Franklin Falls Reservoir
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
1,142 acres20.8 mi of trail
Old Route 3APiney PointSniperWhaleback+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Franklin
Franklin has 53 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
22% of Franklin’s land is conserved, about 3,858 acres. The biggest trail networks: Franklin Falls Reservoir (20.8 mi), Great Gains Memorial Forest (7.5 mi), Lawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest (1.1 mi). 184 acres are parks and preserves, 21 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #35 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
3,858 acres · of 27.4 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
184 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
63%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.2 mi
0.2 mi paths
Highest peak
778 ft
Smith Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Franklin?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franklin is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #35 of 126 in New Hampshire. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Franklin’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land21 acres of park per 1,000 residents (184 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home63% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 73%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Franklin’s 22% is ahead of 68% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% of them.
Water is 6% of Franklin’s area (2 of 29 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 21%.
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 Franklin Falls Reservoir, with 20.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Great Gains Memorial Forest
Managed by Franklin Conservation Commission
612 acres7.5 mi of trail
Paradise CityFear of the DarkElks LoopHoly Diver+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
341 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Odell Park
Park
11 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Franklin Falls Reservoir1,142 acres · 20.8 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsGreat Gains Memorial Forest612 acres · 7.5 mi of trail · Franklin Conservation Commission
Lawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest341 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Odell Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Montgomery Road Forest485 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Franklin Conservation Commission
Webster Lake Wildlife Management Area151 acres · NH Fish & Game
Daniel Webster Birthplace State Historic Site145 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Griffin Road Forest34 acres · Franklin Conservation Commission
State Forest Nursery25 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Mill City Park15 acres · City of Franklin
Daniell Park5 acres · City of Franklin
DirectionsStone Park1 acres · City of Franklin
River’s Edge Park1 acres · City of Franklin
Forest Hills Park1 acres · City of Franklin
Trestle View Park1 acres · City of Franklin
Who protects it
3,858 conserved acres
22% of Franklin’s land. Water is left out: Franklin has 27.4 square miles of land and 1.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Franklin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)849 ac
State natural resources798 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land667 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits308 ac
State fish & wildlife151 ac
Joint76 ac
Town or city18 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,581 acLocal Other or Unknown · 862 acFederal Other or Unknown · 798 acLocal Resource Management Area · 612 acPrivate Conservation · 339 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 856 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 36 of 55 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Falls Reservoir Federal Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 798 | Unknown |
| Great Gains Memorial Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 612 | Unknown |
| Robie Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 339 | Unknown |
| Montgomery Road Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 310 | Unknown |
| Webster Lake Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 151 | Restricted |
| Daniel Webster Birthplace Historic Site State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 145 | Unknown |
| Salisbury Rd #1 Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 96 | Unknown |
| River Street River Frontage Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 94 | Unknown |
| Salisbury Rd #2 Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| City of Franklin Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 74 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Franklin
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Franklin
Griffin Beach
DirectionsLagace Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Franklin
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Franklin
Franklin Public Boat Ramp
DirectionsLagace Beach Boat Launch
DirectionsSalmon Brook Station Ramp
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Franklin
Ledgeview OverlookIn Franklin Falls Reservoir
DirectionsPeaks in Franklin
Smith Hill778 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 17.4 miHorses · 1.6 miUnpaved · 26.0 mi
Northern Rail Trail7.1 mi
Old Route 3A2.2 mi
Piney Point1.5 mi
Sniper1.0 mi
Paradise City0.8 mi
Fear of the Dark0.6 mi
Elks Loop0.6 mi
Whaleback0.5 mi
Stump0.5 mi
Holy Diver0.5 mi
15 more trails
Rogue
0.5 miLost Wall Trail
0.5 miMoose Gully
0.5 miWinnipesaukee Trail
0.5 miTaia's Trail
0.5 miHeritage Trail
0.5 miPine Snake
0.5 miJunkyard Hollow
0.5 miBee Trail
0.4 miSalmon Brook
0.4 miCaddy Whompus
0.4 miOld Bench Trail
0.3 miMiddle Trail
0.3 miRusty Bucket
0.3 miCellarhole Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Northern Rail TrailBike route
7.1 miWinnipesaukee TrailBike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
5Baseball
2Tennis
1Football
1Basketball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Franklin: 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 | 34 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin →
Next door
Franklin and its neighbors
Franklin has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Franklin53 miAndover49 miNorthfield48 miSanbornton48 miBoscawen40 miSalisbury29 miTilton11 miTilton Northfield3.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 22% | 1.9 | 21 | 63% | A |
| Northfield | 3% | 1.7 | 75 | 42% | B+ |
| Sanbornton | 15% | 1.0 | 90 | 12% | A− |
| Salisbury | 21% | 0.7 | 139 | 16% | A− |
| Tilton | 1% | 1.0 | 15 | 56% | B |
| Andover | 26% | 1.2 | 150 | 34% | A |
| Tilton Northfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Boscawen | 18% | 1.6 | 11 | 21% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Franklin
Where can I hike in Franklin?
The longest trail networks: Franklin Falls Reservoir, 20.8 miles; Great Gains Memorial Forest, 7.5 miles; Lawrence W. and Caroline B. Robie Forest, 1.1 miles; Odell Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franklin is conserved land?
22% 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 Franklin’s trails?
Franklin Falls Reservoir and Great Gains Memorial Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Franklin?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Northern Rail Trail and Winnipesaukee Trail.
Is there public land near Franklin?
9,332 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 186 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #35 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 Franklin 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 →