Webb Forest
Managed by New London Conservation Commission
1,023 acres7.2 mi of trail
Webb Forest TrailMorgan Hill TrailGreat Brook TrailDura Crockett Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in New London
21% of New London’s land is conserved: 3,028 acres
35 miles of mapped trail cross New London, 1.6 per square mile of land. 391 acres are parks and preserves, 88 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Webb Forest (7.2 mi), Messer Farm (2.8 mi), Clark Pond Natural Area (1.5 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #21 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
3,028 acres · of 22.3 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
391 ac
88 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,768 ft
Morgan Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is New London?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New London have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New London is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #21 of 126 in New Hampshire. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New London’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land88 acres of park per 1,000 residents (391 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home50% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 84%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so New London’s 21% is ahead of 63% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% of them.
Water is 12% of New London’s area (3 of 25 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 19%.
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 Webb Forest, with 7.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Messer Farm
Managed by Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
152 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Clark Pond Natural Area
Managed by New London Conservation Commission
89 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dancy TrailNorman TrailAllen Loop TrailClark Pond Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Clark Pond Natural Area Trailhead Parking
Kidder-Cleveland-Clough Trail
Managed by New London Conservation Commission
85 acres1.5 mi of trail
Kidder Cleveland Clough TrailKidder Cleveland Clough Swamp Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Esther Currier Wildlife Management Area at Low Plain
Nature preserve
234 acres1.4 mi of trail
SundownDavis Path
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Knights Hill Nature Park
Managed by New London Outing Club
69 acres0.8 mi of trail
Lyon Brook Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Little Sunapee Associates Forest
Managed by New England Forest Foundation
113 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Little Sunapee Dam Parking
Philbrick Cricenti Bog
Managed by New London Conservation Commission
36 acres0.6 mi of trail
Tundra Garden LoopSpruce LoopPhilbrick-Cricenti Bog Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
All 23 parks & preserves
Webb Forest1,023 acres · 7.2 mi of trail · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsMesser Farm152 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
DirectionsClark Pond Natural Area89 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsKidder-Cleveland-Clough Trail85 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsEsther Currier Wildlife Management Area at Low Plain234 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKnights Hill Nature Park69 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · New London Outing Club
DirectionsLittle Sunapee Associates Forest113 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · New England Forest Foundation
DirectionsPhilbrick Cricenti Bog36 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsClark Lookout14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMesser Pond47 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsWoodward Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New London Outing Club
DirectionsTwo Brook Woods27 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
Pierce Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStephen Phillips Memorial Preserve70 acres · New London Conservation Commission
Cook Trails66 acres · New London Conservation Commission
C.O.R.E. Land51 acres · New London Conservation Commission
Pleasant Streat East27 acres · New London Conservation Commission
DirectionsEdwin S. Brown Forest Preserve18 acres · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
William R. Cordingley Preserve13 acres · New London Conservation Commission
The Sargent Common3 acres · Town of New London
DirectionsScytheville Park2 acres · Town of New London
Gile State Forest1 acres · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
Springfield Town Forest1 acres · Town of Springfield
Who protects it
3,028 conserved acres
21% of New London’s land. Water is left out: New London has 22.3 square miles of land and 3.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New London’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,191 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,042 ac
Joint232 ac
State fish & wildlife98 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government89 ac
State natural resources38 ac
Not recorded630 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,242 acPrivate Conservation · 449 acUnknown Easement · 333 acLocal Other or Unknown · 293 acLocal Park · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,284 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 112 of 131 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messer Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 142 | Open |
| Little Sunapee Private Conservation | Not recorded | 135 | Unknown |
| Low Plain Natural Area - Shaker Pines Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 74 | Unknown |
| Phillips Memorial Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Unknown |
| Knights Hill Nature Park Private Conservation | Not recorded | 69 | Unknown |
| Shepard Spring & Pit Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 52 | Unknown |
| Philbrick-Cricenti Bog Local Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 35 | Unknown |
| Low Plain Natural Area - Thurston Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 33 | Unknown |
| Landfill Backland Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 27 | Unknown |
| Colby Sanctuary Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 20 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in New London
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in New London
Bucklin Beach
DirectionsElkins Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Swimming spots in New London
1 swimming spot without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in New London
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in New London
Little Sunapee Dam Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in New London
Morgan Hill1,768 ft elevation · In Webb Forest
DirectionsBurpee Hill1,424 ft elevation
DirectionsDavis Hill1,342 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 24.0 mi
Sundown2.6 mi
Lyon Brook Trail2.1 mi
Webb Forest Trail2.0 mi
Great Brook Trail1.6 mi
Wolf Tree Trail1.2 mi
Morgan Hill Trail1.0 mi
Dura Crockett Trail0.8 mi
Bunker Loop Trail0.7 mi
Ridgeway0.7 mi
Dancy Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Norman Trail
0.6 miKidder Cleveland Clough Trail
0.6 miCocoa's Path
0.5 miSchlosser Schuss
0.5 miKidder Cleveland Clough Swamp Trail
0.4 miClark Lookout Trail
0.4 miKidder Trail
0.4 miMesser Pond Trail
0.4 miMorgan Hill Loop
0.3 miTundra Garden Loop
0.3 miDavis Path
0.3 miSchlosser
0.2 miSutton
0.2 miSpruce Loop
0.2 miAllen Loop Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
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
22Tennis
6Soccer
3Baseball
2Pickleball
2Basketball
1Field hockey
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in New London: 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) | 29 | 32 | 40 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in New London →
Next door
New London and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London | 21% | 1.6 | 88 | 50% | A |
| Sunapee | 17% | 0.9 | 38 | 29% | A− |
| Wilmot | 24% | 0.9 | 150 | 29% | A− |
| Sutton | 13% | 1.1 | 69 | 15% | A− |
| Newbury | 34% | 1.1 | 1,543 | 32% | A |
| Springfield | 40% | 1.2 | 508 | 30% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in New London
Where can I hike in New London?
The longest trail networks: Webb Forest, 7.2 miles; Messer Farm, 2.8 miles; Clark Pond Natural Area, 1.5 miles; Kidder-Cleveland-Clough Trail, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New London is conserved land?
21% 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 New London’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Esther Currier Wildlife Management Area at Low Plain. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near New London?
14,560 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New London or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 591 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does New London have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #21 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 New London 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 →