Join naturalist and community engagement manager, Kate Witte on Tuesday mornings for the fall Cheshire Walkers season. Each Tuesday morning from September through mid-October, we will explore hiking trails in towns across the Monadnock region. We'll look for interesting natural features and wildlife, meet new people, and get our steps in.
Cheshire Walkers is for ALL levels. Whether you're an avid hiker or just starting out, there is a hike for you! Every Tuesday from 9:30-11, September 1 through October 13. Select the hikes you would like to attend. Space is limited and registration is required. Click here to register! Each person in your group will need to complete this form.
For more information, contact Kate Witte, Witte@monadnockconservancy.org. Directions will be provided upon registration.
9/1/26: Eliza Adams Gorge Trail, Harrisville
Description: For this hike, we will walk 1.2 miles on the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail to Eliza Adams Gorge. It is an out and back hike totaling 2.4 miles. We will walk through a property that the Conservancy owns called the Gertrude Russell Forest. We will also pass by the Leighton State Forest. The gorge is on private land that the Conservancy holds a conservation easement on. The gorge is at the outlet of Howe Reservoir where there is a dam. We'll cross the town line from Dublin into Harrisville.
Distance: 2.4 miles
Breathing: Moderate
Footing: Moderate
Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education
9/8/26: Gramwick Trail, Jaffrey
Description: The Gramwick Trail is an easy out-and-back hike through gently rolling terrain along the scenic shoreline of Mountain Brook Reservoir in Jaffrey. The trail is named for Herb and Colette Gramm, who donated the property to the Monadnock Conservancy, and their friend Tom Sedgwick, who helped the Gramms build the trail for the enjoyment of the public. Our route will take us along gently rolling terrain on a well-established trail, with one modest hill to climb.
Distance: 2 miles
Breathing/Footing: Easy
9/15 Calhoun Family Forest, Gilsum
Description: The meandering trail network in the John and Rosemarie Calhoun Family Forest travels through a mixed hardwood-conifer forest rich with mosses and ferns. The trail follows White Brook, a quintessential babbling brook, as it makes its way to Porcupine Falls, over stone crossings, and into split rock meadow.
Distance: 2 miles
Breathing/Footing: Easy
9/22/26 Beech Hill, Dublin
Description: Dublin's Beech Hill, overlooking Dublin Lake, is the former site of a substance use disorder hospital. Following a period of decline and the hospital's closure, the land was purchased in 2006 by the Beech Hill-Dublin Lake Watershed Association in partnership with the Monadnock Conservancy. The buildings were subsequently demolished and the site restored to a meadow. Now permanently protected by a conservation easement held by the Conservancy, Beech Hill and its many trails are open to the public. Beech Hill features stunning views of Mt. Monadnock and a newly opened all-persons trail loop.
Distance: 2 miles
Breathing/Footing: Moderate to hard due to some sections of steep, uneven trail.
9/29/26 Surry Mountain Preserve, Gilsum
Description: The Surry Mountain Preserve boasts 1,324 acres of conserved, climate-resilient land with nearly nine miles of frontage along seven headwater streams. The beautiful and remote Lily Pond remains undeveloped, along with 16 acres of bogs, beaver ponds and other wetlands. The preserve’s healthy, well-managed forest lands continue to filter our air and water. Surry Mountain is open to the public as a place to take in an outdoor adventure, the inspiring vistas and revel in the restorative silence.
Distance: 2.5 miles
Breathing/Footing: Moderate
10/6/26 Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail, Walpole
Description: Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail is a non-profit organization with a mission of making nature and the outdoors accessible to everyone. It strives to inspire children and adults, no matter their ability, to cultivate an intimate connection to the natural world through education. We'll plan to hike part of their Accessible Nature Trail and Lost Acre Trail Loop.
Distance: 1.5 miles
Breathing/Footing: Easy
Co-sponsored by Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail
10/13/26 Cunningham Pond, Peterborough
Description: Peterborough’s former public water supply and now site of the town beach, Cunningham Pond is a jewel perched high above the town in the shadow of Pack Monadnock. The main two-mile loop traverses woodlands and a hemlock grove, crossing two streams on sturdy wood bridges. Then, it climbs to a large hay field with sweeping views. From the field, the trail continues down to an old carriage road, following the pond’s edge before looping back to the main trail. The terrain is generally rolling, with only short steeper sections, and the surface is a mix of flat sections and some portions that require stepping over rocks and roots.
Distance: 2.5 miles
Breathing/Footing: Moderate