Kuncanowet Town Forest, Dunbarton NH
• 3-star hike
• 2.0 to 5.8 mile options
• Easy difficulty | Gain 112 to 535 feet
• Dunbarton, NH | Merrimack Region
• Driving directions: Trailhead
Kuncanowet Town Forest offers quiet, mostly easy going forest trails with several ponds and moderate elevation gain. A nice diversion for locals and for campers staying nearby at the popular Cold Springs Camp Resort.
A carpet of pine needles cushions much of these trails, interrupted by occasional boggy sections closer to the ponds; and rocks and roots in the Western hills. The route is well marked with painted blazes and wayfinding won’t pose much of a problem.
Because this trail is lightly trafficked, expect to startle the local fauna of mostly squirrels and chickadees. I also spotted a turtle in Gorham Pond, but access to the pond does require an off-trail mini adventure.
Stinson Pond,
Perimeter LoopThe trailhead has at least half a dozen spots for parking, and there were no parking restrictions as far as we were able to observe. We recommend a couple of different loop trails depending on your time and ability:
Stinson Mill Pond Loop 3★2.0 mi, Loop, Easy, Gain 112ft | A short looping hike into the woods to find solitude at Stinson Mill Pond
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Kuncanowet Perimeter Loop 3★5.8 mi, Loop, Easy, Gain 535ft | Explore the whole park on this expedition of the park's perimeter. Honestly though, you wouldn’t be losing much if you were to shorten your hike by taking one of the two cut-offs on the Gum Tree trail. The best views are at Stinson Mill Pond on the Pond View Loop. Route is Mill Pond Trail, Pond View Loop, Gum Tree Trail, Mill Pond Trail then Hobblebush Trail.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Tangents:
• Trail Links: Official, Public Map at AllTrails
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article
Nearby Trails:
• Show on map: All nearby trails
