Black Mountain Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
1,102 acres4.6 mi of trail
Lincoln TrailConnection to Lincoln TrailBaker Ledge Overlook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Sutton
Sutton has 154 acres of parks, 69 for every 1,000 residents
13% of Sutton’s land is conserved, about 3,583 acres. 46 miles of mapped trail cross Sutton, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Black Mountain Forest (4.6 mi), King Hill Reservation (3.6 mi), Webb/Crowell Forest (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
3,583 acres · of 42.6 sq mi of land
Trails
46 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
154 ac
69 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
15%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,913 ft
Kings Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sutton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sutton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sutton is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sutton’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (46 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land69 acres of park per 1,000 residents (154 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home15% 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 76%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Sutton’s 13% is ahead of 28% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 37% 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 Black Mountain Forest, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
King Hill Reservation
Managed by Sutton Conservation Commission
445 acres3.6 mi of trail
Penacook PathHominy Pot TrailFelch TrailWhite Rabbit Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Maple Leaf Trailhead
Webb/Crowell Forest
Managed by Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
97 acres1.2 mi of trail
Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
William Bean Quarry
Managed by Sutton Conservation Commission
134 acres1.1 mi of trail
Bean Quary Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sutton Town Forest & Wetland
Managed by Sutton Conservation Commission
118 acres0.5 mi of trail
Kearsarge Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Kezar Lake Boat Ramp Parking
Wadleigh State Park
Park
43 acres0.5 mi of trail
Kearsarge Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Kezar Lake Boat Ramp ParkingWebsite ↗
Cascade Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
453 acres0.3 mi of trail
Link
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yet
Shadow Hill State Forest
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
38 acres0.3 mi of trail
Kearsarge Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Gile Pond Boat Access Parking
All 18 parks & preserves
Black Mountain Forest1,102 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsKing Hill Reservation445 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Sutton Conservation Commission
DirectionsWebb/Crowell Forest97 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust
DirectionsWilliam Bean Quarry134 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Sutton Conservation Commission
Sutton Town Forest & Wetland118 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Sutton Conservation Commission
DirectionsWadleigh State Park43 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCascade Marsh Wildlife Management Area453 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
Shadow Hill State Forest38 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsMaple Leaf Natural Area70 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Sutton Conservation Commission
DirectionsMount Kearsarge State Forest4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
Sutton Pines4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Chadwick Meadows Marsh Wildlife Management Area99 acres · NH Fish & Game
Stevens Brook Natural Area20 acres · Sutton Conservation Commission
Mildred T. Leffert Natural Area11 acres · Sutton Conservation Commission
Russell Pond8 acres · Town of Sutton
Sundell Natural Area4 acres · Sutton Conservation Commission
Seymour Natural Area4 acres · Sutton Conservation Commission
Stoney Brook Wildlife Sanctuary1 acres · Audubon Society of NH
Who protects it
3,583 conserved acres
13% of Sutton’s land. Who manages Sutton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,938 ac
Joint536 ac
Town or city182 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government122 ac
State fish & wildlife122 ac
State natural resources6 ac
Not recorded1,610 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,710 acUnknown Easement · 1,014 acPrivate Conservation · 941 acState Conservation Area · 429 acLocal Resource Management Area · 157 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,887 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 68 of 82 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mountain Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 937 | Unknown |
| Cascade Marsh Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 328 | Unknown |
| Chadwick Meadows Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 100 | Unknown |
| Sutton Town Forest and Wetland Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 82 | Unknown |
| Webb/Crowell Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| Shadow Hill State Forest State Resource Management Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 40 | Unknown |
| Wadleigh State Park State Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Unknown |
| Webb / Crowell Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 32 | Unknown |
| Aquavilla Wetland Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Unknown |
| Cloves / Stevens Brook Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 20 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Sutton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sutton
Wadleigh State BeachIn Wadleigh State Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Sutton
Kezar Lake Boat Ramp
DirectionsShadow Hill State Forest Boat AccessIn Shadow Hill State Forest
DirectionsScenic views in Sutton
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Sutton
Kings Hill1,913 ft elevation · In William Bean Quarry
DirectionsGage Hill1,768 ft elevation
DirectionsFellows Hill1,562 ft elevation
DirectionsMeetinghouse Hill1,325 ft elevation
DirectionsRowell Hill1,286 ft elevation
DirectionsDresser Hills1,250 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Pinnacle1,247 ft elevation
DirectionsWadleigh Hill1,198 ft elevation
Directions10 more peaks
Hedgehog Hill1,171 ft elevation
DirectionsWright Hill1,171 ft elevation
DirectionsDodge Hill1,165 ft elevation
DirectionsNelson Hill1,161 ft elevation
DirectionsPorter Hill1,148 ft elevation
DirectionsBurpee Hill1,112 ft elevation
DirectionsBirch Hill1,076 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill1,017 ft elevation
DirectionsPigeon Hill994 ft elevation
DirectionsKimball Hill951 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sutton
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 26.6 mi
Kearsarge Valley Trail2.8 mi
Lincoln Trail2.2 mi
Cascade1.3 mi
Loop Trail1.0 mi
Sutton0.9 mi
Penacook Path0.9 mi
Bean Quary Trail0.7 mi
Quarry Walk0.7 mi
Nelson Hill Road North0.7 mi
Hominy Pot Trail0.7 mi
13 more trails
Felch Trail
0.6 miSalsa
0.5 miRidgeway
0.4 miWhite Rabbit Trail
0.3 miConnection to Lincoln Trail
0.3 miNichols Trail
0.3 miCutoff
0.2 miPutnam Trail
0.2 miBaker Ledge Overlook Trail
0.2 miLink
0.1 miAndy's Alley
0.1 miGenes Walk
0.1 miZipper
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
4Soccer
4Baseball
3Tennis
2Lacrosse
1Field hockey
1Softball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Sutton: May and July 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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sutton →
Next door
Sutton and its neighbors
Sutton has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton | 13% | 1.1 | 69 | 15% | A− |
| Newbury | 34% | 1.1 | 1,543 | 32% | A |
| Warner | 31% | 0.8 | 423 | 33% | A |
| New London | 21% | 1.6 | 88 | 50% | A |
| Wilmot | 24% | 0.9 | 150 | 29% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sutton
Where can I hike in Sutton?
The longest trail networks: Black Mountain Forest, 4.6 miles; King Hill Reservation, 3.6 miles; Webb/Crowell Forest, 1.2 miles; William Bean Quarry, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sutton is conserved land?
13% 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 Sutton’s trails?
Black Mountain Forest and King Hill Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sutton?
16,152 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sutton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 236 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sutton have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Sutton 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 →