Beaver Brook Association
Nature preserve
1,913 acres29.1 mi of trail
Jeff Smith TrailTupelo TrailBeaver Brook TrailWildlife Pond Loop Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Nichols, Marion, Summer Home · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hollis
Hollis has 93 miles of mapped trails, 2.9 for every square mile of land
3,180 acres are parks and preserves, 370 per 1,000 residents. 28% of Hollis’ land is conserved, about 5,600 acres. The biggest trail networks: Beaver Brook Association (29.1 mi), Hollis Town Forest (13.4 mi), Silver Lake State Park (2.3 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #8 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
5,600 acres · of 31.7 sq mi of land
Trails
93 mi
2.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,180 ac
370 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
60%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
810 ft
Birch Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Hollis?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hollis have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hollis is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #8 of 126 in New Hampshire. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hollis’ overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (93 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land370 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,180 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home60% 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 96%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 94%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Hollis’ 28% is ahead of 79% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 98% 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 Beaver Brook Association, with 29.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hollis Town Forest
Managed by Hollis Forestry Commission
498 acres13.4 mi of trail
Farley Hills TrailDECOMMISSIONEDWindmill HillWheeler Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
Silver Lake State Park
Park
73 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dunklee West TrailSnowmobile Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Gelazauskas Preserve
Managed by Town Forest
117 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Big Dickerman Town Forest
Managed by Hollis Forestry Commission
60 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Monson Village
Managed by Society for the Protection of NH Forests
111 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Henry Hildreth Conservation Area
Managed by Hollis Conservation Commission
61 acres1.2 mi of trail
Snowmobile TrailHorseshoe Pond TrailCleveland Snowmobile Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Town Open Space
Nature preserve
34 acres0.9 mi of trail
Snowmobile Primary Trail 501
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 26 parks & preserves
Beaver Brook Association1,913 acres · 29.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHollis Town Forest498 acres · 13.4 mi of trail · Hollis Forestry Commission
DirectionsSilver Lake State Park73 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGelazauskas Preserve117 acres · 2 mi of trail · Town Forest
DirectionsBig Dickerman Town Forest60 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Hollis Forestry Commission
DirectionsMonson Village111 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of NH Forests
DirectionsHenry Hildreth Conservation Area61 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Hollis Conservation Commission
Town Open Space34 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsDunklee Pond Conservation Land23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Hollis
DirectionsLatender Lot on Nissitissit River48 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Nissitissit River Land6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Millicent Scott Gardner Memorial Forest287 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsRunnels - Wheeler Lot37 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Hollis Conservation Commission
C.B. Spaulding Lot46 acres · Hollis Conservation Commission
DirectionsOpen Space21 acres
DirectionsLittle Dickerman Town Forest14 acres
Stoddard Lot on Nissitissit River13 acres
DirectionsQuinton Land12 acres · Hollis Conservation Commission
Parker Meadow10 acres · Town of Hollis
Spaulding Wetland7 acres · Hollis Conservation Commission
Nissitissit River Land Trust5 acres
DirectionsJP Howe's Sprout Lot4 acres · Hollis Conservation Commission
Spaulding Parcel A3 acres · Hollis Conservation Commission
Bemis Road Conservation Area2 acres
Melendy-Morrill Woods1 acres · Brookline Conservation Commission
Farley Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary1 acres · NH Audubon
Who protects it
5,600 conserved acres
28% of Hollis’ land. Who manages Hollis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,278 ac
State natural resources358 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits334 ac
Other state land258 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)215 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government196 ac
Joint52 ac
Private Conservation · 2,219 acConservation Easement · 1,206 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,071 acLocal Conservation Area · 599 acLocal Resource Management Area · 495 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 922 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 88 of 178 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Brook Association Land Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,589 | Unknown |
| Spalding Park Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 337 | Open |
| Town of Hollis Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 223 | Open |
| Gardner Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 169 | Unknown |
| Monson Village Private Conservation | Not recorded | 117 | Unknown |
| Gelazauskas Preserve Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 117 | Open |
| Silver Lake State Park State Park | State natural resources | 79 | Unknown |
| Town of Hollis Development Rights Private Agricultural | Town or city | 79 | Restricted |
| Nissitissit River Land Trust Land Private Conservation | Not recorded | 77 | Unknown |
| Colburn-Whaleback-Pelletier Private Conservation | Not recorded | 77 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Hollis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hollis
Silver Lake Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Hollis
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Hollis
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Hollis
Waterfalls in Hollis
The FallsIn Beaver Brook Association
DirectionsScenic views in Hollis
Henry's View
DirectionsOverlookIn Beaver Brook Association
DirectionsWhaleback OverlookIn Beaver Brook Association
DirectionsWildlife Pond OverlookIn Beaver Brook Association
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Hollis
Birch Hill810 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill433 ft elevation
DirectionsFlints Hill404 ft elevation
DirectionsShipley Hill384 ft elevation
DirectionsProctor HillIn Beaver Brook Association
DirectionsPicnic areas in Hollis
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Hollis
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 26.1 miHorses · 24.5 miUnpaved · 31.0 mi
Snowmobile Trail3.7 mi
Jeff Smith Trail1.9 mi
Tupelo Trail1.7 mi
Nashua River Trail1.7 mi
Beaver Brook Trail1.6 mi
Wildlife Pond Loop Trail1.5 mi
Old City Trail1.4 mi
Eastman Meadow Trail1.3 mi
Hatfield Trail West1.2 mi
Flint Brook Trail1.1 mi
15 more trails
Farley Hills Trail
0.9 miPotanipo Rail Trail
0.9 miAshcroft Trail
0.8 miCleveland Snowmobile Trail
0.8 miSelf Guided Nature Trail
0.8 miHatfield Trail East
0.7 miElkins Road Trail
0.7 miDECOMMISSIONED
0.7 miSnowmobile Primary Trail 501
0.7 miWalker Trail
0.6 miWindmill Hill
0.6 miNichols Trail
0.6 miKibby's Climb
0.6 miWood Duck Pond Trail
0.6 miTyng Hill Trail
0.6 miBiking & 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
9Baseball
9Tennis
8Soccer
3Basketball
2Football
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
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 Hollis: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hollis →
Next door
Hollis and its neighbors
Hollis has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Hollis
Where can I hike in Hollis?
The longest trail networks: Beaver Brook Association, 29.1 miles; Hollis Town Forest, 13.4 miles; Silver Lake State Park, 2.3 miles; Gelazauskas Preserve, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hollis is conserved land?
28% 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 Hollis’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Beaver Brook Association (on leash), Hollis Town Forest (on leash), Silver Lake State Park (on leash) and Big Dickerman Town Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hollis?
38,409 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hollis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,270 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hollis have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #8 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 Hollis 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 →