Monadnock State Park

Hiked the white dot trial on a 50F day after it had rained the previous day.. . So naturally it was wet and slippery in most spots of the trial. Its a rocky trial and is steep in parts. Recommend good hiking boots as well as stops if you are new at hiking. Views from top are awesome, will be windy & cold in fall & winter. Getting down is tricky at parts & need caution as well as time. Had to reserve for parking (limited number of parking), but overall good experience being out in nature. Recommend hiking in spring or summer.

Not for rookies! Ranger at the top of the trail was spot on in recommending we not go to the summit as we took forever to get there (me being a rookie) and having to take frequent breaks.Watch your feet and wear hiking boots. I ended up with a sprained ankle from rolling it twice (my fault!!) and was too stubborn to get help down, so we slowly made our way down on the white cross trail.It was one of the toughest, but most rewarding things Ive done. The view at the top of the trail is amazing.Apparently there was another easier trail, but I didnt know about it. Next time, maybe.

Excellent hike but please don’t listen to some of the reviews this is not for beginners. Very steep and rocky some spots can be tricky to navigate on the descent. Excellent workout and beautiful views, on a clear day from the summit you can see Boston.

Nice, clean, quiet campground in the woods. Camping pass for us into the park for hiking mt monadnock, which was super convenient. Theres a decent sized lake across the street that looks good for swimming and kayaking. Park staff was friendly, firewood was ample. Check in/out was easy. New Hampshire rocks!

Very beautiful. But very hard trail. Many climbs. Caution with cold and rainy conditions. Rocks very slick. Injuries from falls likely with beginner and intermediate hikers

This has been so far the most strenuous hike i have ever done! Its about an hour and half to the summit, is very rocky which makes it more difficult to climb. It is not for beginners, you definitely need to be an active person or a regular hiker to do it. I totally recommend you to use hiking shoes and gloves to protect your hands since you will have to use them a lot to help you climb or going down through the rocks! The struggle really worth it! The views are breathtaking!

Most hiked mountain or most summited in the world,either way absolutley gorgeous and great for the beginner.For a more challenging of the beaten path hike start at Gilsom Pond entrance and take Birchcroft to Spellman for some fun scrambles! Happy trails!!

So people are saying the hike was easy. No, it was not. Going up the mountain takes at least 2 hours. lots of steep rocks to climb. then, let me tell you. To get down, the “easiest way” to get down is the white cross trail. trust me, it is, but it is SUPER Rockey. THIS MOUNTAIN IS NOT MEANT FOR KIDS under 9. Overal, we walked 12 miles, and it took 5 hours. great view at the top though lol

Excellent hike, 1750 of elevation gain in 1.5 miles on white dot trail. Best time is 52 minutes up, I call it the stair master.

Great hike! Not for the average hiker. But it was a awesome experience.

Great remote campsite. Stayed at remote campsite 4. About 3/4 of a mile from the field with a parking sign. Theres a restroom nearby the field with potable water. Theres also a restroom near the remote site. Already making plans to stay again with the family at one of the main campground sites.

Friendly and informative staff at the entrance. Nice parking. Well marked trails. Popular trail, numerous hikers, so reserve your parking. We hiked up White Dot Trail to the top and came down White Cross Trail. Trails were difficult with rewarding views. A 2 hour strenuous hike up to the top with many rock scrambles. A lot of rock scrambling down too. Wear hiking shoes and bring plenty of water/sports drink and salty food/snacks because you will sweat!

Great moderately challenging trails. Staff was very friendly and practiced effective social distancing. We felt comfortable interacting when necessary.

Ive hiked the white dot, cross, and arrow trails on multiple occasions but my favorite route is definitely lost farm trail to cliff walk to smith to summit. Its a little bit of a longer route but typically the least traveled and is a little more gradual of an ascent/descent. The views are fantastic and bald rock makes for a great spot to break on the way up.

This is a wonderful mountain with enough challenge to make your summit accomplishment a memorable one, but feasible without experience. Just need to be prepared with food and layers for unpredictable weather and start early your hike.

Beautiful mountain with lovely views! Very idyllic. The White Cross Trail was fantastic, although it can be rather strenuous for the novice hiker. However, once you get above the tree line, the panoramic views are breathtakingly wonderful! A must for any person who loves to commune with nature and feel fulfilled with a good workout!

Large and challenging trail system. Although Monadnock is highly trafficked, you can always find a quite place. Highly recommend checking out Monte Rosa on your way to the Monadnock summit!

Amazing hike with views that make it all worth it. Definitely recommend. Some parts are steep and mostly rocky.

Great hike. A bit steep in a few spots. Great views. Id avoid if it has rained recently as the rock faces can get really slippery. Also, of its windy, the peak is very exposed.

The views are awesome, a good part of the White Arrow Trail is really rocky so be careful going up and on the way down. Bring plenty of water. Bring a jacket the higher you go it will get colder and windy.

Fantastic mountain to climb. The views are tremendous from the top. There are lots of trees and flowers to enjoy too. I highly recommend it.We climbed the Marlboro trail which is very rugged. My son has also climbed the Dublin trail and says it is much easier.

Such a wonderful place for hiking. Well marked and maintained trails with varying degrees of difficulty and amazing views.

This hike was challenging for a beginner but WELL worth the effort! I was huffing and puffing and then the top took my breath away.

My favorite mountain to hike. Trails are super well maintained and the surround landscape is amazing. View from the top is unmatched and well worth the hike. Offers a nice mix of easier and harder trails with the option of some decent bouldering which is great. Would highly recommend this mountain to friends and family alike.

Its a Beautiful hike. Somehow challenging but even kids can do it. Three view is work the walk. There are two main trails, the dots and the crosses. The first is longer; the second is steeper.

Nice trail we have around it. White arrow trail is moderate.

We did the Dublin Trail. Parking was easy to find. Trail was not too crowded and it was moderate in difficulty.

Great hike, I would rate it easy to medium in difficulty (I am an experienced hiker, so take that into account). Once you get to the top, there are awesome 360 views. Definitely a bit windy at times, but again, it was a fun hike.

It is a very big park with walking trails. And of course there is the mountain trial to hike up to the top if you are up for it. Theres a picnic area. It is a place to visit with family and friends. Having kids shouldnt stop you. I visited with a 2.5yr and a 1 yr old. They enjoyed the trial we went on. There is dam with a gorgeous waterfall view.

Great park and super rewarding hike, however it’s the 2nd most hiked mountain in the world so plan ahead for sure. I started at 4 am for sunrise and we had the place to ourselves. We took the white dot trail up which is the most direct, at a moderate pace we were up in just under and hour.Definitely an awesome hike with an even better view

Great hike! Beautiful views.

Great, somewhat challenging hike. Worth it for the views up top. My 5 year old did it, so its not too hard but not easy either. Worth it

Beautiful place with calming view on top.

Very good hike. Trails and trail head are all very well kept. Make sure to reserve your parking ahead of time.

Gilson Pond Campground in the park is great, so far. Site are well spaced, place seems well maintained, and right now, totally chill. Reservations only. Great place to crash for the night, and really wish I had more time (and energy) to explore the park, maybe even climb a mountain. Next time.

Its a well kept state park for how many people travel there to hike. Its the second most hiked mountain in the world. Not much fun for an avid hiker. My gf and I went early and caught the sunrise at the top, so we beat the crowds. All in all its a great moderate hike for the average person. If youre an avid hiker, like myself, its a warm up.

Great trails and nice views from the peak. The main trail gets a little crowded as does the summit, but there are plenty of nice trails with less people.

Besides the heavily used trails to the top, this place has quiet new england beauty!

Whether youre a beginner, novice or pro, Monadnock is the perfect hike for New England. I can enjoy it nearly any time of year as each ledge gives a fresh perspective, the peak leaves you speechless (perhaps from exhaustion...) but so worth it.

$5 per person and hike all day.2.5 hrs to get to the summit and 1.5 hrs to get down the mountain. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect your hike. Hike safe!

Great hikes and a chance to see wildlife.

3100 foot elevation. Amazing views. Only 5$ fee. There’s a small outfitter shop at the bottom in case you’re missing something you’ll need. If you hike in the winter, definitely rent/buy spikes. You’ll look for ice to walk on! I made it up in 2 hours and down in 1. Take your time the first time up, you’ll love it! I went up and down white dot trail which is the most direct.

Awesome hike! Kicked my butt, absolutely stunning views.

Dogs are not allowed, despite multiple reviews here saying it’s good for hiking with dogs. I’m sure it’s wonderful otherwise, but we drove an hour but then couldn’t enter, and drove to nearby Miller State Park, which is dog friendly ( and a great hike).

Its a beautiful hike in the summer.Try the white cross while going up.The red spot trail is a nice one to take while coming down. Its a bit longer and not a lot of people take it but I found it less steep.Carry a lot of water and you can hike here in sneakers as well.The staff is courteous and the rangers are pretty helpful with parking and telling us more about the place and vegetation around.Amazing view from the peak. On a clear day you can see Boston too!

As the 2nd most hiked mountain in the world and 1st in this hemisphere mountain Monadnock is a wonderful hike for beginners. It starts off in the woods for the first have going up pretty steep and you will need to climb up steep rocks. Once you get to the top of the first half it levels out and the ground gets flatter. Then it gets to were you walk up large flat rocks and over to eventually summit. Once at the top you can see in every direction for miles. Be warned this hike is not for legging, T-shirt and walking shoes like I saw many people bring. It will be mid 40s on a good day with wind chill to bellow freezing so layer up with removable layers. I loved the hike in all. It is a great park.

This Park is worth the trip. Its a long drive from southern new england but the views are beautiful. I would recommend checking it out and sticking around on a clear day/night. Worth it.

Raining but great hike! However we had hoped to do a loop and could not find our trail at the top - it was poorly marked.

Went to Mount Monadnock for the first time over Columbus Day Weekend and was so impressed with the organization the park had in facilitating so many people in an organized and relaxing way. The trails are beautiful and there are paths for everyone from novices, to children, and mountaineers looking for a challenge and an adventure. There were friendly park rangers and guides stationed at major trail intersections that really helped prevent folks from getting lost. Its a great experience to come here in the fall and see the foliage!

Excellent hiking trails, we do it every year. Nice people around. Real place to be in touch with nature.

A friend and I hiked up the white dot trail this past weekend. It was a steep climb, but the view from the top was excellent. Everyone we passed climbing up was very polite and very sweet. There was a man and his son who passed us while we were refueling, and gave us an orange. He told us it was for quick energy, gave us a smile and went on his way. It was a small gesture but it us both smile. I highly recommend this climb for anyone.

Great sites with good parking. We loved the large platforms. The only thing we knock them on are the restroom facilities.

Due to the recent COVID-19 regulations, we were unable to park at the Parks headquarters. If planning a visit, buy a day parking pass a couple days in advance. We parked on the northern side of the mountain and hiked the Dublin trail. A nice gradual trail head that has moderate rocks as you get closer to the summit. Would recommend wearing hiking shoes as rocks were a little slick at times. I would also recommend for children 8 and up. The little ones loved the hike and were very pleased by the views. Definitely a great starter hike, or easier day hike to spend some time in the lakes afterwards.

One of greatest hikes anyone will ever have.

Very nice park. Bring your big repellent. Hiked to the top of Mount Monadnock. Worth the effort to see the great views.

Not for beginners, but worth every steps and climb. Awesome view at the top.

Great view and exercise. super windy at the top so bring a windbreaker if you want to stay there for a bit!

Dublin Trail, 2.6 Miles, first Mile easy, then you are climbing over rocks, etc.

Very nice park if you don’t wanna spend hours for highly ones in New Hampshire. Can be slippery in the spring time, so don’t forget about special equipment if you still wanna climb there when snow hasn’t gone yet completely. The only disappointing thing was that they took the admission payment, but never registered us. It was 2 of us, no guides, so we were by our own and expected the office to be at least informed of who’re their visitors that day, just in case.

Just two hour drive from Boston. You can make this a day trip as your weekend adrenaline rush. There are few trials to go to the top of the Monadnock. Cannot comment on the white dot or white cross trails since we took the Birchtoft trail to the summit. I believe the difficulty is same for the other trails too. The hike is difficult but you can make it to the top. There were loads of people on the top. There were young children too. And saw one parent carrying a baby on his backpack. And everyone felt overjoyed at the top after seeing the stunning 360 view. Bring plenty of water and high energy food.

Wonderful, beautiful day for a hike! We did the White Dot Trail on the way up, White Cross Trail on the way down. It took us 70 minutes both ways. We went midweek on a Wednesday and we didn’t feel crowded!

This is a super fun hike that can be enjoyed by most hikers. It has an amazing view at the top and a few different ways to get there. Round trip it took around five hours. I would recommend bringing a lunch and enjoying it at the top. At the top there where around 15-20 people reaching/hanging out but definitely not too many people to enjoy the nature/view.

Did the White dot trail to the top of Mt. Monadnock. Began around 4am so that we could catch the sunrise at the summit. Was one of the best views Ive ever seen. I can see why Waldo Emerson felt compelled to write the eponymous poem about this serene landscape!

Love hiking here! The 360 views at the top are wonderful! The white arrow access up is far more difficult than the white dot trail but both are a great workout and get your heart pumping! The very top can be pretty chilly and quite windy even on the most beautiful and warm days so dress appropriately. The staff when you enter the park is always friendly and accommodating so that is a nice way to start off the trails. In the spring and summer I definitely recommend bug spray because the bugs can be quite pesky, especially the black flys!

Great facilities, very clean, the staff is very nice and respectful. Trails are in excellant shape.

Great experience, even better view. A perfect hike for the less experienced hiker

Great place to trek. Also check out views from my pics. I am sure you will now want to go and trek this mountain. Just be careful of the rocky terrains towards the peak side.

Take lot of water before going there. Wear good hiking shoes. Place is awesome and view is amazing

The hike is beautiful and at the the top is magnificentI It is a very doable yet challenging hike! Bring plenty of water! You can see Boston from the top on a clear day!

Went here only for the hike up Mt Monadnock. The park seems to have all the amenities you would expect from a state park. It is sufficiently staffed and well maintained.The hike itself is moderate difficultly hike that starts easy and gets difficult in patches all the way to the top. Beautiful views at almost every step once you get above the treeline. If you happen to be here in late July or August expect and savour plenty of wild blueberries that grow everywhere on the top half of the hike.

White cross trail, Excellent moderate to hard hike

View is amazing. Highly recommend

The hike is worth it. No spoilers. Last time I hiked we saw lightning in the sunset. The top and the trails needs some clean up. Ill hike with small trash bag next time. Please help. Fun Fact: This mountain was once covered in pink rose quartz. Most of them have been taken home as suveneers.

Great hike from the campground! Dont be scared off by the additional length of this hike. It is a MUCH more gentle/gradual hike than the main routes. Not crowded at all. A but challenging once you meet up with the Red Dot trail, but the view opens up at that point so you have that to encourage you. Take it slow and pack a lunch for the top.

Great place. We take youth groups there every year and they have a blast. Wish it were a bit cheaper for that service (overnight youth group camping). Great hike nonetheless. Not too challenging

Nice place for hiking and day out

We hiked up to the top of Mt. Monadnock and the views were fantastic. If you enjoy hiking, this is must do when you come to the area.

This is one of my favorite hikes during the summer in the winter! I hike here several times a year year round. It’s always very clean and when I have hiked in the winter season cleat rentals were available for my friends witch was a great and needs surprise!!

I always enjoy manadnock, especially hikes from the old toll road parking. Try Parker to cliffwalk to amphitheater (check out black precipice) to South peak trail for a more interesting and less traveled route. You can take south peak trail back down to Monta Rosa peak and then monta rosa trail down to fairy brook trail (charming stream through rocks when wet enough) to the lower stretch of white arrow and finally toll road. Lots of variations but this is my favorite.

Monadnock mountain, also know as most hiked mountain in world(at least in USA), is my favourite hiking place in New England. It is moderate hike and just takes 3-4 hours for round trip. The view from summit is always gorgeous irrespective it Summer or Fall.

The Gilson Pond campground offers a nice mix of natural camping with decent amenities (outhouses near sites, central bathroom/ shower/ dish sink facility). A playground for children, a swimming lake, and trails running around the pond and up to Mt. Monadnock offer hikes for all ages and skill levels. I want to go back and check out the remote camping sites soon.

Always a lovely medium level hike. Many different trails one can take to have a different experience on the way up every time.

Rigorous hike, definitely deserve a drink after this one.

If you like hiking get your self there and enjoy the views

Beautiful views! You have to pay to enter though.

I really enjoyed the scenery and the hiking the mountain. The hike was challenging, yet enjoyable, and not too long overall.

Camped at Gilson Pond campground and hiked Mt. Monadnock for the firat time. What a wonderful experience. Cleanest campground bathrooms I have ever witnessed. Hiking is $5 per person and camping is about $25 a night. If you are camping you can hike for free.

There is a reason 125,000 people a year go here. Not too far away, a pretty tough very rocky climb but doable for most. Huge view payoff at the top. First timers do the white dot trail up, and white cross trail down.

Easy to medium hike. I took the White Dots up and the White Cross down. About 2 hours up and 1.25 down. Some parts are challenging but totally doable for an average hiker

This is perfect for a single day hike... Takes just under 2 hours to go up for an average hiker...nthe trails are clean and easy to identify.

Cant beat this place. The views, trails, ease, difficulty, and options are abound. My last hike this October an 83 year old couple from Vermont were hiking for the very first time, they were amazing to talk to and see. I have been hiking here since I was a young teen about every 5 years or so and I still have more trails to hit. If youre up for the adventure, a night hike around the 4th of July is amazing. Go up even two or three weeks following the 4th and you can sit and watch multiple fireworks displays in fireworks friendly, Live Free or Die NH. Cant recommend a night hike enough, best hike ever.

Pretty! Steep! Proper new England hiking.

InterMediate level hike.

Its a flippin mountain! You cant go wrong!

Wear everything for a full day hike and expect to be pleasantly surprised with the beauty and views of this grand Monadnock. The Park is very nice and also the head of the white dot trail the coolest trail to the top. Bring camera. The white dot trail is a little longer than the white arrow.

Simply gorgeous! Found mating Luna moths!

Great hike up the white dot trail. Very very busy however constantly passing people up and down the trail. Fantastic view at the summit also very crowded on the weekends.

Perfectly splendid, well respected.

Awesome mountain! A good climb, even though I havent done vertical exercises like this for a long time I made it with no trouble. Wonderful views and beautiful in the fall when the leaves turn. A fair number of people so you dont feel alone and wasnt crowded when we were there so you could still enjoy the silence.

A great place for an ambitious hike