Miller State Park and Pack Monadnock
Miller State Park Rd, off NH Route 101
Peterborough, NH
Drive or hike to a fire-tower summit with views to Boston and Mount Washington, then watch thousands of hawks stream past every fall.
Pack Monadnock is the smaller, quieter cousin of famous Mount Monadnock a few miles to the west, and the state park that crowns it, Miller State Park, holds a distinction all its own: it is the oldest state park in New Hampshire. It began in 1891, when just three acres on the summit were donated to the state, and it has grown over the years into a 500-acre preserve on the mountain's flank. The name honors General James Miller, a New Hampshire soldier remembered for his bravery in the War of 1812.
What makes the mountain special is how easy it is to reach the top. A 1.3-mile paved auto road winds up to the summit, so a family with small children, or anyone not up for a climb, can park at the top and step out to a big, open view. At the summit a restored fire tower lets you climb even higher, and on a clear day the horizon runs from the towers of Boston to the white cone of Mount Washington far to the north.
What Guests Love
- A short paved auto road that carries you right to the summit, no long hike required
- The restored fire tower, where clear-day views reach to Boston, Mount Washington, and the Vermont hills
- The fall hawk watch, when trained counters help you spot broad-winged hawks and other raptors overhead
- Two hiking trails up for those who want to earn the view, plus a shady picnic area at the base
Worth Knowing
- The auto road is open seasonally in the warmer months, so a summit drive depends on the road being open for the year
- It sits over 2,000 feet up, so the summit runs cooler and windier than the valley; bring a layer even on a warm day
- The hawk watch is staffed through the fall migration season, with the biggest flights on clear days with a north wind behind them
- There are no food services on the mountain, so pack your own water and snacks and stock up in Peterborough first
Details
Peterborough, NH
Learn about Miller State Park and Pack Monadnock
The oldest park in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's system of state parks had to start somewhere, and it started here. In 1891 a small parcel atop Pack Monadnock was given to the state, making this the first piece of ground the state set aside for the public to enjoy the outdoors, decades before the idea of a state park system was fully formed. That modest three-acre gift on the summit is the seed the whole park grew from.
For years before the park, the mountain's slopes were open pasture. Cattle were driven up on foot each summer, some of them walked all the way from farms in Massachusetts, to graze the high grassland that once reached nearly to the summit. That practice ended around the turn of the century, and in the decades since, forest has quietly reclaimed the old pastures, so the mountain you climb today is wooded where farmers once ran their herds.
The auto road, the summit, and the view
The park's signature feature is its scenic auto road, a paved 1.3-mile drive that climbs from the base to the summit. It is one of only a handful of New England summits you can simply drive to, which makes Pack Monadnock a rare mountain-top view open to anyone regardless of fitness or mobility. For those who would rather hike, two trails, the steeper Wapack Trail and the gentler Marion Davis Trail, climb from the parking area to the top.
At the summit sits a fire tower, recently restored, that you can climb for an even wider sweep. On a clear day the view is genuinely long: south to the skyline of Boston, north to Mount Washington and the Presidential Range, and west across the hills of Vermont. It is the kind of panorama that usually costs a hard climb, handed to you at the end of a short paved road.
A front-row seat to the fall hawk migration
For a few weeks each autumn the summit becomes one of the best raptor-watching spots in the region. The Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory, run in partnership with a local nature center, staffs the summit through the fall, and the counters there tally the hawks, eagles, and falcons that ride the ridge lines and thermals south for the winter. On a good day the numbers can run into the thousands.
The great spectacle is the broad-winged hawk migration, which peaks in mid-September, when large swirling groups called kettles rise on the warm air and stream past overhead. The observatory staff are happy to point out what you are seeing and lend a spare pair of binoculars, so even a first-timer can learn to tell a broad-wing from a sharp-shinned hawk. The best flights come on clear days with a north wind at the birds' backs, so pick your day and dress warm for the exposed summit.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Peterborough
Downtown Peterborough
About 5 miles
A classic New England mill town on the Contoocook River, with a walkable center of shops, cafes, and one of the oldest free public libraries in the country.
Mount Monadnock
About 12 miles
The famous bare-summit peak said to be one of the most-climbed mountains in the world, with several trails to its 3,165-foot rock crown.
Wapack Trail
At the park
A 21-mile ridge-line trail that crosses Pack Monadnock; a piece of it makes for a fine out-and-back hike straight from the summit area.
Cathedral of the Pines
About 15 miles
An outdoor memorial and quiet retreat set among tall pines in Rindge, with an altar of stone and a garden of remembrance open to all.