Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
Nature preserve
6,124 acres21 mi of trail
Piper TrailLiberty TrailHammond TrailChampney Falls Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Albany
More than half of Albany’s land is conserved: 89%
89% of Albany’s land is conserved, about 42,873 acres. The biggest trail networks: Mount Chocorua Scenic Area (21 mi), Rocky Gorge Scenic Area (0.9 mi), Whitton Pond Preserve (0.5 mi). 78 acres are parks and preserves, 99 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
89%
42,873 acres · of 75.1 sq mi of land
Trails
135 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
78 ac
99 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
18%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.6 mi
1.6 mi paths
Highest peak
3,478 ft
Mount Chocorua
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach
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 Mount Chocorua Scenic Area, with 21 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rocky Gorge Scenic Area
Nature preserve
72 acres0.9 mi of trail
Lovequist Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Whitton Pond Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
88 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Margaret Marshall Mountain Laurel Warbler Garden
Managed by Tin Mountain Conservation Center
14 acres0.3 mi of trail
Laurel Loop
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 12 parks & preserves
Mount Chocorua Scenic Area6,124 acres · 21 mi of trail
Rocky Gorge Scenic Area72 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWhitton Pond Preserve88 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Margaret Marshall Mountain Laurel Warbler Garden14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Tin Mountain Conservation Center
Albany Town Forest161 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rockwell Sanctuary125 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Tin Mountain Conservation Center
DirectionsMary P. Scott Nature Reserve17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Dr. Michael Cline Memorial Forest91 acres · Tin Mountain Conservation Center
Lovejoy Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary89 acres · Audubon Society of NH
Chocorua Birches Natural Area61 acres · World Fellowship Center
DirectionsLori Jean Kinsey Arboretum & Sanctuary58 acres · Tin Mountain Conservation Center
DirectionsHartshorne Conservation Easement1 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Who protects it
42,873 conserved acres
89% of Albany’s land. Who manages Albany’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service41,389 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,491 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)30 ac
Not recorded391 ac
National Forest · 41,389 acConservation Easement · 2,072 acPrivate Conservation · 256 acResearch or Educational Area · 206 acUnknown Easement · 154 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,212 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 26 of 46 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 | 41,389 | Open |
| UNH Forestry Lot 17, Range 3 Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 136 | Unknown |
| Whitton Pond Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 83 | Unknown |
| Lovejoy Wildlife Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| Wellman Forest Lot Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 70 | Unknown |
| Ainsworth Private Conservation | Not recorded | 54 | Unknown |
| Forrester A. Clark Reserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
| Mary P. Scott Nature Reserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Burtt Lot Private Conservation | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Marshall - Knox Farm and Ingalls Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Albany
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Albany
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Albany
Champney FallsIn Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
DirectionsPitcher FallsIn Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
DirectionsScenic views in Albany
Plus 6 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Albany
Mount Chocorua3,478 ft elevation · In Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
DirectionsMiddle Sister3,353 ft elevation · In Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
DirectionsMount Paugus3,104 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Paugus, South Peak3,100 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Moat Mountain2,717 ft elevation
DirectionsSquare Ledge2,569 ft elevation
DirectionsHedgehog Mountain2,520 ft elevation
DirectionsBlue Mountain2,418 ft elevation · In Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
Directions12 more peaks
Bald Mountain2,123 ft elevation · In Mount Chocorua Scenic Area
DirectionsWhite Ledge2,011 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Mexico2,005 ft elevation
DirectionsHaystack1,952 ft elevation
DirectionsSpruce Hill1,939 ft elevation
DirectionsBirch Hill1,886 ft elevation
DirectionsRoundtop1,463 ft elevation
DirectionsSugarloaf1,230 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill1,171 ft elevation
DirectionsSpruce Hill1,096 ft elevation
DirectionsBirch Hill948 ft elevation
DirectionsChase Hill866 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Albany
Blackberry Crossing CampgroundFee
DirectionsCovered Bridge Campground
DirectionsHuttopia
DirectionsJigger Johnson CampgroundFee
DirectionsPassaconawayNational Forest Service
DirectionsWorld Fellowship Center Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.8 miHorses · 2.0 miUnpaved · 23.8 mi
Bolles Trail5.6 mi
Oliverian Brook Trail4.0 mi
Liberty Trail3.9 mi
Piper Trail3.8 mi
White Ledge Trail3.6 mi
UNH Trail3.6 mi
Middle Sister Trail3.5 mi
Champney Falls Trail3.3 mi
High School Loop3.2 mi
Carter Ledge Trail3.2 mi
15 more trails
Boulder Loop Trail
3.0 miMoat Mountain Trail
3.0 miBrook Trail
3.0 miHammond Trail
2.7 miBee Line Trail
2.6 miOld Paugus Trail
2.5 miCabin Trail
2.3 miLogging Railroad
2.1 miSawyer Pond Trail
2.0 miLawrence Trail
1.9 miBig Rock Cave Trail
1.9 miSquare Ledge Trail
1.9 miKelley Trail
1.9 miWeetamoo Trail
1.8 miPassaconway Cutoff
1.6 miBiking & sports
1.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Russell-Colbath HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Albany: May 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 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 38 | 51 | 64 | 72 | 76 | 74 | 67 | 54 | 42 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 5.6 |
February is the driest month (3.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 6.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Albany →
Next door
Albany and its neighbors
Albany has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bartlett | 67% | 1.2 | 63 | 13% | A− |
| Tamworth | 45% | 1.1 | 341 | 32% | A |
| Madison | 16% | 1.4 | 161 | 25% | A− |
| Waterville Valley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Conway | 32% | 2.2 | 217 | 50% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Albany
Where can I hike in Albany?
The longest trail networks: Mount Chocorua Scenic Area, 21 miles; Rocky Gorge Scenic Area, 0.9 miles; Whitton Pond Preserve, 0.5 miles; Margaret Marshall Mountain Laurel Warbler Garden, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Albany’s trails?
Mount Chocorua Scenic Area and Rocky Gorge Scenic Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Albany?
1.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Albany?
122,109 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Albany or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 29,597 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Albany 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 →