I grew up in Connecticut, always fascinated by the length of the Connecticut River. I love that it forms the boundary line between Vermont and New Hampshire. Today we needed a day that was just a restful hike. We decided to head to almost the tippy top of New Hampshire and spend some time with the Connecticut River.
Steve Smith recommended this hike to us from the book 50 Hikes North of the White Mountains written by Kim Nilsen. What a perfect choice for a sunny day and one where we needed to exercise our legs but not vigorously. Plus we were treated to a drive that followed the river and past farm land, rich in beauty.
The trail starts right before Second Connecticut Lake Dam.
The trail is always soft underfoot and woods surrounded us as we strolled along the side of the river.
As we walked along we could peek out to the slow-moving Connecticut River.
The trail was lined with blueberry bushes at certain points. We were at the tail end of the season, but we could pluck a handful to munch on.
The trail then turns away from the river and we had a few boggy areas to cross.
Almost a mile and half from the trail head, we could hear the river roar. The river moves swiftly with falls and a flume. Jutting out, just to the side of the falls, are rock outcrops that were easy to venture out on. We found a perfect spot to sit, snack, enjoy the views and listen to the thunderous sounds of the mighty river.
We continued on the trail for another .5 miles till it reached Moose Alley Trail. Along the way we were greeted by mossy ways.
At this point we turned around and headed back to the trailhead. The trail held many treasures along the way and was a perfect way to exercise the legs, after a few days of hiking to peaks.
It was a great few miles for a Connecticut girl to see almost the top of the Connecticut River. What a fascinating river with different demeanors from calm to thunderous, all in one hike.
The Details: 4.1 miles, 2 hours, 17 minutes, 400 feet of elevation gain. Out and back hike on little rolling hills with soft terrain underfoot. Trail begins outside of Pittsburg, NH. Have lunch at Happy Corner Cafe, about a 7 minute drive from the trailhead.
CTHikergal Travels 
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