Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
1,041 acres1.8 mi of trail
Barlow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Andover
26% of Andover’s land is conserved: 6,784 acres
320 acres are parks and preserves, 150 per 1,000 residents. 49 miles of mapped trail cross Andover, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area (1.8 mi), Mount Kearsarge State Forest (0.8 mi), Ragged Mountain State Forest (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
26%
6,784 acres · of 40.1 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
320 ac
150 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,260 ft
The Pinnacle
Lakes & rivers
13
What kind of outdoors town is Andover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild26% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.Room to roam150 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 85% of U.S. towns.History along the way6 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Andover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Andover is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Andover’s overall grade.
Conserved land26% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (49 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land150 acres of park per 1,000 residents (320 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home34% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Andover’s 26% is ahead of 78% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 50% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Kearsarge WMA, with 1.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Kearsarge State Forest
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
220 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ragged Mountain State Forest
Managed by New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development
72 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Elliot and Catherine Reiner Woodland Conservancy
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
215 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Roby Preserve
Managed by Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
48 acres0.4 mi of trail
Northern Rail Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area1,041 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
Mount Kearsarge State Forest220 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
Ragged Mountain State Forest72 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development
Elliot and Catherine Reiner Woodland Conservancy215 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Roby Preserve48 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
Mountain Brook Forest Preserve233 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
Carr Field14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Proctor Academy
DirectionsLawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest68 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Old College Road Preserve56 acres · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
McLeod Preserve26 acres · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
Chaffee Park6 acres
Who protects it
6,784 conserved acres
26% of Andover’s land. Who manages Andover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,724 ac
Town or city1,325 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government722 ac
Joint479 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)304 ac
State natural resources235 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land174 ac
Conservation Easement · 5,422 acResearch or Educational Area · 1,502 acUnknown Easement · 1,144 acState Conservation Area · 1,029 acPrivate Conservation · 368 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,342 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 67 of 79 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proctor Academy Lands Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 1,502 | Unknown |
| Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,029 | Unknown |
| Mount Kearsarge State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 235 | Unknown |
| Mountain Brook Forest Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 228 | Open |
| Andover Village District Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 112 | Unknown |
| Robie Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 80 | Unknown |
| Ragged Mountain State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 72 | Unknown |
| Bog Pond Parcel Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 58 | Unknown |
| Roby Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Common Land- Tucker Mtn Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Andover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Andover
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Andover
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Andover
The Pinnacle2,260 ft elevation
DirectionsMorey Hill1,434 ft elevation · In Mount Kearsarge State Forest
DirectionsBeech Hill1,388 ft elevation
DirectionsCilley Hill1,388 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill1,312 ft elevation · In Lawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest
DirectionsTaunton Hill1,135 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill1,086 ft elevation
DirectionsBoston Hill942 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.0 miUnpaved · 34.9 mi
Northern Rail Trail11.0 mi
SRK Greenway2.7 mi
Mountain Brook Falls Trail1.6 mi
Balanced Rock Trail0.6 mi
Barlow Trail0.2 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Northern Rail TrailBike route
11 miCourts & fields
10Tennis
6Soccer
6Baseball
1Volleyball
1Football
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places 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.
Bog BridgeStructure · listed 1989
About itEast Andover Village Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itKeniston BridgeStructure · listed 1989
About itPotter Place Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1989
About itGershom Durgin HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itHersey Farms Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2008
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Andover: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Andover →
Next door
Andover and its neighbors
Andover has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Andover
Where can I hike in Andover?
The longest trail networks: Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area, 1.8 miles; Mount Kearsarge State Forest, 0.8 miles; Ragged Mountain State Forest, 0.6 miles; Elliot and Catherine Reiner Woodland Conservancy, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Andover is conserved land?
26% of its land, against a typical 19% for a New Hampshire town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Andover’s trails?
Kearsarge Wildlife Management Area and Mount Kearsarge State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Andover?
8,734 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Andover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 320 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Andover have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Andover 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 →