We are so pleased to announce the Cheshire Walkers schedule for Spring 2026 - join us! Please see below for the schedule. This group is free and open to the public.
To sign up for a walk, please click here and fill out the online form.
NOTES:
Please arrive to the walk location by 9:15am, walks will begin at 9:30am.
Participants are welcome to carpool from the Keene area for each walk. If you would like to carpool to the trailhead meet at the Department of Public Works in Keene (350 Marlboro St.). If you are planning on meeting at DPW, we suggest you arrive there by 8:45am. The group meets here in the parking lot. The carpool will leave promptly at 9 am to drive to the trailhead. If you are coming from downtown, turn left on Bartholomew Court after Butterfly Park. Then take the first right into the first block of parking spaces.
Please note that Monadnock Conservancy staff will not be carpooling and instead will meet the group at the trailhead.
Although we love dogs at the Conservancy, we ask that you keep them at home during Cheshire Walkers outings for everyone's safety and comfort.
For any questions and more information, contact Kate Witte at Witte@monadnockconservancy.org
Background
The Conservancy assumed leadership of the Cheshire Walkers in the fall of 2022. Originally founded and run by Cheshire Medical Center for decades, the Cheshire Walkers is a walking and hiking group for people of most abilities, with an emphasis on seniors and others who might prefer an easier pace. The walks provide an opportunity to exercise the body and the brain, offering participants spirited social interaction and opportunities to learn about the nature they are experiencing.
5/12/26: Cranberry Meadow Pond, Peterborough
Description: The Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail is a favorite dog-walking trail that connects downtown Peterborough to the summit of Pack Monadnock. We will walk the one-mile section from Old Street Road to Cranberry Meadow Pond. This section of trail meanders through a wetland via a boardwalk and hemlock-cooled woods, then along a brook for nearly 1/2 mile before climbing uphill slightly to an area where mature white pines and highbush blueberry bushes overlook Cranberry Meadow Pond. The trail contains some footbridges, roots and rocks in a few places, and a small hill; however, we will walk it slowly so that everyone can negotiate the trail easily and safely.
Distance: 1 mile
Breathing: Moderate
Footing: Moderate
Directions: GPS address 49 Old Street Road, Peterborough. From Route 101 and 202 intersection in downtown Peterborough: East up hill .9 miles. Take left at blinking light. Roadside parking .2 miles on right. (After Cranberry Meadow Pond Farm Inn on corner (Inn = #5 Old Street Road; parking across from gated driveway #24). Meet at kiosk at entrance to trail. (If you drive too far north, you'll go through a stop sign and later see the parking area for the Shieling Forest trails on the right.)
View the Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail Map
5/19/26: East Side Trails, Harris Center, Hancock
Description: The Harris Center for Conservation Education’s East Side Trails feature fairly easy hiking to huge glacial boulders through cool hardwood and hemlock forests. To reach this trail network, walk downhill a short way on the Harris Center driveway, then down the stone steps on your left. Continue to the path past the field stone building, then down the slope and into the field through a wrought iron gate on your right. Follow the path left, between two apple trees, and continue to the yellow rectangle on a tree at the edge of the woods.
Distance: 1 mile
Breathing: Easy
Footing: Easy
Directions: From Keene, take Route 9 East past Nelson. Turn right on Route 123 East towards Hancock. Follow Route 123 about 5 miles to Hunt’s Pond Road. Turn right onto Hunt’s Pond Road, and follow the directions below from Route 123.
View the Harris Center's East Side Trails Map
5/26/26: Converse Meadow, Rindge
Description: Converse Meadow features a historic pre-Revolutionary mill site and dam where flour, lumber, boxes, and shingles were produced from the 1760s to the 1930s. Though few signs of the mills remain, the property is now host to an easy 1.5-mile loop trail that follows the shore of Converse Meadow Pond and related wetlands. The Town of Rindge purchased the property in 2004 to prevent the land from being developed, and a conservation easement held by the Monadnock Conservancy further ensures Converse Meadow will remain open space in perpetuity.
Distance: 1.5 miles
Breathing: Easy
Footing: Easy
Directions: From Keene, take Route 12 south to Fitzwilliam and turn east on Route 119 to Rindge. Cross Route 202 and continue east for approximately 3.3 miles. Turn left on Converseville Road, then left again at the T intersection. The trailhead parking area, marked by a kiosk, is the second driveway on the right. (Note: Parking is limited, maybe 5-6 cars)
View the Converse Meadow Trail Map
6/2/26: Porcupine Falls, Gilsum
Description: This meandering one-way trail on 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 that makes a peaceful backdrop for a picnic and culminates at a bridge over the brook—a wonderful spot to enjoy “Porky Falls” as the Calhoun family called this waterfall. Please join us for light refreshments after the walk to commemorate this spring Cheshire Walkers series.
Distance: 0.4 miles
Breathing: Easy
Footing: Easy
Directions: From Routes 10/12/9E: Head north on Route 10 toward Gilsum. Go 5.1 miles. Turn right onto White Brook Road. Follow road to the end where there is a gate and parking area. From the north: Follow Route 10 south through Gilsum center. It’s 7.3 miles from the intersection of routes 10 and 123 to White Brook Road. Turn left. Follow road to the end where there is a gate and parking area.