Greater Goose Pond Forest
Managed by City of Keene
1,071 acres15.9 mi of trail
JumpRope TowWild ThingsKamikaze Slalom+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Keene
Keene has 81 miles of mapped trails, 2.2 for every square mile of land
22% of Keene’s land is conserved, about 5,137 acres. 2,358 acres are parks and preserves, 103 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Greater Goose Pond Forest (15.9 mi), Beech Hill Preserve (3.9 mi), Robin Hood Park (3.9 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #4 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
5,137 acres · of 37.1 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,358 ac
103 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
0.7 mi lanes · 4.0 mi paths
Highest peak
1,371 ft
Grays Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Keene?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 94% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild22% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.Room to roam103 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way17 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Keene have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Keene is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #4 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 Keene’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (81 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land103 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,358 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home84% 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 97%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 98%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Keene’s 22% is ahead of 65% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 90% 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 Greater Goose Pond Forest, with 15.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Beech Hill Preserve
Managed by City of Keene
187 acres3.9 mi of trail
CliffsideBeech Hill TrailSunset Rocks trailTaboot+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Robin Hood Park
Managed by City of Keene
116 acres3.9 mi of trail
Robin Hood TrailReservoir Street Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Horatio Colony Nature Preserve
Managed by Antioch University
329 acres2.3 mi of trail
Red DiamondRidgeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashuelot River Park
Managed by City of Keene
250 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beaver Brook Canyon
Managed by City of Keene
44 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 21 parks & preserves
Greater Goose Pond Forest1,071 acres · 15.9 mi of trail · City of Keene
DirectionsBeech Hill Preserve187 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · City of Keene
Robin Hood Park116 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · City of Keene
DirectionsHoratio Colony Nature Preserve329 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Antioch University
DirectionsAshuelot River Park250 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Keene
DirectionsBeaver Brook Canyon44 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Keene
Fuller Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Keene
DirectionsWheelock Park132 acres · City of Keene
DirectionsStearns Hill120 acres · City of Keene
Yale Toumey Forest103 acres · Yale University
Water Tower Lot19 acres
Ladies Wildwood Park15 acres · City of Keene
DirectionsShadow Lake Park10 acres · City of Keene
American Legion Fields9 acres
DirectionsPatricia T. Russell Park5 acres · City of Keene
DirectionsEllis-Harrison Park4 acres · City of Keene
North Street Park4 acres · City of Keene
Keene Watershed Land2 acres
Wood Street Field2 acres · City of Keene
Old Stone Arch Bridge Park1 acres · City of Keene
Hickey-Desilets Pocket Park1 acres · City of Keene
Who protects it
5,137 conserved acres
22% of Keene’s land. Who manages Keene’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,182 ac
State natural resources1,552 ac
Army Corps of Engineers612 ac
Town or city362 ac
Other state land82 ac
Joint25 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government15 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,387 acLocal Resource Management Area · 1,083 acPrivate Conservation · 466 acLocal Park · 421 acLocal Conservation Area · 381 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,245 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 81 of 107 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Goose Pond Forest Local Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 901 | Open |
| Otter Brook Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 363 | Open |
| Horatio Colony Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 327 | Unknown |
| Ashuelot River Park Local Park | State natural resources | 238 | Unknown |
| Tenant Swamp Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 189 | Open |
| Drummer Hill Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 172 | Unknown |
| Beech Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 165 | Unknown |
| City of Keene Land Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 132 | Unknown |
| Maynard Forest - Lake Addition Private Conservation | Not recorded | 132 | Unknown |
| Wheelock Park Local Park | State natural resources | 124 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Keene
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Keene
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Keene
14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Keene
Sunset RockIn Beech Hill Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Keene
Grays Hill1,371 ft elevation
DirectionsWest Hill1,335 ft elevation · In Horatio Colony Nature Preserve
DirectionsStearns Hill1,276 ft elevation
DirectionsBeech Hill1,030 ft elevation · In Beech Hill Preserve
DirectionsCampgrounds in Keene
Wheelock CampgroundIn Wheelock Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.9 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 16.8 mi
Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail3.1 mi
Red Diamond1.4 mi
Ribbon Candy1.3 mi
Bike Loop1.0 mi
Cliffside0.8 mi
Jump0.8 mi
Wild Things0.8 mi
Ridgeline Trail0.8 mi
Beech Hill Trail0.6 mi
Rope Tow0.6 mi
15 more trails
Sunset Rocks trail
0.3 miKamikaze Slalom
0.3 miTaboot
0.3 miBeginner Bike Loop
0.3 miCheshire Rail Trail
0.3 miWarning Track
0.2 miRobin Hood Trail
0.2 miReservoir Street Trail
0.2 miButter
0.2 miRocky Top
0.2 miMoose
0.2 miGreen On White
0.2 miFlicker
0.2 miBeginner Bike Path
0.2 miPrivate Stock
0.1 miBiking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.0 mi
off-road bike paths
1.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Cheshire Recreational Rail TrailBike route
5.6 miCheshire Recreational Rail TrailBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
13Baseball
10Tennis
6Soccer
4Basketball
1Football
1Volleyball
1Softball
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →17 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Wyman TavernBuilding · listed 1972
About itNoah Cooke HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itDinsmoor-Hale HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itElliot MansionBuilding · listed 1976
About itFiske, Catherine, Seminary For Young LadiesBuilding · listed 1976
About itCheshire County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itSawyer TavernBuilding · listed 1980
About itUnited Church of Christ in KeeneBuilding · listed 1982
About itColony's BlockBuilding · listed 1983
About itGrace United Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1985
About itDr. Daniel Adams HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itBeaver MillsDistrict · listed 1999
About it5 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Keene: May 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 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Keene →
Next door
Keene and its neighbors
Keene has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Keene81 miWestmoreland53 miSwanzey52 miRoxbury25 miSurry25 miGilsum22 miMarlborough20 miSullivan17 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keene | 22% | 2.2 | 103 | 84% | A+ |
| Roxbury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Swanzey | 10% | 1.2 | 55 | 29% | A− |
| Westmoreland | 10% | 1.5 | 29 | 5% | B+ |
| Sullivan | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Surry | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gilsum | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| 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 Keene
Where can I hike in Keene?
The longest trail networks: Greater Goose Pond Forest, 15.9 miles; Beech Hill Preserve, 3.9 miles; Robin Hood Park, 3.9 miles; Horatio Colony Nature Preserve, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Keene 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 Keene’s trails?
Greater Goose Pond Forest and Beech Hill Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Keene?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes, 4.0 of off-road paths and 1.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail and Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Keene?
27,762 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Keene or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,931 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Keene have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 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 Keene 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 →