French's Ledges
Managed by Upper Valley Land Trust
138 acres2.9 mi of trail
Frenchs Ledges TrailColby Hill TrailNot So (Inclined)Switchback+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Bill Marrs · CC BY-SA 3.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Plainfield
Plainfield has 78 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
14% of Plainfield’s land is conserved, about 4,631 acres. The biggest trail networks: French's Ledges (2.9 mi), Farnum Lot Trails (2.3 mi), Townsend Lot (1.6 mi). 10% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #110 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
4,631 acres · of 52.2 sq mi of land
Trails
78 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
29 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
10%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,034 ft
Stowell Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
What kind of outdoors town is Plainfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Plainfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Plainfield is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #110 of 126 in New Hampshire. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Plainfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (78 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (29 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home10% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%D
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 63%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 13%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Plainfield’s 14% is ahead of 33% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 68% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− 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 French's Ledges, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Farnum Lot Trails
Managed by Upper Valley Land Trust
87 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Townsend Lot
Managed by Town of Plainfield
67 acres1.6 mi of trail
Rattlin' Bog LoopBrook LoopFrench's Ledges TrailSecret Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary
Managed by Meriden Bird Club
32 acres1.4 mi of trail
Baynes TrailTrail to MeadowPeg's LoopDuncan Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Snow Mountain Conservation Area
Managed by Upper Valley Land Trust
131 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Annie Duncan State Forest
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
108 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Michael M. & Claudia Yatsevitch Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
582 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Benson Lot
Managed by Town of Plainfield
113 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
French's Ledges138 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Upper Valley Land Trust
Farnum Lot Trails87 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Upper Valley Land Trust
Townsend Lot67 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Plainfield
Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary32 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Meriden Bird Club
DirectionsSnow Mountain Conservation Area131 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Upper Valley Land Trust
Annie Duncan State Forest108 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
Michael M. & Claudia Yatsevitch Forest582 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Benson Lot113 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Plainfield
Spencer Lot105 acres · Town of Plainfield
Plainfield Sanctuary79 acres · Native Plant Trust
Hart Island35 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Victor Hewes Memorial Field19 acres · Town of Plainfield
Moulton Trail8 acres
Cory Taber Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,631 conserved acres
14% of Plainfield’s land. Who manages Plainfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,616 ac
Town or city1,149 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1,134 ac
State natural resources229 ac
Other state land66 ac
State fish & wildlife47 ac
Not recorded889 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,638 acUnknown Easement · 1,798 acPrivate Conservation · 1,079 acLocal Other or Unknown · 306 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 131 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,980 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 84 of 97 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwin (B) / Goodwin D. Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 292 | Unknown |
| Yatsevitch Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 181 | Unknown |
| Cotton Hill Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 139 | Closed |
| Smith Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 132 | Unknown |
| Snow Mountain Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 131 | Unknown |
| Benson Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 113 | Closed |
| Columbus-Jordan Land Local Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 112 | Unknown |
| Annie Duncan State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 108 | Unknown |
| Sumner Falls Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 88 | Unknown |
| Franklin Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 76 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
37 places to go in Plainfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Plainfield
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Plainfield
Sumner Falls
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Plainfield
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Plainfield
Stowell Hill2,034 ft elevation
DirectionsSnow Mountain1,870 ft elevation · In Snow Mountain Conservation Area
DirectionsHyde Hill1,801 ft elevation
DirectionsMorgan Hill1,562 ft elevation
DirectionsFrenchs Ledge1,325 ft elevation
DirectionsColby Hill1,312 ft elevation
DirectionsFifield Hill1,293 ft elevation
DirectionsSmith Hill1,270 ft elevation · In Michael M. & Claudia Yatsevitch Forest
Directions22 more peaks
Penniman Hill1,158 ft elevation
DirectionsBlack Hill1,152 ft elevation
DirectionsLadieu Hill1,152 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill1,129 ft elevation
DirectionsWhitney Hill1,112 ft elevation
DirectionsHome Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsMeeting House Hill1,060 ft elevation
DirectionsStone House Hill1,053 ft elevation
DirectionsPinnacle Hill1,040 ft elevation
DirectionsKenyon Hill1,007 ft elevation
DirectionsJug Hill958 ft elevation
DirectionsCotton Hill955 ft elevation
DirectionsPotato Hill945 ft elevation
DirectionsJordan Hill925 ft elevation
DirectionsShort Knoll906 ft elevation
DirectionsStevens Hill863 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Home Hill801 ft elevation
DirectionsWillard Ledge801 ft elevation
DirectionsSkinner Hill794 ft elevation
DirectionsHowe Hill738 ft elevation
DirectionsFreeman Hill709 ft elevation
DirectionsBeauty Hill653 ft elevation
Directions32 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Trails & water
22 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.7 miHorses · 1.1 miUnpaved · 36.5 mi
Secret Trail1.5 mi
Croydon Turnpike1.4 mi
Guerrilla Trail1.3 mi
Frenchs Ledges Trail0.9 mi
French's Ledges Trail0.8 mi
Brook Loop0.7 mi
Baynes Trail0.5 mi
Rattlin' Bog Loop0.5 mi
So Inclined0.5 mi
Middle Guerrilla Trail0.5 mi
12 more trails
Walker Farm Trail
0.5 miSwitchback
0.4 miRattlin' Bog Extension
0.4 miColby Hill Trail
0.4 miUnion Trail
0.4 miColby Connector
0.3 miNot So (Inclined)
0.3 miPeg's Loop
0.2 miTrail to Meadow
0.2 miDuncan Trail
0.2 miIra's Trail
0.1 miVista Trail
0.1 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
9Soccer
6Tennis
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Plainfield: May, August 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Plainfield →
Next door
Plainfield and its neighbors
Plainfield has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Plainfield
Where can I hike in Plainfield?
The longest trail networks: French's Ledges, 2.9 miles; Farnum Lot Trails, 2.3 miles; Townsend Lot, 1.6 miles; Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Plainfield is conserved land?
14% 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 Plainfield’s trails?
French's Ledges and Farnum Lot Trails don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Plainfield?
22,262 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Plainfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 29 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Plainfield have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #110 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 Plainfield 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 →