Mt. Monadnock  – Jaffrey, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

It is said that, on a clear day, hikers can see all the way to Boston from the top of Mt. Monadnock. The rock-capped 3,165-foot peak is the most prominent landmark in a region of rolling green hills, offering stunning views of southwestern New Hampshire and beyond.

For decades, the Cheshire County, New Hampshire, mountain has inspired artists and thinkers who find solace in the area’s small towns and informal spaces. Essayist and Transcendentalist leader Ralph Waldo Emerson paid tribute to what he called “Cheshire’s haughty hill” in a lengthy poem, excerpted below, that he began writing at its summit in 1845.

Every morn I lift my head,
Gaze o’er New England under spread
South from Saint Lawrence to the Sound,
From Katshill east to the sea-bound.
Anchored fast for many an age,
I await the bard and sage,
Who in large thoughts, like fair pearl-seed,
Shall string Monadnoc like a bead.

From Monadnoc, Ralph Waldo Emerson  – 1846

Barry Faulkner, the great muralist and native of nearby Keene, NH, honored the peak in portraits of Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Abbott Thayer. Titled Men of Monadnock, the portraits memorialized their sitters’ admiration for the mountain and can be viewed in the former Keene National Bank Building (now Bank of America) in Keene’s Central Square.

Monadnock is one of the world’s most frequently hiked mountains, drawing visitors from all over the world. It is not uncommon to see both experienced hikers and families with small children making their way up the many trails that lead to the summit. We were lured to the peak twice, both times while living in Keene.

During this, our second trek, we took the Red Dot trail, snaking past the Gilsum Pond and ascending steadily, but with ease. We found the trail to be particularly scenic, broken up by small streams and gorgeous views through the surrounding trees. Several rocky precipices offered great photo opportunities and places for rest. Though slightly longer than the White Dot and White Cross Trails, and not nearly as steep as the White Dot, we prefer the Red Dot for its beauty and for the relatively small crowds.

We descended just as the sun slipped away.