Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails near Manchester

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Manchester. Their average mapped distance is 24.9 km and average recorded ascent is 424 m (1,391 ft); the longest route in the set is 33.3 km.

This subset represents 3% of the 159 quality-checked routes near Manchester. Its average distance is 24.9 km, compared with 3.2 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 424 m (1,391 ft), versus 51 m (167 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 5 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) 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 5 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

18.9 km

South Groton Tour

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

167 m

South Groton Tour

5 of 5 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 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
Hard

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
21.8 km
/ 13.6 mi
Elevation gain
175 m
Typical duration
5 hr 1 min
Groton School, as viewed from the top of the chapel.
Hard

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
27.2 km
/ 16.9 mi
Elevation gain
289 m
Typical duration
6 hr 28 min
Groton School, as viewed from the top of the chapel.
Hard

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
18.9 km
/ 11.7 mi
Elevation gain
167 m
Typical duration
4 hr 18 min
Groton School, as viewed from the top of the chapel.
Hard

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
23.3 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
213 m
Typical duration
5 hr 26 min

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
BCT section 4Massachusetts21.8 km175 m5 hr 1 minHardApril to October
Groton TourMassachusetts27.2 km289 m6 hr 28 minHardApril to October
South Groton TourMassachusetts18.9 km167 m4 hr 18 minHardApril to October
West Groton TourMassachusetts23.3 km213 m5 hr 26 minHardApril to October

Wapack Trail, BCT section 4, West Groton Tour 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

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for