Monadnock Reservation
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
2,702 acres15.5 mi of trail
Old Halfway House TrailHinkley TrailCliff WalkMetacomet- Monadnock Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: TrustTruth at en.wikipedia · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Jaffrey
32% of Jaffrey’s land is conserved: 7,783 acres
1,383 acres are parks and preserves, 254 per 1,000 residents. 69 miles of mapped trail cross Jaffrey, 1.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Monadnock Reservation (15.5 mi), Monadnock State Park (9.7 mi), Jaffrey Monadnock Lot (4.2 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #11 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
7,783 acres · of 38.4 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,383 ac
254 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
62%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,166 ft
Mount Monadnock
Lakes & rivers
16
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Jaffrey?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Jaffrey have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Jaffrey is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #11 of 126 in New Hampshire. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Jaffrey’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (69 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land254 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,383 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home62% 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 95%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 92%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Jaffrey’s 32% is ahead of 89% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 84% 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 Monadnock Reservation, with 15.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Monadnock State Park
Managed by state
989 acres9.7 mi of trail
White Dot TrailBirchtoft TrailCascade LinkGilson Pond Remote Campsites Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Jaffrey Monadnock Lot
Managed by Town of Jaffrey
251 acres4.2 mi of trail
Smith ConnectingWhite Arrow TrailWhite Cross TrailWhite Dot Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gap Mountain Reservation
Nature preserve
302 acres1.5 mi of trail
Metacomet- Monadnock TrailDonovan Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Closed
Carey Park
Managed by Town of Jaffrey
101 acres1.4 mi of trail
Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Childrens Woods Carey Park
Mountain Brook Reservoir Conservation Easement
Managed by Monadnock Conservancy
74 acres0.8 mi of trail
Gramwick Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Children's Woods
Managed by Town of Jaffrey
30 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bradley-Draper Memorial Forest
Managed by New England Forestry Foundation
120 acres0.6 mi of trail
Sandy Beach Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 28 parks & preserves
Monadnock Reservation2,702 acres · 15.5 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsMonadnock State Park989 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · state
DirectionsJaffrey Monadnock Lot251 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Town of Jaffrey
Gap Mountain Reservation302 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCarey Park101 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Jaffrey
DirectionsMountain Brook Reservoir Conservation Easement74 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Monadnock Conservancy
Children's Woods30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Jaffrey
Bradley-Draper Memorial Forest120 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New England Forestry Foundation
DirectionsJaffrey Town Forest152 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Jaffrey Conservation Commission
DirectionsBlaine Forest165 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Troy Water Works Land151 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Troy
Monadnock Memorial Forest64 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Perry Forest II28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Morgan Forest II189 acres · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Haven State Forest93 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Cheshire Pond Conservation Area65 acres · Jaffrey Conservation Commission
Ames Forest64 acres · Monadnock Conservancy
Morgan Forest52 acres · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Jewell Forest17 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Bixler Town Forest14 acres · Town of Jaffrey
Shattuck Park13 acres
DirectionsPearly Lake Wildlife Management Area9 acres · NH Fish & Game
Lacy Road Town Forest9 acres · Town of Jaffrey
Whittemore Island Preserve6 acres · Monadnock Conservancy
Humiston Park5 acres · Town of Jaffrey
DirectionsAnnett State Forest2 acres
Howard Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsCentennial Park1 acres
Who protects it
7,783 conserved acres
32% of Jaffrey’s land. Who manages Jaffrey’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,414 ac
State natural resources1,005 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)647 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land596 ac
Joint99 ac
Town or city29 ac
Not recorded4,306 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,027 acPrivate Conservation · 3,614 acState Park · 1,011 acUnknown Easement · 339 acLocal Other or Unknown · 266 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,310 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 71 of 102 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monadnock Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 2,486 | Unknown |
| Monadnock State Park State Park | Not recorded | 1,011 | Unknown |
| Gap Mountain Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 266 | Unknown |
| Jaffrey - Monadnock Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 252 | Unknown |
| Morgan Forest II Private Conservation | Not recorded | 195 | Unknown |
| Blaine Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 170 | Unknown |
| Troy Water Works Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 162 | Unknown |
| Jaffrey Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 156 | Unknown |
| Gay State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 115 | Unknown |
| Bradley-Draper Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 114 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Jaffrey
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Jaffrey
Playgrounds in Jaffrey
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Jaffrey
Frost Pond boat ramp
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Jaffrey
Thoreau's SeatIn Monadnock Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Jaffrey
Mount Monadnock3,166 ft elevation · In Monadnock Reservation
DirectionsBald Rock2,592 ft elevation · In Jaffrey Monadnock Lot
DirectionsMonte Rosa2,457 ft elevation · In Monadnock Reservation
DirectionsCubleigh Hill1,375 ft elevation
DirectionsWoodbury Hill1,335 ft elevation · In Blaine Forest
DirectionsJock Page Hill1,286 ft elevation
DirectionsPeabody Hill1,135 ft elevation
DirectionsWhitcomb Hill1,122 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Jaffrey
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Jaffrey
CIT VillageHeart of New England Council
DirectionsMt Monadnock State Park CampgroundIn Monadnock State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.7 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 28.2 mi
Metacomet- Monadnock Trail2.4 mi
Birchtoft Trail1.8 mi
White Dot Trail1.7 mi
Monadnock Recreational Rail Trail1.5 mi
Parker Trail1.4 mi
Cliff Walk1.3 mi
Old Halfway House Trail1.2 mi
White Cross Trail1.2 mi
Hinkley Trail1.1 mi
Cascade Link1.0 mi
15 more trails
Lost Farm Trail
1.0 miWhite Arrow Trail
1.0 miPumpelly Trail
0.9 miRed Spot Trail
0.9 miGilson Pond Remote Campsites Loop
0.8 miGramwick Trail
0.8 miHarling Trail
0.7 miPond Loop
0.7 miSmith Connecting
0.7 miSmith Summit Trail
0.6 miSide Foot Trail
0.5 miMarian Trail
0.5 miLoop A
0.5 miSpellman Trail
0.4 miCart Path
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Black ReservoirreservoirCheshire PondreservoirCummings Meadow ReservoirreservoirFrost PondpondGarfield PondpondGilmore PondpondGilson PondreservoirJaffrey Wastewater LagoonsreservoirMountain Brook ReservoirpondMud PondParker PondpondPoole ReservoirreservoirThorndike PondpondWhites PondContoocook RiverMountain Brook
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
6Tennis
4Baseball
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
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Jaffrey: 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) | 31 | 34 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Jaffrey →
Next door
Jaffrey and its neighbors
Jaffrey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaffrey | 32% | 1.8 | 254 | 62% | A+ |
| Dublin | 35% | 0.9 | 466 | 11% | A− |
| Rindge | 21% | 1.6 | 8 | 23% | B+ |
| Fitzwilliam | 8% | 1.0 | 325 | 16% | A− |
| Troy | 15% | 1.2 | 137 | 55% | A |
| Marlborough | 22% | 1.0 | 209 | 45% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Jaffrey
Where can I hike in Jaffrey?
The longest trail networks: Monadnock Reservation, 15.5 miles; Monadnock State Park, 9.7 miles; Jaffrey Monadnock Lot, 4.2 miles; Gap Mountain Reservation, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Jaffrey is conserved land?
32% 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 Jaffrey’s trails?
Monadnock Reservation and Monadnock State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Jaffrey?
30,757 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jaffrey or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,671 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Jaffrey have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 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 Jaffrey 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 →