Mud season is here!Protect the trails we all love by sticking to open, dry areas. Learn more! 

Distant Hill Trail Network

This is the print view for this trail. View the full trail posting.

The Distant Hill Trail Network consists of three-miles of hiking trails and a mile of wheelchair and stroller-accessible trails.
Trail Activity
Accessible Experience Walking Hiking Snowshoeing Ungroomed cross-country skiing
Length
3.00 miles, Network
Difficulty
Easy, Moderate
Towns
Alstead (NH), Walpole (NH)
Surface
Gravel/Crushed Stone/Cinder, Packed Earth/Dirt, Boardwalk/Bog Bridging
Pets
Permitted on leash
Fees
No

Description

The Distant Hill Network of Trails is made up the following trails, all readily accessed from the trailhead at 66 March Hill Road in Alstead, NH :

1. Distant Hill Nature Trail - A mile-long, six-foot wide, compacted gravel wheelchair and stroller accessible trail. 

2. Distant Hill Geology Trail - A mile-long hiking trail containing ten stops with interpretive signs about the rock outcrop present at each location.

3. Distant Hill Story Book Trail - A quarter-mile section of the Nature Trail, where laminated pages of a new children's book are posted along the trail on the first of every month.

4. Lost Acre Loop Trail - A three-quarter mile hiking trail through the woods that comes out onto a beautiful field midway on the loop.

5. Chickering Mine Trail - aka Blue Diamond Trail, a three-quarter mile hiking trail that connects Distant Hill Geology Trail with an abandoned feldspar mine at Hoge Base Scout  Camp.

The trails all wind through mixed hemlock/hardwood forests rich with many species of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. There is easy access to a number of unique wetland habitats including:

All of Distant Hill network of trails are open daily, dawn to dusk.

To the west of Distant Hill Nature Trail is Distant Hill Gardens, an acre of ornamental shrub gardens to explore. The gardens are open to the public on the first and third weekend of the month, May through October. 

Other Information

For dozens of photos of the trail and links to related photos and information go to the Distant Hill Gardens Flickr album.

Trail Manager

For more information visit the Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail website, or contact:

Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail
66 March Hill Road
Alstead, NH 03602
Phone: (603) 756-4179
mnerrie@gmail.com
View website

Trail Tips

Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Yield to pedestrians on multi-use trails. Warn others that you are passing from behind with a friendly "Excuse me" and a smile.

Trailhead Information

Distant Hill Nature Trail is located at 66 March Hill Road in Alstead, NH, just east of the Alstead/Walpole town line. There is a small parking area with an information kiosk just off the pavement. The nature trail is wheelchair and stroller accessible, as is the first half-mile of the mile long geology trail.

Legend
Hide All
Join In on the Fun!
Log in or create an account below to unlock all the great features of Trail Finder: keep track of trails you want to do, preserve memories of trails you’ve done, earn badges, and more!
Your log in attempt was not successful. Please try again.
    Lost your password? Reset your password
    Don't yet have an account?
    There was an issue with your submission. Please try again.
      * Indicates required field
      Already have an account? Login here
      Enter your username, and we will send you a new, randomly generated password to your email account.
      There was an issue with your submission. Please try again.

        Success! A new password has been emailed to you.

        Log in now

        Please wait…