Pisgah State Park

Monadnock

Directions & Trail Description

Location: Southwest of Keene, East of Brattleboro, VT

Length/Configuration: 20+ miles of trail. create your own loops or out-and-back rides.

Terrain/Surface: Varied; ranging from designated mountain bike trails to ATV and snowmobile trails.

Technical Difficulty: Mostly intermediate with a few technical sections.

Elevation Change: Up to approximately 1,000 ft. depending on routes taken.

Caution: Most of these trails are closed during mud season in early spring. Buggy during spring and summer, bring insect repellent. Some trails are shared with either hikers or ATV's.

Other Area Rides

Ashuelot Rail Trail

Local Resources: Bike shops, bike clubs, adventure travel, bike tours, bike events, trail maps, bike safety, camping, historical places, where to stay and other related sources visit our Resource Hub.


Note: The trail maps on this website have been simplified to provide an overview with approximate locations of trails and special features. Read Full Disclaimer.

Directions:

Take Rt. 9 east from Brattleboro, VT. or west from Keene, NH to Rt. 63 South. Follow signs to Pisgah State Park.

General Description:

Open year round. The largest park in New Hampshires park system, Pisgah State Park includes over 13,500 acres of rough forested terrain. The park protects seven ponds, bogs, streams, four highland ridges and numerous wetlands, a beautiful mixed forest including hemlock and birch trees, beaver ponds and wildlife.

The 75-acre Stephen Foster Lake has a boat-launching ramp, courtesy dock, restroom and parking on the northern shore. Boat rentals are available. Swimming is not permitted in the Lake but there is a pool complex which contains dressing rooms, showers, snack bar, restrooms and a lifeguard and first aid station.

The park environmental interpretive center houses artifacts and displays focusing on early farm life and wildlife. Take a delightful walk through the Park's "Butterfly Garden" or a guided nature walk or hike.

There are over 20 miles of trails suitable for mountain biking. There are options for short, moderate, and long rides into the backcountry. Fall is the optimal time to bike in this Park. The bugs are gone and a kaleidescope of color blankets the Park.

The Trails:

This largest state park in New Hampshire offers specific trails for mountain biking. Intermediate and advanced terrain are encountered within the park. Six trailheads around the park disperse use, reducing visitor impact. All trails are marked so that blazes are visible at all times, and every brook is bridged to support bike, motor bike, or snowmobile traffic. Winter access is heavily traveled by snowmobiles, and the trails are marked at all junctions, and bridges.

Pisgah Ridge Trail: 7.8-miles round trip
The Pisgah ridge trail has several nice vista sites.

Bear Pond Trail
This trail diverges from the Five Summers Trail approximately 1/2 mile from it's beginning at the orange gate. It connects the Five Summers Trail to the Greenway.

Balance Rock Trail
This trail has recently been relocated. It leaves from the Five Summers Trail to the left, soon after the orange gate where it begins. It rises moderately and passes an overlook of North Pond just before reaching Balance Rock in 1 mile.

Mad Road Trail (Yellow Plastic Markers)
An old woods road that extends nearly 3 miles from the dam at the south end of Mill Pond to Route 31, not far from Fletcher Pond. There are some steep sections. When joined by Route 31 and the Park Road, it completes a good mountain biking loop. Watch out for traffic on Route 31.

Ridge Link: 1/2 mile
Relatively steep trail that connects Mad Road Trail, about 1 mile from the dam, to the Greenway.

Note: Trails closed to mountain biking are signed with a "No Bikes" symbol. Most the trails close for "mud season" in the Spring.

Historical Note:

Take the time after your ride to take a side trip to explore magnificent Covered Bridges a stones throw away in the towns of Winchester and Swazney. The four bridges in Swanzey, as well as two in neighboring Winchester, the Ashuelot and Coombs Bridges, are six of the remaining 54 in New Hampshire.

(see our Feature Article : Bikes and Covered Bridges Trails : New Hampshire

For more information:

Pisgah State Park:
Route 119 & 10, Route 63
Chesterfield, Hinsdale, & Winchester NH 03470

Phone: 603-239-8153
TTY Users: 711 (AT&T National Relay Services)
Website: Pisgah State Park

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