolling. Expect water and mud during wet seasons (stepping stones are
present but not always dry). Great nature hike with several pond
viewpoints, a tiny beach, cool boulder field, and beaver dams. Hike
around main trail from kiosk, including peninsula spur, is 2.8 miles.
Road walk from outside the gate adds 1 mile total. Road walk just to
the beach and back is 1.7 miles.
Description: 1.4 to 1.7+ miles. Easy to moderate. Terrain varies from smooth to slightly rocky & rooty. Blue trail is fairly easy, with minor elevation changes, while yellow trail is much hillier and longer. Hike starts with a slope down towards a lovely brook, which blue trail follows. On yellow, there is a neat rock "cave," as well as a scrambly spot with a climbing rope. Pleasant woodland surroundings, stone walls, nice shade in summer, and great for winter snowshoeing.
Parking: Chestnut Cove Rd. just off Rt. 28. Good sized lot, accessible year-round. Description:
Approximately 2 miles. Easy to low moderate. Most of this trail
system is smooth traveling with minor elevation changes. Part of the
blue trail along the pond is surprisingly hikey, featuring awesome cliff
walls and a bit of scrambling over ledges. Gilman Pond Conservation
Area is prized for it's diverse ecosystem, and offers a variety of
enjoyable sights along its trails. Choose your adventure!
Description:
Approximately 1 mile. Low moderate. Woodland trails with a decent
amount of elevation gain. Good little workout. Typically rocky
footing. A couple pretty spots in the forest. Lower parts are often
mucky in wet seasons. Nice for snowshoeing.
Description:
1.5 to 2+ miles. Moderate/low moderate. Pine Mt. might be the perfect
hike. It gives you a "big bang for your buck" - being short enough to
squeeze in a tight schedule, easy enough for most able-bodied people,
but still a workout (it is a mountain after all), with varied trails,
and consistently beautiful views as your reward. The trail begins
relatively flat/gradual for a nice warmup, passing a lovely field and
winding through pretty forest. It then begins climbing towards the
summit over mixed terrain. The shortest route continues straight, and
has a semi-steep rocky section, while the trail looping around to the
right is a bit gentler but longer, meandering through the woods.
Another option is coming up the north side from Alton Mt. Rd. on the MJM
trail, which is a grassy access road that kind of switchbacks up. All
routes have pretty little viewpoints along the way, and the summit
offers an expansive panoramic view of the lakes and surrounding
mountains. It's quite like a "mini-Mt. Major," although while popular,
it's not usually overcrowded. Awesome for sunset hikes or mountaintop
yoga! A bench has recently been added to the summit, too. Pine Mt. is
fantastic in all seasons; a true hidden gem in our town.
Blueberry Pasture Trail to Straightback Mtn.
Description: 4.5
miles out & back. Moderate. Straightback is another excellent
hike in all seasons. Technically it has two summits; the South peak is
the "official" one for this and other patch programs. The trail begins
by venturing through "The Silent People"
and onto a snowmobile trail (Old Stage Road), which gently travels to a
junction where Blueberry Pasture Trail splits off. You continue
working your way up the mountain on similar terrain, with steady
elevation gain. Finally you reach a nice viewpoint on Blueberry
Pasture, then keep hiking on Straightback Mountain Trail to the summit,
crossing open rock slabs. Here you are surrounded by panoramic views of
lakes and mountains, both near and far. It's a beautiful traverse,
well worth the distance and effort. Use caution on rocks when wet, as
they can be very slippery. Keep left while hiking, as there are a
couple splits along Old Stage Road.
Parking: Lots at end of Alton Mt. Rd. Trailhead on right, before kiosk.
Anna Goat Trail to Mt. Anna
Description:
3.2 miles out & back. Moderate. Summit of Mt. Anna is just over
the Gilmanton border, but 99% of Goat trail runs through Alton. This is
a wooded hike with minimal views (there are some seasonal filtered
views, plus a tiny pond). The trail itself is decent, and quality time
in the forest. It's also a convenient access point to other Belknap
Range peaks, and a solid workout in itself. You begin hiking downhill
on Old Stage Road (snowmobile trail), crossing an oft-flooded section by
the beaver pond. Shortly after this, the trail starts ascending
towards a junction, where there is a sign on your right for Anna,
Precipice, etc. Watch for markings along the snowmobile trail to avoid
turning on unofficial splits. There are a couple easy water crossings
on Goat trail, which climbs steadily for most of the remaining hike.
Pause to take in the forest while you catch your breath. After tagging
the summit, you might choose to make a loop with Straightback and
descend on Blueberry, which would total 5.3 miles and a couple hundred
more feet of elevation. If you return on Goat, you get an extra workout
by ending with the infamous long uphill on Old Stage Road back to the
parking lot.
Description:
"Never underestimate the Belknaps!" Mileage depends on route.
Moderate with challenging sections. Trail begins as if you were hiking
Mt. Anna. At the junction, follow purple blazes to the right for
Precipice Path. Shortly ahead, the trail splits, with West Precipice
going left, and East Precipice going right. West Precipice is more
exciting than East. If you loop both, going clockwise is strongly
recommended. Be sure to wear footwear with good grip, and avoid hiking
here when wet. The west side takes you to a large, cascading waterfall
on a talus slope (most impressive in spring/rainy seasons). Here, the
trail becomes a rock scramble up the side of the falls. Yes, you
literally hike up a waterfall! From there, you continue along a narrow
cliffside trail, which offers some pretty viewpoints and sometimes
tricky footing. Beyond this ledge traverse, the trail becomes a lovely
path in the forest. Distance from parking to top of West Precipice is
1.7 miles; to top of East Precipice is 2 miles; looping both sides
totals 4.4 miles. Alternate routes: loop up West Precipice & down
Anna Goat is 3.4 miles; up East & down Straightback/Blueberry is 4.8
miles. Distance from parking just to waterfall & back totals
slightly over 1.5 miles.
Parking: Lots at end of Alton Mt. Rd. Trailhead at far end (left).
Description:
One of the most popular hikes in NH. 3.2 to 3.7 miles. Moderate/upper
moderate. As with most rocky hikes, proper footwear and dry conditions
(or spikes in winter) are safest. There are three primary routes to
the summit - the aptly named Main Trail, Brook Trail, and Boulder
Trail. All begin with a decent, not-too-difficult warmup, with moderate
elevation gain that levels off at times. Main Trail is the shortest
route, becoming increasingly steeper, and climbing over ledgey areas and
rock slabs. There are a couple workarounds for certain scrambles, but
it can still be a challenge for inexperienced or ill-equipped hikers.
Brook Trail skirts the more technical areas, following a stream part of
the way, and wraps around the back side of the summit. While longer,
it's an overall easier route, though mainly due to erosion, it does have
some rough footing in spots. (The Forest Society has been working hard
to improve these highly trafficked trails.) Boulder Trail wraps around
the other side of the mountain and, as one might guess, features rock
scrambles. However, it too is overall less steep than the main trail.
There are also Beaver Pond Trail or the Straightback Links as alternate,
but longer, routes to Mt. Major. The wide, open summit proves why this
is such a popular hike, with expansive views over the lakes to several
other mountain ranges, all the way to Mt. Washington on a clear day.
Some experienced hikers enjoy Mt. Major as a sunrise hike. The summit
also features an old stone fort, which has sadly been damaged over the
years, but remains iconic.
Steinwach Trailhead to Quarry Mts.
Description:
3.5 miles out & back to W. Quarry. Upper Moderate/Difficult. The
Steinwach/Reed Rd. trail leads to the Quarry Mountain Forest, with
another set of duel peaks. West Quarry is the "official" summit for
most patch programs. As the name suggests, the Quarrys can be rocky,
steep, and scrambly. East Quarry is more notoriously difficult than
West. While the western summit is in the trees, both offer small
viewpoints along their trails. If you enjoy a challenge, you may choose
to venture beyond the official western peak. (As with Precipice Path,
respect these "little" mountains and use caution and common sense.)
Reed Rd. is the least technical and shortest approach to W. Quarry, but
can still be a wicked workout. After a short road walk, the often
tight, grassy trail starts climbing immediately and steadily. A short
way in, you encounter grape vines growing wild on the side of the
trail. Reed Road Trail ends at the Dave Roberts Trail, with E. Quarry
shortly to the left, and W. Quarry further to the right. Tag a summit
or two, then return from whence you came.
Parking: Reed Rd. off Rt. 11A. Fairly big lot on left, approximately .7 mile down Reed. Not plowed in winter.
Search my blog for more info on Alton trails!
Rules:
- Be respectful and Leave No Trace.
- Pack out any waste (trash, food incl. fruit peels, etc.)
- Hike responsibly. Go prepared.
- Use appropriate footwear and gear.
- Honor your physical abilities and limits.
- Follow posted rules at trailheads.
- Park in designated areas only.
- Stay on the trails as much as possible.
- Respect nature, private property, and other hikers.
- Keep pets on leash and under control. Bag and carry out their poop.
- Remember trail access is a privilege; treat it as such.
Resources:
Belknap Range Conservation Coalition
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Lakes Region Conservation Trust
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