Around New England

Join us this week as we hike a mountain we already covered in Episode 6 , Mount Kearsarge.  We hiked this one again because back in 2024, we didn't have a good view and we knew this one had great views and it was also a different season.  We discuss the differences.  We hiked the Winslow and Barlow Trails again from Winslow State Park .  There are also other trails from Rollins State Park .   We a...

This week we enjoy a family friendly hike in Saunderstown, RI at the King Benson Preserve .  This area is maintained by the Nature Conservatory .  This relatively easy hike goes out to Narrow River from the parking lot off of Route 1A in Saunderstown, which is located between Narragansett and North Kingstown, RI.  There is a loop that you can do that is about 3.5 to 4 miles.  The trails are a lot...

Join us this week as we hiked our 9th 4,000 footer in New Hampshire.  We hiked Mount Eisenhower via the Edmond Path to the Crawford Path .  This mountain was a perfect hike for the fall day we had!  The hike is almost 7 miles and has over 2400 feet of elevation gain.  The views on the way and at the summit are 100% worth the effort.  From the summit you can see almost all of the NH mountains but t...

This week we discuss something we talk about all the time amongst ourselves.  Which state is the best for outdoors minded people.  We came up with a list of criteria that we judged in our own opinions.  The categories we ranked are: Skiing, Hiking, Water Sports, Overall Lifestyle, Where would you want to go for an outdoors weekend, Drivers, and Food.   The answers may or may not surprise you but t...

Here it is, time to start thinking about the holidays already.  This week we discuss cutting down our own Christmas Tree in the White Mountain National Forest.  There are some rules that must be followed by the White Mountain National Forest .  We also talk about it in our blog on the website.   We  recommend stopping in at the White Mountain Visitor Center to pick up your permit and to get some h...

This week we hike Mount Sunapee in Newbury, NH.  The summit is located within the Mount Sunapee State Park .   The hike was around 6.5 miles roundtrip with almost 1,700 feet of elevation gain.  We hiked the Andrew Brook Trail.  One of the highlights of this trail is Lake Solitude along the way.  The lake is 2 miles from the parking lot.  It is a beautiful destination on its own but we highly recom...

Join us this week as we check out a quick and easy 2 mile roundtrip hike to Moxie Falls in West Forks, Maine.  This is one of Maine's tallest waterfalls at around 90 feet tall!  We hiked this one on the way home from Non-Moosehead Lake (as Mike calls it now).  The ride out there from Greenville, Maine was rugged to say the least.  15 miles of dirt roads with no cell service and no civilization aro...

Join us this week as we add another Maine hike to our favorite hike catalog, Mount Kineo !  This small island on Moosehead Lake is only accessible by boat.  There is a ferry that cost $15 per person to get over there.  There is also a 9 hole golf course  on this island that Mike is slightly obsessed about playing one day!  The gem of the island is the 700 foot cliffs that make up Mount Kineo. Ther...

Join us this week as we go to Milton Massachusetts to Blue Hill Reservation .  We did a rain-shortened 4 mile loop that should have hit the summit of Great Blue Hill.  As soon as we were as far away from the car as possible, the rain came down and didn't stop until after we finished the hike.  We still had fun!   The reservation is dog-friendly (on leash) in most areas.  We brought our dog and she...

Join us this week as we bike the Franconia Notch Recreation Trail from the parking lot for the Flume to Echo Lake Beach.   This path is gorgeous and stops at all the attractions that are on the parkway.  There is so much we have done in this area, check out the Around New England Website for more ideas to do in the Franconia Notch area. After we grabbed some of our new favorite iced coffee drinks...

This week we go to Lyndenborough New Hampshire, to hike the Purgatory Falls Trail before checking out the amazing Chunki Chip cookies in nearby Milford!   The trail is about 5.5 miles with about 300 feet of elevation gain.  The trail has three main waterfall attractions.  The lower and upper falls are fun spots to check out for a dip to cool off!  Listen to the podcast to get the best parking opti...

This week we check out a fun walk around Haverhill's first and largest park,  Winnekenni Park in Haverhill, MA.  This park is located not far off 495 and has something for everyone.  It's really not too far from Ski Bradford which is a hidden gem of a learning ski mountain.  This park has over 700 acres to explore! The hike around the pond is called the Winnekenni Shoreline Loop.  It's a lot of fu...

Join us this week as we head back to Vermont to hike Mount Ascutney .  We hiked the Weathersfield Trail.  This dog-friendly hike leads to great views from the observation tower at the summit (will this be the one Mike actually goes up?), the west peak, and even has a hang gliding platform that is actually used!  There are also cascades that are visible when the water is flowing. The trail is very...

This week Mike and Pemi did a solo hike in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire while G was away for the weekend.  This quick tour talks about the highlights of Stratham Hill Park .  It's super dog-friendly and has 10 miles of trails!  We did the 5 mile loop and it was great.  This park is located near Portsmouth as well as Hampton and Exeter.  If you are staying nearby, plan on spending a little ti...

This week we discuss hiking with a dog.  Be sure to check with your vet to be sure you aren't overdoing it with your little buddy!  We give several tips on when to turn around, what to bring for the dog on trail, trail etiquite, and of course some of our favorite hikes to do with a dog.   We discovered BringFido.com to be a great tool when finding hikes for your dogs.   Some of our favorites: Moun...

Join us this week as we hike another mountain from the 52 With A View list, Mount Israel.  This is a family and dog friendly hike with some fantastic views from the summit!   The hike has many different features to it including the rare (to New England) switchbacks!  We hiked via the Wentworth Trail and it was a lot of fun. After the hike we hit up Eldridge Family Sugar Shack to get some maple sof...

Join us this week as we cool off at two great swimming holes.  We found these from the book " Falcon Guide's Swimming Holes New England: 50 of the Best Swimming Spots " by Sarah Lamagna. First we went hiked up the Rattle River Trail to find a few nice secluded pools.  We had them to ourselves the whole time.  We didn't even see many hikers this day.  It's located near Gorham, NH.  It is part of th...

This week we were so excited to go to a listener's recommendation and We hit 3 New England states in one hike!  The Buck Hill Management Area has a trail that will take you from Rhode Island into Massachusetts, along the border of Connecticut, and back to Rhode Island again.  This 7.5 mile loop had just over 600 feet of elevation gain.   Be sure to wear your orange during hunting season as pheasan...

Join us this week as we hike on the stunning property of the Marsh Billings Rockefeller Farm and Museum .  This is actually a National Park , the first of which dedicated to land stewardship.  The trails are free to walk around.  You can park at the museum and use their facilities for free.  We have checked out the farm and museum many years ago and we had fond memories.  This trip was all about h...

Join us this week as we hike two more family friendly and dog friendly hikes around Portland, Maine.  First we hiked the popular Back Cove Trail area conveniently located right off 295. This is an easy 3.5 mile loop that must be a very popular spot for locals to get their exercise.  We can't say that we blame them!  There are city views as well as nice views of the water and the surrounding Back C...

This week we hike another 52 With A View mountain, Stinson Mountain in Rumney, NH.  This mountain has some great views and an awesome trail going up.  Listen to this podcast to avoid making the same mistake we made coming back down!  Overall this mountain is a lot of fun to hike.  It's relatively easy, and has great bang for your buck! We have done several on the list so far.  Check out our Blog o...

Thinking about getting into hiking but not sure where to start?  In this episode, we talk through the questions we wish someone answered for us when we were beginners.   In this episode we discuss things we wish we knew when we first started hiking, gear recommendations for beginners, hiking with dogs, what to do if you get lost, how to research your hiking destination, and of course what type of...

Join us this week as we go to Freeport Maine to hike and shop.  We hiked Freeport's highest point, Hedgehog Mountain .  This area is 196 acres and has over 5 miles of hiking trails.  It is maintained by the Town of Freeport, and it's in great shape. This is a dog friendly hike that is fairly easy.  It's close to the shops and has a viewpoint that can see all the way to Mount Washington on a clear...

Join us this week as we take a road trip around New Hampshire to 4 different family & pet-friendly waterfall destination hikes.  If you haven't listened to it already, check out our older podcast about Arethusa Falls and Ripley Falls .   Coffee: Pure & Brave in Plymouth, NH Frontside North Conway, NH Tiktok Instagram AroundNewEnglandPodcast.com

Join us this week as we hike Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Massachusetts!  Located within the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation , This was a great family friendly hike with some great views!  We started from the parking lot at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area .  The trail name we did was Balance Rock to Old Indian Trail.  Balance Rock is a natural glacial phenomenon that is an easy .35 miles from...