Mt. Monadnock stands at 3,165 ft in the towns of Jaffery and Dublin, New Hampshire. The main hub of Mt. Monadnock state park being just 14 minutes away from the Franklin Pierce campus. Mt. Monadnock is the world's second most hiked peak after Mount Fuji in Japan, making Mt. Monadnock very open to beginners of the hiking world. There are several trails going up the mountain the shortest being the white dot and white cross which reach approximately 4 miles and taking 3 hours round trip. Depending on what trail you take determines the difficulty of the climb, but all trails do have some steep and rocky patches. Hiking with a buddy is always the safest option, but park rangers say hiking alone is also a safe option if you are going mid-day and with good weather. Park rangers are out on duty to help other friendly hikers!
Mt. Monadnock has several different state park entrances where you can begin your climb. The park headquarters, which has the most direct routes to the peak, is located in Jaffery and is staffed 7 days a week 9am to 5 pm during the season weather permitting. The other two hubs are the Old Town Road and Gilson Pond Area also staffed 7 days a week 9 am to 5 pm. At each of these park hubs you can find parking, ranger offices providing maps/guidance, camping opportunities, and more. Parking costs $15 dollars per car usually, but this is subject to change. Parking at these hubs isn’t guaranteed, however, so if the parking lot is fully you unfortunately might be turned away. It is possible to reserve parking however through the state park website