New Hampshire Official Travelers Handbook 2009-2010 - (Page 48) It’s also great to get off the beaten path. With huge tracts of protected lands, New Hampshire’s Natural Heritage Visiting Bio Series is both land steward and gateway to special places. The vast and wild Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, with its mountainous views, has miles of walking trails by marshes, forests, ponds and streams in the Great North Woods. Central New Hampshire’s Philbrick-Cricenti Bog in New London is a pleasant romp through the bogs (over boardwalks, so as not to disturb). A bit more traveled is the Old Bridle Path up West Rattlesnake Mountain over Squam Lake in the Lakes Region, a place that hooked me on hiking. A bit more traveled is the Old Bridle Path that hooked me on hiking. 48 | New Hampshire x < Trillium flower in Monadnock State Park; the White Mountains. FAMILY-FUELED FUN Families play in the great outdoors. In the White Mountains, a short drive through the red covered bridge along Route 16A in Jackson leads to picturesque Jackson Falls, which offers picnicking by ledges for sunning, swimming and a photographic backdrop for weddings. Go elephant hunting in Crawford Notch. Well, almost. There isn’t a real elephant, but eagle-eyed kids may spot Elephant Head, an easy-tohike rock outcropping along winding Route 302. The notch also has a scenic train ride, hiker’s lodge and a wonderful threemile roundtrip climb up Mount Willard to one of the finest White Mountain outlooks. Want that first big mountain family hike? I like 3,165-foot Mount Monadnock in the state’s southwest corner. Pitch a tent in the state park and hike along the White Dot or White Trail from Jaffrey to the ledge-filled summit. Be sure to bring lots of water, food and other necessary items for this trek. It’s no cakewalk, but the summit show is incredible. Squam Lake <
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