Edward MacDowell Lake
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
719 acres3.4 mi of trail
Ridge TrailWest Ridge TrailLoop Road Connector TrailHiroshi Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: SayCheeeeeese · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Peterborough
32% of Peterborough’s land is conserved: 7,734 acres
572 acres are parks and preserves, 89 per 1,000 residents. 40 miles of mapped trail cross Peterborough, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Edward MacDowell Lake (3.4 mi), Casalis State Forest (2.8 mi), Shieling Forest (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #34 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
7,734 acres · of 38.0 sq mi of land
Trails
40 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
572 ac
89 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.6 mi
0.6 mi paths
Highest peak
2,270 ft
Pack Monadnock Mountain
Lakes & rivers
9
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Peterborough?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild32% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.Room to roam89 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 81% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Peterborough have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Peterborough is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #34 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 Peterborough’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (40 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land89 acres of park per 1,000 residents (572 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home45% 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 88%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 74%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Peterborough’s 32% is ahead of 90% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 35% 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 Edward MacDowell Lake, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Casalis State Forest
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
243 acres2.8 mi of trail
Casalis Forest Trail 01Casalis Forest Trail 02Casalis Town Line Brook TrailCasalis Forest Trail 03
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shieling Forest
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
51 acres2.2 mi of trail
Shieling Forest TrailOld Greenfield Road TrailBoulder TrailBrookside Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Shieling state Forest Parking
Miller State Park
Park
149 acres1.9 mi of trail
Wapack TrailRaymond TrailSummit LoopMarion Davis Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Miller State Park
Fremont Conservation Land
Managed by Town of Peterborough
176 acres1.4 mi of trail
Fremont Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Fremont Trail Parking
Joanne Bird Kane Land
Nature preserve
178 acres1 mi of trail
Raymond TrailCranberry Meadow Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking Raymond Trailhead
Harris Center Conservation Land
Managed by Harris Center for Conservation Education
114 acres0.9 mi of trail
Hiroshi Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cunningham Pond Conservation Area
Managed by Monadnock Conservancy
98 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Edward MacDowell Lake719 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsCasalis State Forest243 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsShieling Forest51 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsMiller State Park149 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsFremont Conservation Land176 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Peterborough
DirectionsJoanne Bird Kane Land178 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarris Center Conservation Land114 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Harris Center for Conservation Education
Cunningham Pond Conservation Area98 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Monadnock Conservancy
DirectionsAdams Park44 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Joanne Bass Bross Preserve30 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsTemple Mountain State Reservation32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · State of New Hampshire
DirectionsPutnam Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDepot Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHall Property106 acres · Town of Peterborough
DirectionsGoyette Natural Area13 acres · Monadnock Conservancy
Marshall-Thomas Recreation Area12 acres · Town of Peterborough
DirectionsTeixeira Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
7,734 conserved acres
32% of Peterborough’s land. Who manages Peterborough’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits7,423 ac
Town or city1,855 ac
Joint1,307 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government311 ac
Other state land268 ac
State natural resources185 ac
Army Corps of Engineers85 ac
Conservation Easement · 9,340 acUnknown Easement · 1,442 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,120 acState Resource Management Area · 324 acPrivate Conservation · 311 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5,550 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 199 of 233 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casalis State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 240 | Unknown |
| Kane Lots Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 177 | Unknown |
| Miller State Park State Park | State natural resources | 166 | Unknown |
| Cutter Construction Co., Inc. Local Other or Unknown | Other state land | 153 | Unknown |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 138 | Unknown |
| Town of Peterborough Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 131 | Unknown |
| Cunningham Pond Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 98 | Unknown |
| Hayashi Private Conservation | Not recorded | 96 | Unknown |
| Hancock 13 Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 81 | Unknown |
| Sewer Plant Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 77 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Peterborough
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Peterborough
Adams PoolIn Adams Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Peterborough
Adams PlaygroundIn Adams Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Peterborough
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Peterborough
Grove Corner
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Peterborough
Pack Monadnock Mountain2,270 ft elevation · In Miller State Park
DirectionsOak Hill1,322 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Peterborough
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.7 miUnpaved · 21.0 mi
Cranberry Meadow Pond Trail2.9 mi
Fremont Trail1.6 mi
Casalis Forest Trail 011.4 mi
Raymond Trail1.4 mi
Hiroshi Loop Trail1.4 mi
Wapack Trail1.4 mi
Old Railroad Trail1.2 mi
Ridge Trail1.0 mi
Casalis Town Line Brook Trail0.8 mi
Casalis Forest Trail 030.7 mi
15 more trails
Casalis Forest Trail 02
0.7 miWest Ridge Trail
0.7 miOld Greenfield Road Trail
0.7 miShieling Forest Trail
0.6 miLoop Road Connector Trail
0.6 miSand Pit Trail
0.5 miAnnie's Trail
0.4 miSecombe Trail
0.4 miMarion Davis Trail
0.3 miBoulder Trail
0.3 miWheeler 2 Trail
0.3 miSummit Loop
0.2 miBrookside Trail
0.2 miWest Ridge Connector
0.2 miWildflower Trail
0.2 miBiking & sports
0.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Old Railroad TrailBike route
1.2 miCourts & fields
6Baseball
3Tennis
1Skate park
1Basketball
1Soccer
1Football
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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 Peterborough: 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 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 57 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Peterborough →
Next door
Peterborough and its neighbors
Peterborough has the most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough | 32% | 1.1 | 89 | 45% | A |
| Temple | 23% | 1.4 | 880 | 19% | A |
| Dublin | 35% | 0.9 | 466 | 11% | A− |
| Greenfield | 30% | 1.5 | 334 | 30% | A |
| Sharon | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hancock | 45% | 0.9 | 29 | 21% | A− |
| Harrisville | 23% | 1.3 | 37 | 3% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Peterborough
Where can I hike in Peterborough?
The longest trail networks: Edward MacDowell Lake, 3.4 miles; Casalis State Forest, 2.8 miles; Shieling Forest, 2.2 miles; Miller State Park, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Peterborough 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 Peterborough’s trails?
Edward MacDowell Lake and Casalis State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Peterborough?
0.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of off-road paths. Named routes: Old Railroad Trail.
Is there public land near Peterborough?
14,719 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Peterborough or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 974 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Peterborough have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #34 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 Peterborough 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 →