Editing Mount Monadnock (section)

==Recreation==
[[File:Mount Monadnock State Park Headquarters.jpg|thumb|Mount Monadnock State Park headquarters]]

Mount Monadnock is open to [[hiking]], [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]], [[picnicking]], and [[snowshoeing]]. [[Backcountry skiing]] is possible on some of the lower trails. A seasonal [[campground]] east of the mountain is maintained by the state of New Hampshire, but camping is not allowed anywhere else on the mountain. A per-vehicle fee is charged to park at the Old Toll Road and State Park Headquarters trailheads.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MONADNOCK STATE PARK |url=https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/monadnock-state-park |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=NH State Parks |language=en}}</ref> There are no roads to the summit, and the Old Toll Road, which leads to the Halfway House site, is closed to vehicles. [[All-terrain vehicle|ATVs]] are not allowed on the mountain.<ref>[http://www.nhstateparks.org/state-parks/alphabetical-order/monadnock-state-park/ Monadnock State Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509144315/http://www.nhstateparks.org/state-parks/alphabetical-order/monadnock-state-park/ |date=2008-05-09 }} New Hampshire Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 10, 2007.</ref> Good views of the mountain can be had from a number of regional roads and highways, especially from [[New Hampshire Route 124]].

===Trails===
[[File:Mount Monadnock lower White Dot trail October 2009.jpg|thumb|Near the head of the White Dot Trail]]

Mount Monadnock is criss-crossed by many miles of well-maintained hiking trails. The most popular trails are the White Dot Trail, {{convert|2.2|mi}}, the shortest but steepest ascent to summit, accessible from the Monadnock State Park headquarters and campground on the southeast side of the mountain; and the White Arrow Trail, {{convert|2.3|mi}} to summit, considered the easiest ascent, via the Old Toll Road (Halfway House) trailhead on the south side of the mountain. Other major trails include:

* The Marlboro Trail, on the west side of the mountain, {{convert|2.2|mi}} to summit
* The Dublin Path, also part of the [[Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway]], on the north side, {{convert|2.4|mi}} to summit
* The Pumpelly Trail, on the northeast side, the longest ascent, {{convert|4.4|mi}} to summit. This trail boasts panoramic views for longer than the other trails, as it hugs the ridge.
* The Birchtoft Trail (Gilson Pond trailhead) and several connecting trails, providing access to the summit from the east side of the mountain
* The Cascade Link, on the east side of Monadnock, connects the White Dot Trail to Pumpelly Trail while providing easterly views from its exposed ridge. Spellman Trail and Red Dot Trail may also be accessed from Cascade Link.

Other important trails include the White Cross Trail, an alternative parallel to the White Dot Trail, and the Cliff Walk, a scenic detour that shadows a ledge to the east of the White Arrow Trail.<ref name="baldwin"/>

Mount Monadnock is the northern terminus of the [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]] (also known as the "M&M Trail"), a {{convert|110|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} hiking trail stretching south through [[Massachusetts]] to the [[Connecticut]] border.<ref>Henry Baldwin's ''Monadnock Guide'' (see ref.#5) incorrectly states that the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail runs from Mount Monadnock to [[Meriden, Connecticut]], confusing it with the [[Metacomet Trail]].</ref> The trail ascends the mountain from the southwest; however, there is no trailhead where that trail crosses [[New Hampshire Route 124|Route 124]] at the foot of the mountain, and the highway there is marked with "no parking" signs.<ref name="M&M">''The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide'' (1999). 9th edition. Amherst, Massachusetts: [[Appalachian Mountain Club]].</ref> The closest trailhead southbound on the M&M Trail is on Bullard Road, which leads south from Route 124 half a mile west of the M&M Trail's crossing of the state highway.

The mountain is also the southern terminus of the [[Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway]], a {{convert|50|mi|adj=on}} highland trail connecting Mount Monadnock and [[Mount Sunapee]].<ref name="baldwin"/> A third long-distance trail project, the ''Wantastiquet-Monadnock Greenway'', aims at linking Mount Monadnock with [[Pisgah State Park]] and [[Wantastiquet Mountain]], a prominent peak in [[Hinsdale, New Hampshire]], overlooking the town of [[Brattleboro, Vermont]], and the [[Connecticut River]].<ref>[http://www.chesterfieldoutdoors.com/plands/nugentDaniels0501.html Chesterfield Outdoors.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723102207/http://www.chesterfieldoutdoors.com/plands/nugentDaniels0501.html |date=July 23, 2008 }} Retrieved December 12, 2007.</ref>

===Hiking the mountain===
[[File:Mount Monadnock White Dot trail October 2009.jpg|thumb|"The Chute", one mile from the summit on the White Dot Trail]]

The trip to the summit and back via one of the shorter trails, which usually takes less than six hours, is considered moderately challenging for the average hiker but requires no technical skills during the late spring to early fall season. Throughout the year wind and weather on the exposed, rocky summit cause harsher conditions than below the tree line. Winter storms and summer thunderstorms can be life-threatening.

Winter snow and ice can remain on the trails well into May, making hiking hazardous or impossible without special equipment. The compacting of snow due to winter recreation on the more frequently used trails tends to lengthen the time it takes for the snow and ice to melt off. Stabilizers, [[crampons]], [[ice axe]]s, [[ski pole]]s, and [[snowshoe]]s may be helpful or necessary for winter and early spring ascents, depending on ice and snow cover.

Fall hiking generally requires warmer clothing, an awareness of weather conditions, and earlier ascent times. As there are no reliable water sources on the mountain and little shelter from the sun above {{convert|2000|ft}}, [[dehydration]] and [[heat stroke]] are potential hazards.
[[File:Monadnock NH Winter Summit.jpg|thumb|The view from the summit in mid March, with large snowbanks visible. The word "Pumpelly", painted on a rock, is the name of one trail.]]
{{PanoViewer|Mount Monadnock summit photosphere 2.jpg|The summit on a late July afternoon}}

The mountain and surrounding area are [[American Black Bear|black bear]] habitat, although problem encounters with bears are rare.<ref name="baldwin"/><ref>''Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide'', Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, 1995.</ref>

Advice on hiking can be solicited from Memorial Day through Columbus Day and select off-season weekends at the park headquarters on the southeast side of the mountain. Trail descriptions and maps of Mount Monadnock are published by a variety of sources. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests prints a guidebook with maps, trail descriptions, history, geology, ecology, and other trivia on the mountain.<ref name="baldwin"/>