10 great New England hikes that can please all ability levels

Mount Beattie in Camden Hills State Park offers great views toward the Maine coastline. (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur)

One of the greatest things about living in New England is the seasons. We would prefer if winters were longer, but we still like all of the seasons.

The vast majority of us are never too far from either the mountains or the coast, and often both are easily accessible.

When the snow has stopped falling, it is time to look to our other outdoor pursuits to hold us over until the first flakes fly again.

Here are a few hikes that range from sea level to 4,500 feet that are sure to please over the summer.

Camel’s Hump

Huntington, Vt.

At 4,083 feet, Camel’s Hump is tied for the third-highest mountain in Vermont and gets its name from its distinctive shape.

The Monroe Trail steeply climbs the eastern side of the mountain. At 2.3 miles, it will reach the Alpine Trail. Going left or staying straight will provide quick access to the summit, while going right creates an extra 1.2 miles. Going straight, the Monroe Trail ends at 2.9 miles, and turns left onto the Long Trail for a short 0.4 miles to the open summit.

After enjoying the views, follow the Long Trail south about 0.15 miles and turn left onto Alpine Trail. It is a steep half-mile down to Monroe Trail for a return to the trailhead, which is on Camel’s Hump Road (be aware, there’s more than one in the area) in Duxbury.

Great Blue Hill

Canton, Mass.

The Skyline Trail in the Blue Hills Reservation gives the feeling of seclusion while offering lookouts to downtown Boston. Options are endless with 125 miles of trails. But the 4.4-mile segment of the Skyline Loop that includes Great Blue Hill is a solid hike that has plenty of bang for the buck.

From the parking lot about a quarter-mile south of the ski area on Route 138, it is a steep half-mile to the top of the ski area and the 635-foot summit. The country’s oldest weather observatory is open to guided and self-guided tours on the weekend, and Eliot Tower provides 360-degree views, including into the city and out to sea.

There are plenty of ups and downs as you make your way west across North Skyline Trail as it goes over Wolcott Hill, Hemenway Hill and Hancock Hill before turning south toward reservation headquarters and the state police barracks.

South Skyline Trail traverses Houghton Hill on its way back to Great Blue.

Easier loops at Blue Hills include around Houghtons Pond or the much larger Ponkapoag Pond.

Lye Brook Falls

Manchester Center, Vt.

Located in a stretch of the Green Mountain National Forest that was once heavily logged, the Lye Brook Falls Trail follows old railroad beds and logging roads 2.25 miles to the 125-foot waterfall.

Most of the trail is in the Lye Brook Wilderness, so trail blazes and maintenance are kept to a minimum. Follow the Lye Brook Falls Trail for 1.8 miles before bearing right on a spur path toward the waterfall.

There is about 900 feet of elevation gain, with the first mile being mellow before the grade increases until the spur trail, which descends about 100 feet to the base of the falls.

Leaving Manchester on Route 11, take a right on Richville Road and then a left on East Manchester Road, and just after passing under Route 7, take a right onto Glen Road and follow to the end to a small parking lot.

Mount Beattie

Camden, Maine

A short mile climb up the Carriage Road Trail follows an old road to the 780-foot summit. There is a small stone tower at the top with views of Penobscot Bay and the hills of the MidCoast.

There used to be a social club at the summit more than 100 years ago, and signs of the old building still remain.

It is part of Camden Hills State Park, which has more than 30 miles of trails and a campground.

The trailhead is on Route 52. There is also a toll road to the summit.

Mount Garfield

Franconia, N.H.

Despite climbing nearly 3,000 vertical feet, the 5.0-mile hike up the Garfield Trail is rarely steep and leads to one of the best views in the White Mountains from the 4,501-foot summit with 360-degree views.

The first two miles are a good warmup before it starts to climb at moderate grades. After 4.8 miles, turn right onto the Garfield Ridge Trail for a rocky final 0.2 miles to the open summit.

The reward at the summit is looking south into the Pemigewasset Wilderness with Franconia Ridge to your right and the Bonds and Twins to your left with Owls Head in between.

It is 10 miles round trip, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

The trailhead is located on Gale River Loop Road off Route 3 between I-93 and Twin Mountain.

Mount Wachusett

Princeton, Mass.

Nothing has you long for winter more than hiking a ski resort after the snow melts away.

There are many different ways to the top of Wachusett, the highest peak in central Massachusetts, but you can leave from the ski area parking lot on the Balance Rock Trail, and in 0.4 miles be at the glacial erratic. From there, take Old Indian Trail 1.1 miles to the 2,006-foot summit, cutting across trails that look better when covered in white and under the Minuteman Express Quad along the way.

The summit has an observation deck, and there are views of nearby Mount Monadnock, and on clear days, the Boston skyline and the Berkshires.

By following the Midstate Trail from the summit back to Balance Rock, it stays shaded in the trees and eliminates some of the steeper stretches of Old Indian.

The hike as described is about 3.5 miles roundtrip and about 1,000 vertical feet.

Newport Cliff Walk

Newport, R.I.

Best done in the shoulder season or midweek in the summer, it is 3.5 miles each way along the eastern shore and passing next to some of Rhode Island’s famous mansions.

The famed walk is not contiguous at the moment because of work that needs to be done on a quarter-mile section between the Miramar and Clarendon Court properties after a sinkhole was discovered in April. Farther north there is a brief detour in place between Narragansett Avenue (near the 40 Steps) and Webster Street following a March 2022 storm.

The Cliff Walk provides a link between the sea and the historical mansions that represent Newport from a bygone era.

Saddleback

Rangeley, Maine

Normally, utilizing ski trails is not the recommended way to hike mountains because the trails are steep, but no matter how you tackle 4,120-foot Saddleback Mountain, it is going to be steep.

The direct attack from the ski lodge involves a 1.7-mile trek up Wheeler Slope, Grey Ghost and Tri-Color to reach the ridge, and then heading northwest on the Appalachian Trail to reach the 360-degree summit. The ridge area is the state’s third-largest alpine zone, so be sure to remain on the trail.

For those going for Maine 4,000 footers, continue on the Appalachian Trail an extra 1.7 miles to the 4,023-foot Saddleback Horn. The entire round trip to both peaks is about 7.0 miles.

The time spent on ski trails and the ridge make wearing sunscreen and being properly hydrated even more important, because of the amount of sun exposure.

Sleeping Giant

Hamden, Conn.

A 1,439-acre state park in Hamden, Conn., is one of the state’s popular attractions with rock outcroppings and ridges appearing to be shaped like, you guessed it, a sleeping giant.

There is an observation tower in the middle of the park that has views of New Haven and Long Island Sound.

There are many different trails and parking lots to use at the busy park, and the hike to the observation tower can be a mile or two each way.

Welch-Dickey Loop

Thornton, N.H.

This is a popular 4.4-mile loop up two small, ledgy mountains that offer outstanding views of Waterville Valley and toward southern New Hampshire.

Most people will go counterclockwise, up the steeper Welch Mountain (2,598 feet) before making their way over to Dickey Mountain (2,722 feet) for the more gradual descent.

There are lots of long rock slabs on the way up Welch, with the first good views at 1.3 miles from the south ridges, where great care should be taken to avoid stepping on vegetation, toward the Tripyramids and Sandwich Dome.

The summit of Welch is reached at 2.0 miles with views across Waterville Valley toward Sandwich Dome and Jennings Peak, Mount Tecumseh and toward the ledges of your next stop, Dickey Mountain, just 0.4 miles away.

The best views from Dickey are from just beyond the summit, a nice view north and west of Mount Moosilauke, Kinsman Ridge and Franconia Ridge. The ledges of Dickey also give a good look back at Welch before descending into the trees.

From Route 49, take Upper Mad River Road and turn right on Orris Road and follow to the trailhead.