Trail Maps
Town of Loudon, New Hampshire
click the link of any trail name to see its map
The Bachelder Town Forest Trails consist of three loops connected by a bridge over Bumfagon Brook. The first loop (white loop) is a shorter and easier 1.2 mile walk (Harry-O Circuit) that parallels a marsh and beaver pond and returns over a slightly higher terrain. At about the halfway point, there is a short Connector Trail (.1 mile) (red) that leads to the foot bridge. The second loop starts on the other side of the foot bridge and is 1.55 miles (Blue Loop), is a little hillier and more of a workout, but winds through beautiful woods, by several vernal pools, and passes through a historic range way. The third loop is the newest trail, as of 2022, it is a 1.7 mile undulating loop with interesting geologic features. There is a connector trail midway. The Kenney Road Connector, new as of 2021, connects the north end of the Blue Loop to Kenney Road. This 1 mile walk has a parking lot on Kenney. When walking along Kenney Road users should stay to the left with the blazes. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the trail network.
The Epp’s Mill trail consists of a pleasant 1 mile down and back wooded trail with a small loop. The trail is accessed from Kenney Road via a small foot bridge. The trail follows active Academy Book that was used during the 1700's-1900's for water mills that powered activities such as shingle making, saw milling, and cider pressing. The historic Epp’s Mill site hosts impressive stone foundations, and it was host to the first electrified home in Loudon, run by a turbine from this brook. This short trail provides ample opportunities for views and exploration of regional history. Please be respectful and keep to the marked trail for it is located on private property. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Parking for the Jessica Kirby Trails is located at the Lovejoy Trails parking lot at 234 Lovejoy Road, a short walking distance of 200 feet away. No parking is allowed near the Jessica Kirby kiosk or within the entrance trail. In 2022, the Kirby Family Trust graciously donated to the Town of Loudon a 15- acre tract of land in memory of their daughter Jessica Kirby, specifying that walking trails be created on the property. Volunteers for the Conservation Commission’s Trails Subcommittee began development in 2022 and opened it to the public in November 2023.
Once part of a large farm, the woodlot now known as the Jessica Kirby Tract abutted fields which were subject to seasonal flooding from the Hunting Swamp and another wetland to the west. To drain water so that crops could be grown, farmers dug a large ditch, starting from the wetland and just beyond the fields, and a smaller ditch within the woodlot, allowing water from the fields to flow into the Pine Island Brook.
The entrance to the trails passes through the open field, bordered by houses and property boundary signs, and continues through an opening in the woods. From there, over a mile and a half of walking trails through woodland and open areas can be accessed. A picnic table sits near the main footbridge, and many blueberry bushes can be found all along the Aqua and Pink Trails.
The Lovejoy Trails in the Town’s forest in Loudon, NH, pass through two wooded miles of former farmland, of varying terrainwith numerous stone walls. The trail
system consists of the Main Trail that leads to a large White Trail Loop, a smaller Blue Highland Trail Loop and a Red Steep Trail that also connects to the White and Blue Loops. The Main Trail (.4 mile) starts at the parking lot and is marked by white blazes. Part of the trail consists of bog-bridging over part of the nearby Hunting Swamp, followed by a shallowly-dug canal and the remains of a farm trail that crosses through a stone wall. The trail arrives at an intersection that forms the White Trail Loop (.86 mile). The left side of the Loop heads uphill and connects to the dead end Rangeway trail to the left (.09 mile) and also the Blue Highland Trail Loop (.6 mile), the highest region of the Town’s property. Leading north downhill from the Highland Loop is the Red blazed Steep Trail (.2) that connects to the lower northernmost section of the While Trail Loop. The right side of the White Trail Loop continues on an old farm trail and also connects to a shortcut trail (.05 mile) that ascends to the other side of the White Trail Loop and can, if desired, shorten the White Trail Loop by .26 mile
The N’dakinna Trails are located on a 50-acre property owned by the Town of Loudon, NH. It is located on Rte 129, one-half mile east of the Clough Hill Rd intersection. The parcel consists mostly of wetlands which surround two sides of hilly woodland on which the trails were built. The name N’dakinna (pronounced IN-DAH-kee-NAH) was chosen to honor the Abenaki people who were the first known inhabitants of the northeastern woodlands, including this part of New Hampshire. N’dakinna, roughly translated, means "Our Homeland.”
A 0.5 Mile loop trail off Recreation Dr around the Loudon Recreation Fields.