Goffstown rail trail

Blue sky, thirty-odd degrees, visibility unlimited: a New Hampshire October at its best. This was a month of short hikes in a pleasing variety of places.

The Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail have just unveiled a short but welcome upgrade to the sandy stretch of trail running behind the county government complex on Route 114. The new hardpack surface is much friendlier to bicyclists.

The trail is covered with leaves, which is no surprise in October. What did surprise me was the absence of fallen twigs and branches after several windy days.

Muster Field Farm, Sutton

Muster Field Farm is up Sutton way, just south of I-89. It’s a working farm as well as a historical homestead. It’s on a quiet road that’s fine for walking, with other paths and roads nearby to create loop routes of varying lengths. There’s a farm stand on the property, and I was lucky enough to be there on a day when $5 got me a big bunch of colorful cut zinnias.

meadow edged by stone wall — Muster Field Farm, Sutton NH.

field of zinnias of many colors — Flowers galore growing at Muster Field Farm

New Hampshire historical marker for "Harvey Homestead" — The Harvey Homestead is part of the Muster Field property.

Monson Center, Milford/Hollis

My previous visits to the trails in Monson Center were in the summertime, with irises blooming and mosquitos biting. October brought a different atmosphere, bracing and clear.

Monson was an 18th-century town that lasted less than 40 years before its inhabitants petitioned the state to formally rescind the town’s charter and divide the land among surrounding towns. Today, the land is a Forest Society property. Located only a few miles from busy Rt. 101-A, the parking area on Federal Hill Road is easy to miss. I’ve overshot it myself. It’s worth finding, though, for its historical interest as well as its trails.

burr (seedcase) on a chestnut tree — Chestnuts are ripening.

heron rookery in a marsh — Beavers flooded part of the Monson property, and herons have taken advantage, as their nests attest.

Moose Mountains Reservation, Middleton/Brookfield

This was a bit of a drive for me, but that was a treat during foliage season. My hike in Moose Mountains Reservation took me to Phoebe’s Nable. That’s right, Nable. I wondered if that was a corruption of “nubble,” but my companions didn’t think so. None of us knows how the feature got its name. No matter – the views from there were fine, and it was possibly the month’s best lunch spot.

The reservation has other trails I had no time to explore. This would make a fine destination for a half-day of wandering through hills, fields, and forest.

property sign for Moose Mountains Reservation

New Hampshire is having its annual heat wave. My car’s thermometer registered 104° today. It’s hot enough to make me forget for a few days that icy driveways are only a few months away. It’s even hot enough to make an indoor treadmill look appealing. But I found a good place for a half-hour walk today: a rail trail under a shady canopy of trees.

unpaved rail trail under tree canopy on a sunny day

The Goffstown rail trail was my destination today. You might have a shady refuge just like it near you. Packed stone dust underfoot, trees overhead, river nearby. All was restful and cool, until the trail crossed a power line cut and the shade disappeared for a hundred yards or so.

From the trail’s bridge over the Piscataquog River, I could see a couple of kayakers who were no doubt in for a whopping case of sunburn. Still, the river was their refuge from the heat, so good for them.

kayakers on a river with homes on the shore

As I turned around at the bridge to return to my car, a smiling bicyclist flew past me. She called back to me over her shoulder, “isn’t this a glorious day?”

Yes, it was.

More ideas: Five years ago, I made a list of five of my favorite southern New Hampshire hot-weather hikes.