Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Managed by National Park Service
1,095 acres6.2 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailhead
Monson Engine House (Former) · Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Monson
Few parks or trails are on the map in Monson
The biggest trail networks: Appalachian National Scenic Trail (6.2 mi), Monson Pond Conservation Easement (2.4 mi), Delano Wildlife Management Area (1.3 mi). 10% of Monson’s land is conserved, about 2,939 acres. 2 acres are parks and preserves, 2.8 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
10%
2,939 acres · of 46.8 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2 ac
2.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,588 ft
Buck Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
2 boat launches
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 Appalachian National Scenic Trail, with 6.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Monson Pond Conservation Easement
Managed by Forest Society of Maine
438 acres2.4 mi of trail
Craig's Orchard LoopCraig's Trail LoopSnake TrailArthur's Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Delano Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
580 acres1.3 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Doe Pond Access
Park
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
2,939 conserved acres
10% of Monson’s land. Who manages Monson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,178 ac
National Park Service1,093 ac
State fish & wildlife581 ac
Not recorded702 ac
National Scenic or Historic Trail · 1,085 acPrivate Conservation · 702 acUnknown Easement · 596 acConservation Easement · 591 acState Conservation Area · 580 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 591 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 17 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 1,085 | Open |
| EPI - Quimby Lands Private Conservation | Not recorded | 702 | Unknown |
| Delano Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 579 | Closed |
| Doe Pond State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1 | Closed |
Things to do
10 places to go in Monson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Monson
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Monson
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Monson
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Monson
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Monson
Buck Hill1,588 ft elevation
DirectionsDoughty Hill1,585 ft elevation
DirectionsHomer Hill1,184 ft elevation
DirectionsDoe Hill1,056 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Monson
100 Mile Wilderness AdventuresFee
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.9 miHorses · 8.9 miUnpaved · 4.0 mi
Appalachian Trail7.2 mi
Meandering Moose1.9 mi
Craig's Orchard Loop1.1 mi
Fierce Fisher Loop0.9 mi
Craig's Trail Loop0.9 mi
Accipiter Alley Loop0.8 mi
Wolf Chase Loop0.7 mi
Bobcat Blaze0.4 mi
T-Rex Loop0.4 mi
Raven Tag Trail0.4 mi
4 more trails
Snake Trail
0.3 miBangor & Aroostook
0.3 miCoyote Connector
0.3 miArthur's Loop
0.1 miHistory along the way
History →3 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 Monson: 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 28 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 76 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Monson →
Next door
Monson and its neighbors
Monson has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Willimantic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shirley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Abbot | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Monson
Where can I hike in Monson?
The longest trail networks: Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 6.2 miles; Monson Pond Conservation Easement, 2.4 miles; Delano Wildlife Management Area, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Monson’s trails?
Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Monson Pond Conservation Easement don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Monson?
6,043 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Monson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,080 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Monson 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 →