The Wapack Trail is a 21-mile point-to-point trail located in southwestern New Hampshire. This trail traverses 10 named peaks, and is marked with yellow triangles. It can be hiked as a simple overnight and there are no permits required.
Region: New England (Southwestern New Hampshire)
Distance: 21.5 miles, (2 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Moderate elevation gain
- Majority of the trail is in the woods with only one short road walk
- Ascend 10 named peaks
Logistical Difficulty: Easy
- Parking at either terminus does not require permits or fees; however, there is a $4 fee required for accessing Miller State Park on the trail.
- Navigation is generally easy (yellow triangles mark the trail)
- Camping is only permitted in one spot, you need to reserve shelter space ahead of time
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Elevation (Average): ~2,000 feet
Total Elevation Gain: ~4,800 feet
How to Get to the Wapack Trail
- The northern terminus is in Greenfield, New Hampshire, on Mountain Road.
- The southern terminus is in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, on Route 119 in the Mount Watatic Reservation.
- Directions to road crossings along the trail can be found here.
The termini for both ends of the Wapack Trail are at the base of mountains, and finding a ride to and from the trailheads may be difficult unless you set it up ahead of time. I attempted to arrange a ride back to my car from the southern terminus using Uber, but wasn’t able to set up a ride ahead of time, and wasn’t willing to chance not getting a ride via Uber after finishing the trail, so I just had my husband pick me up. If you wanted to eliminate the need for a ride, doing the trail as a yo-yo and doing two overnights on the trail may be a good idea.
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-Boston 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.
Hiking the Wapack Trail
I set out from the northern terminus, following the main trail, called the Wapack Trail. The trail sweeps through the forest at mild to moderate grades, crests the summit and then dips back into the woods, headed toward Pack Monadnock Mountain. Make sure you pay the day-hiker fee for entering the park.
The first 10 miles of trail take you up and down 5 named peaks, and after making the ascent of Temple Mountain you begin a long ridgewalk riding up and down several unnamed peaks in the Cabot Memorial Forest. This stretch of trail had no water sources, which was something I wasn’t expecting during springtime. I highly recommend cameling up on water at the only water source I found on trail, at the very beginning on North Pack Monadnock.
One of the things I liked most about this trail is that you aren’t doing long road walks. After summiting Burton Peak, you descend onto Temple Road, where you do a 0.4 mile road walk, re-enter the forest, and hit your first water source heading southbound. There is an abundance of water on the remainder of the trail heading south.
The next 3.5 miles of trail fly by as the elevation gain and loss is minimal until you hit the first of 6 named peaks, the final one being Mount Watatic at the southern terminus. You will walk through an active logging operation, where blazing is sparse. The trail re-routes around Windblown XC Ski Area, and I found myself doing an unintentional loop and added 1.2 additional miles to my hike, backtracking to the junction where the re-route branches off the Wapack Trail away from the ski area.
The ascent of the first peak following this flat stretch of trail, Barrett Mountain, is steep but once you reach the top there are sites for camping (if you register ahead of time). After passing the campsites, the trail climbs over several named and unnamed peaks. This stretch of trail offers more in the way of views as you break treeline several times before re-entering the forest, only to break treeline again.
Finally, after completing the last in a series of ascents and descents, you enter Binney Pond Natural Area and remain low in the Binney Hill Preserve before making the final ascent of Mount Watatic. I chose to skip this final ascent and instead took the State Line Trail (part of the Midstate Trail) to the southern terminus. This short stretch of trail was worth it because I was able to see the state line markers placed along this stretch of trail marking the New Hampshire/Massachusetts border. The State Line Trail meets back up with the Wapack for the final stretch to the parking lot at the southern terminus.
When to Hike the Wapack Trail
The beauty of the Wapack Trail is that it can be hiked during summer, spring, and fall. Snow melts faster in southern New Hampshire, which is why I recommend hiking this trail in spring, while waiting for the trails in the White Mountains to be snow free. I chose to hike this trail in mid-May. Checking to make sure the trail is free of or almost free of snow before heading out is recommended. Making sure to camel up if you’re hiking the trail southbound; before the summit of North Pack Monadnock is highly recommended, regardless of what season you hike the trail.
Wapack Trail Terrain
The majority of this trail runs along the ridge of mountains in southern New Hampshire. There is only one small road walk, and one section that has been re-routed due to logging operations; however, the nice thing about this trail is that it is mainly in the woods. Another bonus of this trail is that it doesn’t have any significantly steep climbs.
Wapack Trail Logistics: Camping, Water, Land Use
Camping and Permits: Because the Wapack Trail is primarily day-use only, there is only one spot where camping is allowed. I recommend checking out the Windblown Camping page found here for more information on how to sign up to stay in the shelter. There is a $4 day-use fee that you need to pay (there’s a fee box on the side of the trail where it passes the trailhead for Miller State Park) for using the trails in Miller State Park, as well.
Type of Land: This trail follows the Wapack Range and crosses various types of land from private to state forests. Because the trail is primarily day use only, 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 sparse for the first 10 miles of trail going southbound. The southern 10 miles have an abundance of water, but all of it should be filtered.
Know Before You Go
I highly recommend purchasing the Wapack Trail map. This map has a mini trail guide included and trail mileage as well. I found this trail to be easy to navigate and is well-marked with the exception of the section skirting the cross-country ski operation.
