McCoy Chapman Forest
Managed by Mahoosuc Land Trust
185 acres2.2 mi of trail
Esker LoopForestry LoopMcCoy-Grey Birch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peabody Tavern · Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Gilead
Few parks or trails are on the map in Gilead
The biggest trail networks: McCoy Chapman Forest (2.2 mi). 23% of Gilead’s land is conserved, about 2,755 acres. 12 miles of mapped trail cross Gilead, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
23%
2,755 acres · of 18.9 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,903 ft
Little Bear Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is McCoy Chapman Forest, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Robinson Peak Conservation Easement
Managed by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
2,755 conserved acres
23% of Gilead’s land. Who manages Gilead’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service2,289 ac
State parks254 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits219 ac
National Forest · 2,289 acLocal Other or Unknown · 250 acPrivate Conservation · 219 acUnknown Easement · 2 acConservation Easement · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 11 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 2,191 | Open |
| Mahoosucs Local Other or Unknown | State parks | 227 | Closed |
| McCoy Farm Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 196 | Unknown |
| White Mountain Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 98 | Open |
| Gilead Bayroot Local Other or Unknown | State parks | 23 | Unknown |
| Philbrook Island Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 23 | Closed |
Things to do
6 places to go in Gilead
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Gilead
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Gilead
Little Bear Mountain1,903 ft elevation
DirectionsTumbledown Dick Mountain1,785 ft elevation
DirectionsPeaked Hill1,368 ft elevation
DirectionsTwin Mountain1,227 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Gilead
Gilead Picnic Ground
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Wheeler Brook Trail1.6 mi
Esker Loop1.1 mi
Hastings Trail0.7 mi
Forestry Loop0.5 mi
McCoy-Grey Birch Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Gilead: May and July to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 31 | 40 | 53 | 66 | 74 | 79 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Gilead →
Questions about parks and trails in Gilead
Where can I hike in Gilead?
The longest trail networks: McCoy Chapman Forest, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Gilead’s trails?
McCoy Chapman Forest and Robinson Peak Conservation Easement don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gilead?
75,633 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gilead or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,776 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gilead neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →