Pisgah State Park
Nature preserve
4,665 acres16.6 mi of trail
Fullam Pond TrailSouth Woods Tr.Hubbard Hill TrailReservoir Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Chesterfield
Chesterfield has 4,842 acres of parks, 1,337 for every 1,000 residents
25% of Chesterfield’s land is conserved, about 7,355 acres. 62 miles of mapped trail cross Chesterfield, 1.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Pisgah State Park (16.6 mi), Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area (2.3 mi), California Brook Natural Area (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #32 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
25%
7,355 acres · of 45.6 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,842 ac
1,337 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,417 ft
Davis Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Chesterfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Chesterfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Chesterfield is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #32 of 126 in New Hampshire. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Chesterfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land25% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (62 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land1,337 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,842 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home26% 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 89%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 75%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Chesterfield’s 25% is ahead of 77% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% 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 Pisgah State Park, with 16.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
464 acres2.3 mi of trail
Wantastiquet Mountain Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
California Brook Natural Area
Managed by Monadnock Conservancy
1,052 acres2.2 mi of trail
Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail (Prouty Road -Chesterfield Rd)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Madame Sherri Forest
Managed by Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
506 acres2 mi of trail
Anne Stokes Loop TrailMine Ledge TrailWantastiquet Mountain Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
16 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 10 parks & preserves
Pisgah State Park4,665 acres · 16.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWantastiquet Mountain Natural Area464 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
California Brook Natural Area1,052 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Monadnock Conservancy
Madame Sherri Forest506 acres · 2 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
DirectionsChesterfield Gorge Natural Area16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsFriedsam Town Forest208 acres · Chesterfield Conservation Commission
DirectionsOtter Pond Forest137 acres · Town of Chesterfield
Pierce Island State Park6 acres
Ware's Grove Town Beach4 acres
North Shore Town Beach1 acres · Town of Chesterfield
Who protects it
7,355 conserved acres
25% of Chesterfield’s land. Who manages Chesterfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,195 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,794 ac
Joint1,013 ac
Other state land62 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)37 ac
Not recorded1,448 ac
State Park · 4,571 acConservation Easement · 3,573 acState Conservation Area · 474 acPrivate Conservation · 320 acForest Stewardship Easement · 296 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,712 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 31 of 45 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pisgah State Park State Park | State natural resources | 4,299 | Unknown |
| Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 468 | Unknown |
| Pisgah State Park - Critria 1 lands State Park | Not recorded | 272 | Unknown |
| Madame Sherri Forest - Class 2 EcoReserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 242 | Unknown |
| Friedsam Memorial Park Local Park | Not recorded | 208 | Unknown |
| Cook Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Pease Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 49 | Unknown |
| Greenbelt Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 16 | Unknown |
| Summers Private Conservation | Not recorded | 12 | Unknown |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Chesterfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Chesterfield
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Chesterfield
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Chesterfield
Old Mill Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Chesterfield
Beal's Knob VistaIn Pisgah State Park
DirectionsDort Knob Vista
DirectionsHubbard Hill VistaIn Pisgah State Park
Directionsstone post viewIn Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Chesterfield
Davis Hill1,417 ft elevation
DirectionsHubbard Hill1,375 ft elevation · In Pisgah State Park
DirectionsStreeter Hill1,207 ft elevation
DirectionsPistareen Mountain1,070 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill1,030 ft elevation
DirectionsSargent Hill873 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.8 miHorses · 0.8 miUnpaved · 9.1 mi
Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail (Prouty Road -Chesterfield Rd)2.8 mi
Fullam Pond Trail2.6 mi
Anne Stokes Loop Trail1.8 mi
South Woods Tr.1.7 mi
Hubbard Hill Trail1.5 mi
Wantastiquet Mountain Trail1.4 mi
Reservoir Trail1.2 mi
Lily Pond Trail1.0 mi
Baker Pond Trail0.7 mi
Nash trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Mine Ledge Trail
0.6 miBeal's Knob Trail
0.5 miDaniels Mountain Trail
0.4 miDavis Hill Trail
0.4 miDaniels Mountain Loop
0.3 miHabitat Tr.
0.3 miOld Davis Hill Trail
0.3 miNorth Ponds Trail
0.3 miNot a Maintained Trail
0.2 miSouth Woods Side-Tr.
0.2 miDort Shelter-Hubbard Hill Vista Connector
0.2 miDavis Hill-Dort Shelter Connector
0.2 miDort Knob Vista Trail
0.2 miBeal's Knob Summit Spur Trail
0.2 miHubbard Hill Vista Loop
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
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.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Asbury United Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1983
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Chesterfield: May, July and 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Chesterfield →
Next door
Chesterfield and its neighbors
Chesterfield has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield | 25% | 1.3 | 1,337 | 26% | A |
| Westmoreland | 10% | 1.5 | 29 | 5% | B+ |
| Swanzey | 10% | 1.2 | 55 | 29% | A− |
| Hinsdale | 14% | 1.1 | 183 | 32% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Chesterfield
Where can I hike in Chesterfield?
The longest trail networks: Pisgah State Park, 16.6 miles; Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area, 2.3 miles; California Brook Natural Area, 2.2 miles; Madame Sherri Forest, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Chesterfield is conserved land?
25% 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 Chesterfield’s trails?
Pisgah State Park and Wantastiquet Mountain Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Chesterfield?
33,127 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Chesterfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,330 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Chesterfield have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #32 of 126 in New Hampshire. 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 Chesterfield 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 →