Trail name(s)
Madison Boulder Trail
Location
473 Boulder Road, Madison NH Madison Boulder Geologic Site
Permitted uses
Hiking, Nature Study, Snow Shoeing.
Prohibited uses
No destruction of property, no drone use
Hours
The park is open to the public year round.
Fees and Parking
There is no fee to park or use the trail. There is ample off street parking at the trailhead.
Pets
Dogs are welcome on a leash and owners must take with them all waste created by their animal. Pets are not to be left unattended in any vehicle, camper or carrier.
Accessibility
The trail to the Madison Boulder is wheelchair accessible. The path around the Madison Boulder is not.
Hiker amenities
The park is unstaffed. There are no restrooms. There are no trash bins, please pack out any trash you create or find. There is an information kiosk at the trailhead, but it has limited information posted. There are other educational kiosks that are closer to the boulder itself.
Length and Trail information
This hike was done as an out and back hike. It is .7 of a mile in length and is an easy hike. There are no trail markers, however the trail was once a road so the trail is wide and obvious.
Our goal of this short hike was to see the Madison Boulder glacial erratic that is found here. The Madison Boulder Glacial Erratic is the largest known glacial erratic in North America and is considered to be one of the largest in the world. Its size is 87 feet long by 23 feet wide and 37 feet high. It is estimated that another 10 feet is buried in the substrate. The weight of this massive boulder is estimated to be 5963 tons! It is believed that the boulder was deposited here some 14,000 years ago.
The 17 acre site was gifted to the State of New Hampshire by the Kennett Family in 1946 in memory of James Gerry and A.Crosby Kennett. In 1970 the Madison Boulder was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Defacing the boulder in any way is a criminal offense and those found guilty of such will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor.
Although the hike is short, the opportunity to see such a special National Natural Landmark is an opportunity all should take advantage of if they are able to.
