Hanover Trails Challenge – Get Outdoors and Explore!
Our 2025 Trails Challenge season has come to a close. Thank you to everyone who participated this year, and congratulations to the winners of our raffle drawing! Stay tuned for more information about the Challenge in 2026!
These family-friendly hikes are a great introduction to Hanover’s natural landscape for people of most ability levels. Registration is now completely free, and all of this year’s maps are available for download below. Access them anytime on your mobile device, or save and print at home. And stay tuned, more hikes and maps will be added early in June.
Help others get in on the fun – share photos of your family at trail destinations on social media, tagging @HanoverConservancy on Facebook and Instagram!
Register today, and consider making a gift to support Hanover Conservancy’s efforts to protect land and water for public access and recreation.
While out on the trails, please be respectful of all property rules, and follow the guidelines listed on your checklist. And as always, Leave No Trace!
Save or print the trail maps below to find the destination markers for this year!
Thank you to these fantastic businesses for donating raffle prizes:
King Arthur Baking Company
Hubert’s Family Outfitters
Umpleby’s Bakery and Cafe
Base Camp Cafe
Blue Sky Restaurants
Stateline Sports
Ramunto’s Brick & Brew
The Nugget Theater
Main Street Kitchens
Molly’s Restaurant
Balch Hill
For more than 50 years, the Balch Hill Natural Area has been a favorite of Hanover residents. Explore this easy 1 mile loop to the summit for great views and big trees (including the Grafton County Champion red oak!).
Britton Forest
Enjoy tranquil woodland trails on the western slope of Moose Mountain. Britton Forest offers quiet path through great wildlife habitat, with a moderately challenging 1-mile loop past a large glacial erratic.
Fullington Farm
Explore this short walk along the Connecticut River for a beautiful trip through important river and meadow habitat. Bring your binoculars and keep your eyes open for a wide range of bird species!
Hayes Farm Park & King Bird Sanctuary
Just behind the Etna Library, Hayes Farm Park and the King Bird Sanctuary offer gentle trails and rich wildlife habitat to explore. Stop in the library and check out a nature guide, then set off on the trails for an adventure close to home.
Hayes Farm Park & King Bird Sanctuary Trails Challenge map and directions (pdf)
Headwaters Forest
Visit Hanover Conservancy’s most recent acquisition on Moose Mountain, the newly-protected Headwaters Forest! Enjoy wild blueberries, scenic views, and the gentle murmuring of the headwaters of Mink Brook on an easy 1.4 mile hike.
Hudson Farm
Tall pines, expansive meadows, and historic stone walls await you on this gentle 1.5 mile hike on land owned by the National Park Service as part of the Appalachian Trail corridor. Listen for the energetic songs of bobolink, who nest in the open fields. Trails are currently wet from recent rains, consider waiting until July.
Greensboro Ridge
Just east of downtown Hanover, Greensboro Ridge provides important wildlife habitat for species like black bear, bobcat, and spotted salamanders. It also offers great recreational opportunities and connects to the Appalachian Trail. Enjoy the mossy ledges and peaceful forest along this 1.6 mile loop.
Lower Slade Brook
The Jim and Evalyn Hornig Natural Area at Lower Slade Brook offers tall trees and picturesque water features, only a few miles north of downtown. Be sure to close your eyes and let the sound of cascading water surround you!
Mayor-Niles Forest
On the western slope of Moose Mountain, Mayor-Niles Forest offers a moderately-challenging 2-mile lollipop trail in the upper Hewes Brook watershed. An optional side trail provides access to the scenic White Ledges.
Mayor-Niles Forest Trails Challenge map and directions (pdf)
Mink Brook Community Forest
Explore the amazing result of many conservation partners working together to protect important forest, field, and wetland habitats at Hanover’s Mink Brook Community Forest. This easy walk winds through the southern parcel of this town-owned property on Greensboro Road. Trails are currently wet from recent rains, consider waiting until July.
Mink Brook Community Forest Trails Challenge map and directions (pdf)
Mink Brook Nature Preserve
One location, with double the Trails Challenge destinations! Mink Brook Nature Preserve has long been a family-friendly destination with easy trails winding along the gentle shores of Mink Brook, and through lush, open forests. Keep an eye open for some of Mink Brook’s newest residents: a busy family of beavers.
Pine Park
The beginnings of Hanover’s oldest conservation area stretch back to 1899, when a group of concerned citizens purchased 45 acres slated to be logged by the Diamond Match Company. Today, the now 100-acre park is owned by the Pine Park Association, who manage more than 6 miles of trails and oversee ongoing restoration and habitat improvement projects.
River Trail at Mink Brook
Follow Mink Brook to its end as it empties into the Connecticut River by taking this winding path over land owned by the Town of Hanover. This easy, 1.5 mile out and back hike can be completed along with the nearby Mink Brook Nature Preserve challenge, or explored on its own.
River Trail at Mink Brook Trails Challenge map and directions (pdf)
South Esker Trail
Take a break from summer heat in the cool shade of mature hemlocks and pines. This easy 0.7 mile hike traverses an esker, a long narrow ridge sand and gravel left by melting glaciers. Complete this hike on its own, or as part of a neighborhood outing as you visit the River Trail.
Tunis Mill Lot
Miles from downtown Hanover, the Tunis Mill Lot is a natural and historic gem in the town’s northeast corner. An easy, 1 mile out-and-back trail leads you deep into a contiguous forest, and the former site of a 19th century sawmill on Tunis Brook. An impressive glacial erratic sits on private property just beyond the trail, please enjoy it respectfully.
Tick Protection Tips: Consider using insect repellent with DEET to deter ticks. Tuck pant legs into socks, or wear field boots or gaiters. Wear light colors so ticks are easier to spot. And always do a thorough tick check when returning from a hike.
