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Best Mountain Hikes near Manchester

The directory currently contains 16 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Manchester. Their average mapped distance is 4.2 km and average recorded ascent is 161 m (528 ft); the longest route in the set is 33.3 km.

This subset represents 10% of the 159 quality-checked routes near Manchester. Its average distance is 4.2 km, compared with 3.2 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 161 m (528 ft), versus 51 m (167 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the mountain tag. Their measured distance and ascent are shown separately so the label is not used as a proxy for difficulty. Within this set, 6 routes (38%) are rated easy, 1 (6%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (13%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.5 km

Summit Loop

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

32 m

Mountain Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Matt Poole/USFWS. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/USFWSNortheast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/USFWSNortheast
Expert

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
33.3 km
/ 20.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,278 m
Typical duration
9 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Matt Poole/USFWS. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/USFWSNortheast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/USFWSNortheast
Easy

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
246 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
Easy

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Mountain
Easy

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
185 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
190 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
5.9 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
1 hr 26 min
  • Mountain
Easy

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Mountain
Easy

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Mountain

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Wapack TrailMassachusetts33.3 km1,278 m9 hr 24 minExpertApril to October
Summit LoopNew Hampshire0.5 km35 m10 minEasyApril to October
Watatic SummitMassachusetts5.3 km246 m1 hr 29 minModerateApril to October
Middle Mountain TrailNew Hampshire1.5 km93 m27 minModerateApril to October
Mountain TrailNew Hampshire3.9 km32 m52 minModerateApril to October
Neville Ridge Scout Foot TrailNew Hampshire1.8 km136 m35 minModerateApril to October
Neville Ridge TrailNew Hampshire1.3 km18 m17 minModerateApril to October
Old Mountain RoadNew Hampshire2.4 km63 m36 minEasyApril to October
Ridge LoopNew Hampshire0.5 km11 m7 minEasyApril to October
Neville Peak TrailNew Hampshire0.6 km0 m7 minModerateApril to October

Wapack Trail, Summit Loop, Watatic Summit currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

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