Runnable 4 to 15 mile loop within ~30min of Conway?

[The Unstrung Harp]

Where do you love to trail run? Can anyone suggest a cool loop trail run near Conway?

Doesn't need to be a mountain. Anything with variety is good. It does need to be something well marked/blazed. On the shorter side might be good since we are hoping to travel lightly and don't mind doing the same loop several times...but interested in longer loops too.

Thanks!

 

[Becca M]

Is there a particular season you are thinking about? There are some interesting trails off Bear Notch Road - the Rob Brook area and the Nanamoco-blah-blah XC trails - I've only scratched the surface there, but, it seems as though there are a lot of possible loops in there!!!!

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Yep - soon. I figure with so little snowfall, there must be lower elevation stuff that is pretty decently packed and runnable. If it isn't packed enough, I'll just run in snowshoes so as not to posthole.

Never heard of the two places you mentioned, will give them a googling - thanks Becca. Will probably err toward avoiding X-C ski specific places in case the trails are groomed a certain way for skiing.

 

[peakbagger]

I am not a runner but many folks seem to like the loop around Gorham Hill in Gorham NH via the Presidential rail trail and then up and over Gorham Hill via RT 2. RT 2 is pretty wide up and over the hill. Not much to say about RT 2 but the run through the Moose River Valley is real pleasant with some swimming holes, old railroad bridges and the remants of the old bottling plant. The elevation change from the RR grade to the top of the hill is approximately 400 to 500 feet so be prepared. There is a large beaver complex along the rail trail, during spring peeper season the sounds of peepers can be deafening. There is also a lesser known route to cut it into two smaller loops using the old Mineral Spring road but you may need some help the first time to find the right route.

 

[Becca M]

Ok, if you are googling, the trails are the Nanamocomuck ski trails. A few years ago the Ranger Districts were selling ski trail maps of the WMNF - I have a tyvek one. Some of the linking Rob Brook trails are missing bridges, but, may have snow/ice bridges by now and might be runnable.

Good luck!

 

[dug]

This may not help much, but I have been looking over the area around Cranmore, Black Cap, and Peaked Mountains lately. I am looking to do some skiing in the area while my family is at Cranmore.

There seems to be some good biking on these trails, and some are used as snowmobile. Try seeing what you can find around there and it might be some options.

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiative...esweprotect/green-hills-map-guide-for-web.pdf

http://www.whitemountainmilers.com/green-hills-preserve-multiple-distances

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Green Hills Preserve

Yep, I would have suggested Green Hills Preserve as well. Good trail system, a bunch of different possibilities for loops and some great views from Middle, Peaked and Black Cap. There's a short, flat trail around Pudding Pond as well.

KDT

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. While it doesn't have to be a mountain, it'd be great if it was... Could be a little farther from No Conway if there's a great view and it's worth it! WOuld love to hear more suggestions as well. Thanks!!

 

[--M.]

Sometimes I see these, and just pass over them, assuming someone will jump in with the obvious answer that I come up with, but then, sometimes that doesn't happen.

Now, I haven't been there, but The Moats seems to be just what you're looking for. Would those who've done them agree? The mileage, terrain and proximity to North Conway seem to just line them up, n'est ce pas?

I'd add that I have been to Chocorua by Champney Falls a couple times now, and it also seems like there's a lot of cool, runnable terrain there. I'd think you could make loops out of the Bolles Trail.

There's also good stuff up the Town Hall Road, including Mountain Pond, which is a nice lollipop. Lotsa the same good stuff in through Jackson that way ('Dundee Road'?).

Just musing....

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

The Moats sound like a great idea! That might be perfect...
And I've never been on the Champney or Bolles Trails - only done Chocorua once actually and it was via something else - so I will have to check those out too.

And yes, it is certainly a rather open-ended/noob-ish question. I'm hours away and it's hard to really know what's workable if I don't have good intel! Not really into the spending-half-the-day-in-the-car-trying-to-reinvent-the-wheel thing. Knew you folks would be a great resource.

 

[--M.]

... Not really into the spending-half-the-day-in-the-car-trying-to-reinvent-the-wheel thing. ...

How do you think I found these places?

Actually, in the case of Mountain Pond, I gladly give the nod to the North Country Angler. But Town Hall Road, the back side of Jackson (Thorn Hill Road), Chatham and Evans Notch and the whole of the Wild River were all discovered by just deliberately getting lost. It's grossly inefficient, but sometimes that's what a vacation day is for!

By the way, much of the Carrigain neighborhood (Sawyer River) is flat or mildly progressive, I'd think there'd be good running in there, too.

My running days are long behind me, but I still think in those terms sometimes; good luck!

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

I live ~3 hours drive away, so it is really helpful to have leads to potentially good places from people who know the area better than I do.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas!