By Rebecca Sperry, 2020 MSG Trail hiker
The Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail is a 48-mile end-to-end trail in New England that can be accomplished in three to four days.
Region: New England (New Hampshire)
Distance*: 48 miles (3-4 days)
*mileage doesn’t include approach trails
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Moderate elevation gain; PUDs scattered between flat stretches, including road walks
- Both termini start on top of mountains
- Navigation is generally easy (white blazes mark the trail)
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Mount Monadnock requires a permit to park your car. We recommend getting in touch with the Sunapee Mountain Ski Resort prior to your trip to confirm parking
- Water is frequent, but requires filtering
- The trail runs through Washington, New Hampshire, with a general store to resupply if needed
Season: Summer/Fall
Elevation (average): ~1,500-2,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~10,000 feet
Hiking the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail
The Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway is comparable to a mini New England Appalachian Trail hike. From the termini starting on top of two mountains, with approach trails, to the variety of terrain on this short hike, the MSG is a perfect shakedown hike for a future AT thru-hiker, a wonderful hike to do on a long weekend for the general backpacker, or a single-day push for the ultrarunner. The trail has six shelters placed at varying distances, and five of the six are Adirondack-style shelters. Regardless of which direction the trail is hiked (northbound or southbound) the terrain is consistent, with a mixture of flat sections on forest and gravel roads, and rolling ups and downs over small peaks.
Beginning from the south, my first day on trail was a solid 20-mile push to the Crider Shelter. Thankfully, after the 2,600-foot climb to the summit of Mount Monadnock, the trail drops back down and levels out a bit more, making it less difficult to push a 20-mile day out of the gate. The trail follows a large number of dirt and forest roads, passes through the Seaver Reservoir, with a scattering of small ponds, and through Nelson Center, your classic small town in New England. The side trail to Crider Shelter is just long enough to make you feel like you’re not directly on the trail, and the shelter itself is the classic Adirondack-style shelter situated in the center of a logged forest where you will have ample views of the night sky. The most notable features of this section of the trail are Mount Monadnock, Eliza Adams Gorge, and Nelson Village.
Day two I did another 20-mile day push over a mixture of forest roads, and small climbs over a handful of hills and small mountains, most notably Pitcher Mountain. The trail begins on forest roads and takes you past the Nye Meadow Sanctuary. After warming up on this flatter stretch of trail, the climbing begins as you make your gradual ascents and descents over a series of small field-covered hills that I believe are comparable to the bald mountains in southern Appalachia. Of note, the trail along the top of Pitcher Mountain is lined with blueberry bushes and frequented by locals during blueberry season. This section of trail is partially located in Andorra Forest, rich with wildlife and offers a variety of farmland, woodland, and wilderness terrain. The trail passes directly through Washington Center, which is the one place where you can resupply or stop for a meal on this trail at the Washington General Store. The trail passes just right of the store and then continues uphill for the final mountain of the day, Lovewell Mountain. It should be noted that the water source where I spent my second night on trail, Max Israel Shelter, is at the bottom of a steep climb to the shelter. Be sure to fill up before making the climb to the shelter.
The final day on trail was roughly 14 miles, including the descent from Sunapee Mountain to the trailhead. The terrain on this section of trail is more difficult than the terrain on day one. The majority of the day is spent in the forest on classic hiking trails and although there aren’t a substantial number of climbs, it was slower going simply because you’re no longer on forest or woods roads and are now hiking the majority of the time on a single-track hiking trail. The final few miles to the terminus brings you over rock slabs known as White Ledges and right along the edge of Lake Solitude before making the final climb to the summit of Mount Sunapee. Although this stretch of trail leading to the summit of Mount Sunapee is slower going than the forest roads of day one, it is much more scenic, and rather than cranking out big miles, is meant to be enjoyed. The final climb to the summit of Mount Sunapee is a short but steady climb up one of the ski trails to the summit lodge at the top of Mount Sunapee. There are a handful of ski trails that can be taken to the trailhead; however, I chose to take the red-blazed Summit Trail that is directly south of the summit lodge.
How to get to the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway
Closest City: Manchester, New Hampshire (50-60 miles)
The termini for both ends of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway are on the top of two distinct mountains in southwestern New Hampshire. When I hiked this trail, I went northbound (NOBO), starting on the top of Mount Monadnock (Jaffrey, New Hampshire), which I accessed via the White Cross Trail that starts in Monadnock State Park, and ending on the top of Sunapee Mountain (Sunapee, New Hampshire). The trail is marked with white blazes, is easy to follow, and well-marked.
There are currently no shuttle services offered through the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Association to either trailheads; however, if you are flying into either of the two nearest cities, (Manchester, New Hampshire, or Concord, New Hampshire) it is recommended that you get in touch with one of the shuttle service companies that can be found here. Thomas Transportation in particular offers shuttles from Manchester Regional Airport to the counties that both of the termini are found in. Logistically, if you are doing a car spot, getting back to your car after completing this hike is probably the most difficult part of the whole trip. I had my spouse pick me up after completing the hike and was then driven back to my car, which was parked at Monadnock State Park.
When to Hike the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail
The MSG is best hiked in summer or fall. I chose to hike this trail in late April and my feet were wet the entire time. There were still remnants of snow on the back side of Mount Sunapee and although there were ample water sources to choose from, hiking this trail in April was perhaps not the best decision, unless you enjoy hiking in peak mud season. I would recommend hiking this trail in summer or even fall (early October) to take advantage of peak foliage season. There is no problem with overcrowding on this hidden gem except perhaps on Mount Monadnock, which is known as one of the most hiked mountains in the world. This trail could potentially be hiked in winter by someone experienced with not only winter backpacking but someone willing to break trail for a large majority of the hike.
Three-Day Itinerary: (South to North)
1) Hike the White Cross Trail (2 miles) to the Mount Monadnock summit and then the Greenway to Crider Shelter: ~ 20 miles
2) Crider Shelter to Max Israel Shelter: ~ 20 miles
3) Max Israel Shelter to Sunapee Mountain summit, followed by Summit Trail to trailhead: ~ 14 miles.
Four-Day Itinerary: (North to South)
1) Sunapee Mountain trailhead to Summit Trail (2.1 miles) to Steve Galpin Shelter: ~ 7.6 miles
2) Steve Galpin Shelter to General Washington Shelter: ~ 11.2 miles
3) General Washington Shelter to Crider Shelter: ~ 13.4 miles
4) Crider Shelter to Mount Monadnock trailhead via White Dot Trail: ~ 20 miles
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Terrain
This trail is a myriad of different terrain ranging from the classic rocky and rooted New England hiking trail to paved road walks. There are sections of trail that can be pretty wet in spring or in rainy conditions. Overall this trail doesn’t have any significant climbs and is generally rolling in nature despite the fact that over the 55 miles of trail you will gain around 10,000’ feet in elevation.
Logistics: Camping and Permits, Land Designations, Water
Camping and Permits: Permits are not required to camp and all of the shelters have water sources nearby. Camping is only permitted in designated areas and no wood or charcoal fires are permitted. There is no guarantee that there will be openings at the shelters (reservations are not accepted), however this is not a heavily trafficked trail and you can always set up your tent next to the shelters.
Land Designations: This trail runs along the Monadnock Highlands and is located on varying types of land from private to state forests. Most importantly, be sure to only camp in designated sites and be respectful of the private landowners where this trail runs near private residences and follow Leave No Trace principles.
Water: Water is definitely not sparse on this trail and there are dozens of places where you can fill up along the trail; however, all water should be filtered.
Know Before You Go
Parking at Monadnock State Park for more than one day requires purchasing multiple day passes. Be sure to contact the park before parking so that you don’t run into issues with getting a spot or being able to keep your car at the park for more than one day.
I highly recommend purchasing the Monadnock-Sunapee Trail map. FarOut does offer a paid version of the trail as well, but I found this trail was easily navigable with just the waterproof map.
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Resources
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Map and Trail Guide
Monadnock State Park
Sunapee Mountain
