Pack Monadnock (Marion Davis Trail & Auto Road)
Hike Type: Loop
Distance: 2.95 miles
Elevation: 1023 feet
Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Hiking Challenges: New Hampshire Fire Tower Quest
The Hike
It was officially the weekend that I was going to learn how to ski up in Vermont, so it only made sense to do some hiking on the way up. This day's mountain was Pack Monadnock. I chose this mountain because it would be my fifth New Hampshire fire tower, officially completing the NH Fire Tower Quest! There's more than five in the state, but only five are required for the patch. I definitely plan on visiting the rest.
We had a chilly start at 15 degrees with some wind, but thankfully we were sheltered by most of the wind in the woods. Spikes were on right away and for the entirety of the Marion Davis Trail. Nice views of the sun rising through the woods and frozen streams were abundant. The trail climbed with relative ease, but of course many breaks were had.
This mountain is also served by an auto road, so the summit was very developed. The firetower dominates the primary summit, but thankfully views are abundant in almost all directions and the summit has my favorite thing on earth - composting toilets!!We didn't spend too much time up top due to the cold wind, but we enjoyed every second. The fire tower structure was closed for the season, so I will definitely make a return trip to check that out.
We had a chilly start at 15 degrees with some wind, but thankfully we were sheltered by most of the wind in the woods. Spikes were on right away and for the entirety of the Marion Davis Trail. Nice views of the sun rising through the woods and frozen streams were abundant. The trail climbed with relative ease, but of course many breaks were had.
This mountain is also served by an auto road, so the summit was very developed. The firetower dominates the primary summit, but thankfully views are abundant in almost all directions and the summit has my favorite thing on earth - composting toilets!!We didn't spend too much time up top due to the cold wind, but we enjoyed every second. The fire tower structure was closed for the season, so I will definitely make a return trip to check that out.
We weren't sure of what the condition would be on the Wapack Trail heading down, so to play it safe (and quick) we headed down the auto road. We were grateful to get views of what appeared to be an abandoned ski area across NH-101 and more impressively, Mt. Monadnock. The road switches between crunchy snow, sheet ice, and bare pavement which keeps us on our toes (and almost on our bums).
Overall Pack Monadnock was a quick, easy hike, and I cannot wait to come back!
Step-By-Step
- Park at Miller State Park parking lot and walk to the right of the sign to enter the blue-triangle-blazed Marion Davis Trail.
- The Marion Davis Trail goes right to the summit without any junctions, enjoy!
- After using the composting bathrooms and enjoying the views, descend via the auto road.
Originally written and posted May 11th, 2022.
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