Fox Forest, Hillsborough NH
• 4-star hike
• 2.8 to 6.2 mile options
• Medium difficulty | Gain 350 to 1,010 feet
• Hillsborough, NH | Monadnock Region
• Driving Directions: Trailhead
Boardwalk viewing kiosk at Mud Pond Bog.
Fox Forest is the state of New Hampshire's forestry research station and features 22 miles of trails within its 1,500 acre woodland plot just North of the town of Hillsborough.
The public is welcome on the trails, and to explore features that include a small plot of virgin forest and a viewing platform on Monroe Hill. The research center buildings include a museum of forestry memorabilia, but it is only open during the annual field day and at other times upon request.
North Ridge Loop,
Mud Pond LoopSo far we've explored only the North side of the park, both in spring and fall, and we've found the trails to be very pleasant and mostly bug-free at these times. Wear orange clothing during hunting seasons.
Mud Pond Loop 3★2.8 mi, Loop, Medium, Gain 350ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
This shorter loop sticks to some of the flatter terrain in the park, leading past the virgin forest, a pond viewpoint and on to the Mud Pond which includes a boardwalk and a screened-in kiosk for wildlife viewing during the buggiest season.
The virgin forest is a small pocket of forest believed to have never seen an axe, featuring a stand of Easter Hemlock and hardwood trees that are over two hundred years old.
Mud Pond Bog reportedly contains peat deposits up to 30 feet in depth, so you'll probably want to stick to the boardwalk by the shore. There's a great interpretive sign illustrating the wetland's unique flora and fauna. The last section of trail to Mud Pond is quite light - if you find an unmarked trail fork, stay to the left and follow our map (the right-hand goes nowhere, but I've fallen for it twice already).
On the quiet Ridge Trail you'll likely find trees are your only company.
North Ridge Loop 4★6.2 mi, Loop, Medium, Gain 1,010ft
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
This longer loop of the Northern side of the park includes a hike up the tallest hills, and includes a viewing platform with partial views towards Crotched Mountain. The route shares an outbound journey past the virgin forest to Mud Pond Bog, then continues on a counter-clockwise tour of Fox Forest's perimeters and towards Monroe Hill. The Ridge Trail eschews switchbacks and instead takes a direct route up and down several hilly slopes. Take care in wet weather and fallen leaves as this makes the gradients somewhat slippery.
The Monroe Hill tower was something of an anti-climax for us - less than a dozen steps to a viewing platform from where you can see the profile of distant hills and mountains. We wish the stewards of this trail would at least remove some of the taller brush that diminishes the view despite the increased height of the platform.
The lightly-traveled Ridge Trail can be hard to follow sometimes. The red-on-white blazes are often just too far apart to be useful, and there are several criss-crossing trails and old farm roads, so we'd recommend carrying GPS navigation and using our downloadable route map.
Straining for views on the Monroe Hill viewing platform.
Small creek crossing, heading out towards the Mud Pond Bog.
Tangents:
• Trail Links: Official map (PDF)
• Public Maps at AllTrails: North Ridge Loop, South Loop
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article
Nearby Trails:
• Show on map: All nearby trails
NH Rail Trails Map
We've published New Hampshire’s first complete rail trail map, including links and details for all rideable trails.
We've published New Hampshire’s first complete rail trail map, including links and details for all rideable trails.