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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near Fitchburg

The directory currently contains 92 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Fitchburg. Their average mapped distance is 1.9 km and average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.9 km.

This subset represents 74% of the 125 quality-checked routes near Fitchburg. Its average distance is 1.9 km, compared with 5.7 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 52 m (171 ft), versus 102 m (335 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 57 routes (62%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 19 (21%) 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

10 m

Cascade Link

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

Summit of the 2nd most or perhaps 3rd most frequently climbed mountain on the planet.
Moderate

Smith Summit Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Matt Poole/USFWS. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/USFWSNortheast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/USFWSNortheast
Easy

Summit Loop

New Hampshire · United States

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

Woodland Path Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Cascade Link

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Waterfall
Moderate

Cliff Walk

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
257 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Coastal
Moderate

Monte Rosa

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
114 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Sabine Woods Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • River
  • Forest
Easy

Balsam Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Pond Passage Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Mountain House Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Long Lake Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Mossy Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
5 min
  • River
Moderate

White Dot Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
534 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
Moderate

White Arrow Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
332 m
Typical duration
49 min
Moderate

White Cross Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
352 m
Typical duration
55 min
Moderate

Lost Farm Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
243 m
Typical duration
41 min
Moderate

Red Spot Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
18 min
Moderate

Harling Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
135 m
Typical duration
26 min
Easy

Parker Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
154 m
Typical duration
43 min
Moderate

Side Foot Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
11 min
Moderate

Spellman Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
Easy

Blue Route

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Amphitheatre Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
53 m
Typical duration
12 min
Moderate

Fairy Spring

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
15 min
Easy

Interior Loop Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
24 min
Moderate

Smith Connecting

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
16 min
Moderate

Thoreau Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
Easy

Tom Paul Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
57 min
Moderate

Two Brothers Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
31 min
Easy

Acorn Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
39 min
Easy

Barretts Mill Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Typical duration
24 min
Easy

Cart Path

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
10 min
Easy

Edmund Hill Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
19 min
Easy

Egg Rock Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
17 min
Moderate

Hello Rock

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
11 min
Easy

Hilltop Loop Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
35 min
Easy

Hinkley Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
22 min
Easy

Ice Line Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Typical duration
51 min
Easy

Riverwalk Ramble

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
45 min
Easy

Russell Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
19 min
Easy

Target Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
24 min
Moderate

Shepley Steeplechase Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
70 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • River
Moderate

Birchtoft Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
39 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
Smith Summit TrailNew Hampshire1.0 km234 m34 minModerateApril to October
Summit LoopNew Hampshire0.5 km35 m10 minEasyApril to October
Woodland Path LoopMassachusetts1.0 km16 m14 minEasyApril to October
Cascade LinkNew Hampshire2.1 km10 m27 minModerateApril to October
Cliff WalkNew Hampshire2.4 km257 m53 minModerateApril to October
Monte RosaNew Hampshire0.6 km114 m17 minModerateApril to October
Sabine Woods LoopMassachusetts4.3 km35 m57 minEasyApril to October
Balsam TrailMassachusetts2.2 km9 m28 minEasyApril to October
Pond Passage LoopMassachusetts1.7 km13 m23 minEasyApril to October
Westvale-Harrington Park Yellow TrailMassachusetts1.3 km7 m17 minEasyApril to October

Summit Loop, Smith Summit Trail, Woodland Path Loop 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 →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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