I often see comments from other hikers where they can go to avoid crowds. Recently these questions popped up before Labor Day weekend, which is always a busy time if you’re looking to hit a trail in the White Mountains. My advice to them is to try and find out-of-the-way locations where there will be fewer people. It sounds logical, but if you don’t want to be around crowds then don’t go where the people are.
I listened to my own advice this past Labor Day weekend and took it one step further by waiting an extra day until everyone went home. I needed to check that “one more thing” (there’s always one more thing) for a guidebook project I’m finishing up, so the plan was to head off to Lucia’s Lookout along the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway. This ledgy perch offers good views from two directional viewpoints.
As I often do, I opted for the quietest route that I know of and, in this case, it was the Five Summers Trail from Pillsbury State Park. (This approach requires a day-use fee for getting into the park and is worth the small expense; it goes toward funding the park and its staff). This trail gets its name from the fact that it was constructed over the course of five summer seasons.
Soon I was off along the trail, which follows a wide snowmobile corridor for most of its length. Walking was easy and grades were gentle, which meant I could relax and take in the forest around me without having to concentrate as much on the footing. At four miles one way, this also makes the hike much easier overall.
Five Summers Trail leaves the snowmobile route 0.3 of a mile before its northern terminus and follows a footpath up to the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway. This long-distance, 48-mile route connects Mt. Monadnock and Mt. Sunapee, but I wouldn’t be going to either destination on this day. Turning north onto the Greenway, a steep 0.2-mile climb brought me up to Lucia’s Lookout.
There are two viewpoints at the top. The southerly view right at the “summit” is becoming a bit more restricted by tree growth, but a short side path descends to the East View, which offers a nearly 180-degree panorama. It was here that I could rest from the walk up, absorb some of that natural Vitamin D, enjoy a snack, and prepare to head back down. After all, I still had some data to collect.
I hadn’t been up here in a while and it was a much-needed respite into nature that fed me for the rest of the day. If you’d like to visit Lucia’s Lookout, check out the website of Pillsbury State Park to download a trail map and get details on the parking. You can also read about the Five Summers Trail in the AMC Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide.
If you want to explore ponds instead of climbing up to a ridgeline, Pillsbury State Park has you covered on that as well! The park also has some great camping if you opt for a longer stay.
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 13:01:00
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