Fox State Forest
Black Gum Swamp and Mud Pond

• From the parking lot, follow Ridge Trail for several strides and then cross Center Road (the road you drove in from) to keep following Ridge Trail through the woods on the other side of the street. Ridge Trail loops around the entire Fox State Forest property so be sure to start off in the right direction.
• At a junction about 0.5 mile from the parking area, Ridge Trail splits. Turn left for now; we will come back via the other leg.
• After about 0.2 mile, take your next right onto Swamp Trail.
• When Swamp Trail ends in about 0.1 mile, turn left onto White Cross Trail (may be signed simply Cross Trail) which will bring you past Black Gum Swamp on the right.
• After about 0.2 mile you'll reach a T-junction with Ridge Trail. Turn right onto Ridge Trail and follow it for about 0.2 mile.
• At the next junction, Ridge Trail goes left but you should turn right and follow this path for about 0.3 mile until it crosses Harvey Road.
• Then curve to the right and pick up Ridge Trail again; Ridge Trail also goes straight so watch carefully for this junction; you should be heading west on Ridge Trail.
• Follow Ridge Trail for about 1.1 miles which will bring you to Molly J. Swamp.
• Turn left and follow Molly J. Swamp Trail for about 0.3 mile along one side of the swamp.
• Upon reaching Bible Hill Road, turn right, then after about 0.2 mile, turn right again onto Rabbit Trail which runs along the opposite edge of the swamp.
• Follow Rabbit Trail for about 0.4 mile until it ends.
• When you bump into Fisher Cat Trail turn right and follow it for less than 0.1 mile until it meets Ridge Trail.
• Bear left/straight onto Ridge Trail and follow it for about 0.5 mile until you reach a 3-way junction with Ridge Trail making up each branch. This is the point you were at near the beginning of the hike.
• Turn left and follow Ridge Trail for about 0.5 mile back to the parking lot.

• From the parking lot, follow the Tree Identification Trail which leaves a short ways to the left of the kiosk. This path ends after barely 0.2 mile but has clear signs identifying many different species of trees along the way.
• At its end, the ID trail bumps into Ridge Trail. Turn left and follow Ridge Trail for about 0.5 mile.
• At this point, Ridge Trail makes a sharp turn to the left while Concord End Road goes right/straight (and it also follows Ridge Trail to the left). Bear right to follow Concord End Road, very soon passing a cemetery on the right.
• Upon reaching a fork after about 0.2 mile, bear right onto Gould Pond Road.
• Follow Gould Pond Road for about 0.5 mile then turn right onto Mud Pond Road.
• Follow Mud Pond Road for about 0.6 mile and then turn left onto Mud Pond Trail.
• After about 0.1 mile you will reach Mud Pond and its boardwalk.
• When you're finished exploring the pond/bog area, continue on Mud Pond Trail (coming from the boardwalk, turn left) for about 0.3 mile where it will end at Mud Pond Road.
• Turn right onto Mud Pond Road and follow it for about 0.2 mile which will bring you back to the Mud Pond Road/Mud Pond Trail junction that you were at a short while ago (just before reaching the pond).
• Turn left to follow the section of Mud Pond Trail that you have not yet traversed.
• After about 0.3 mile you will again meet Ridge Trail and also a small stand of virgin forest.
• Ridge Trail goes in both directions; bear left/straight to head back to the parking area.
• After about 0.3 mile, turn left to keep following Ridge Trail.
• Another 0.3 mile of walking on Ridge Trail will return you to the parking lot.

• Take the exit for Hillsborough and Fox State Forest. The signs leading up to the exit indicate "Henniker St. to West Main St. - Hillsborough" but just before the actual exit is a sign specifically for "Fox State Forest".
• At the end of the exit ramp, turn towards town in the direction indicated by the "Fox State Forest" sign.
• About 1.8 miles from the bottom of the exit ramp, you will reach a set of traffic lights in the center of Hillsborough.
• At the lights turn right (opposite the junction for Route 149) onto what starts out as School Street and then becomes Center Road.
• Travel 1.9 miles on School Street/Center Road and then turn right into a parking lot prominently signed as "NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Forest and Lands, Fox Forest, Southwest Region Headquarters".
• Upon pulling into the driveway, turn left to access the large parking area.
• There is a trail kiosk next to the lot with trail maps and brochures. Trails leave the parking area from both sides of the lot (one side heading across the road) and are are well signed.

• Trails are for multiple-use. Please share with care.
• No motorized wheeled vehicles on trails.
• Respect the private property of adjacent landowners.
• Carry out all trash.
• Practice low-impact hiking; tread lightly and please don't pick plants or flowers.
• No camping or open fires are allowed.

• Fox State Forest: Black Gum Swamp by New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau

Website by LeapfrogProgramming.com

© 1998-2024

The information on this site may freely be used for personal purposes but may not be replicated on other websites or publications. If you want to reference some content on this site, please link to us.