Water Precinct Land
Managed by Goffstown Village Water Precinct
654 acres14.1 mi of trail
KenLaw TrailMountain TrailLink TrailSummit Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Goffstown
Goffstown has 95 miles of mapped trails, 2.6 for every square mile of land
16% of Goffstown’s land is conserved, about 3,829 acres. The biggest trail networks: Water Precinct Land (14.1 mi), South Uncanoonuc Mountain (4.3 mi), Blackbriar Woods Preserve (2.1 mi). 447 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #29 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
3,829 acres · of 37.0 sq mi of land
Trails
95 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
447 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
67%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.6 mi
Highest peak
1,316 ft
North Uncanoonuc Mountain
Lakes & rivers
9
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Goffstown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Goffstown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Goffstown is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #29 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 Goffstown’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (95 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land24 acres of park per 1,000 residents (447 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home67% 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 89%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 78%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Goffstown’s 16% is ahead of 43% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% 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 Water Precinct Land, with 14.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
South Uncanoonuc Mountain
Managed by Town of Goffstown
158 acres4.3 mi of trail
Incline TrailSummit TrailWalker TrailBickford Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Incline Trail Parking
Blackbriar Woods Preserve
Managed by Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
129 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Florence M. Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
68 acres1 mi of trail
Holbrook Hill Trail (PLC)Thomas & Robert Shirley TrailLo Flo Trail (PLC)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Marston-Dunlap Conservation Area
Managed by Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
50 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ploss Pines Preserve
Managed by Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
31 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
North Uncanoonuc Mountain
Managed by Town of Goffstown
144 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Black Brook Preserve
Managed by Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
105 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 18 parks & preserves
Water Precinct Land654 acres · 14.1 mi of trail · Goffstown Village Water Precinct
DirectionsSouth Uncanoonuc Mountain158 acres · 4.3 mi of trail · Town of Goffstown
DirectionsBlackbriar Woods Preserve129 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
Florence M. Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary68 acres · 1 mi of trail · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
Marston-Dunlap Conservation Area50 acres · 1 mi of trail · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
Ploss Pines Preserve31 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
North Uncanoonuc Mountain144 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Goffstown
Black Brook Preserve105 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
Glen Lake Boat Launch Waterfront Area12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Goffstown
DirectionsBarnard Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kingsbury Timber / Butterfield-Smith Lot175 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Sarette Fields35 acres · Town of Goffstown
DirectionsPearle W. and Robert H. Preston Preserve24 acres · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
Goffstown Junior Baseball Fields16 acres
DirectionsFlorence Dow Greenway13 acres · Piscuataquog Land Conservancy
DirectionsLions Field8 acres
DirectionsRoy Park7 acres
DirectionsManchester Cedar Swamp Preserve1 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Who protects it
3,829 conserved acres
16% of Goffstown’s land. Who manages Goffstown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,776 ac
Town or city714 ac
Army Corps of Engineers329 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)80 ac
Other state land67 ac
State natural resources25 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land19 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,303 acPrivate Conservation · 1,008 acLocal Other or Unknown · 981 acUnknown Easement · 555 acAgricultural Easement · 164 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,724 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 100 of 110 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Uncanoonuc Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 394 | Unknown |
| North Uncanoonuc Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 330 | Unknown |
| Blackbriar Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 136 | Unknown |
| Briar Court Open Space Private Conservation | Town or city | 115 | Unknown |
| Black Brook Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 102 | Unknown |
| Martel Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 93 | Open |
| Mountain Laurel Estates Private Conservation | Town or city | 88 | Unknown |
| Van Buren Estates Private Conservation | Town or city | 83 | Unknown |
| Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 73 | Unknown |
| Glen Lake Waterfront Local Other or Unknown | Other state land | 67 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Goffstown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Goffstown
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Goffstown
Barnard Park PoolIn Barnard Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Goffstown
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Goffstown
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Goffstown
7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Goffstown
North Uncanoonuc Mountain1,316 ft elevation · In Water Precinct Land
DirectionsSouth Uncanoonuc Mountain1,296 ft elevation
DirectionsWorthley Hill833 ft elevation
DirectionsShirley Hill810 ft elevation
DirectionsYacum Hill804 ft elevation
DirectionsBenson Hill791 ft elevation
DirectionsWalnut Hill633 ft elevation
DirectionsKuncanowet Hills548 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Tirrell Hill446 ft elevation
DirectionsRundlett Hill413 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Goffstown
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.3 miHorses · 1.4 miUnpaved · 37.3 mi
Goffstown Rail Trail4.8 mi
KenLaw Trail1.3 mi
Summit Trail1.0 mi
Mountain Trail0.8 mi
Bickford Trail0.7 mi
Link Trail0.6 mi
White Dot Trail0.6 mi
Old Woods Road (Class 6)0.6 mi
Incline Trail0.5 mi
Orange Dot Trail0.4 mi
9 more trails
Blue Trail
0.4 miThomas & Robert Shirley Trail
0.3 miLo Flo Trail (PLC)
0.3 miWalker Trail
0.3 miHolbrook Hill Trail (PLC)
0.3 miRed Dot Trail
0.3 miScout Trail
0.2 miUnmarked Trail
0.2 miViews Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
2.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Goffstown Rail TrailBike route
4.8 miCourts & fields
15Baseball
8Basketball
7Tennis
5Soccer
4Football
1Beach volleyball
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places 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.
Goffstown Covered Railroad BridgeStructure · listed 1975
About itParker's StoreBuilding · listed 1980
About itKennedy Hill FarmBuilding · listed 1984
About itGrasmere Schoolhouse #9 and Town HallBuilding · listed 1990
About itGoffstown Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1995
About itGoffstown Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1996
About itGoffstown High SchoolBuilding · listed 1997
About itGoffstown Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Goffstown: 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Goffstown →
Next door
Goffstown and its neighbors
Goffstown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goffstown | 16% | 2.6 | 24 | 67% | A |
| New Boston | 19% | 1.1 | 72 | 22% | A− |
| Bedford | 9% | 0.9 | 25 | 55% | A− |
| Dunbarton | 31% | 1.3 | 296 | 35% | A |
| Manchester | 14% | 1.1 | 7 | 89% | A− |
| Weare | 24% | 1.1 | 115 | 23% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Goffstown
Where can I hike in Goffstown?
The longest trail networks: Water Precinct Land, 14.1 miles; South Uncanoonuc Mountain, 4.3 miles; Blackbriar Woods Preserve, 2.1 miles; Florence M. Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Goffstown is conserved land?
16% 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 Goffstown’s trails?
Water Precinct Land and South Uncanoonuc Mountain don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Goffstown?
2.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Goffstown Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Goffstown?
20,887 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Goffstown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 447 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Goffstown have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #29 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 Goffstown 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 →