Michaela's Way and Loop Trail
Michaela's Way and Loop Trail at the Hollis Town Conservation Land is an easy 2.4-mile loop hike that features beautiful wildflowers and a peaceful walk through the woods.
Trail name: Michaela’s Way and Loop Trail
Location: Federal Hill Road, Hollis NH
Allowed activities: Hiking, snowshoeing, birdwatching, nature study, cross country skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting is allowed on all Hollis Town owned Conservation Land during Hunting Season which is Sept 15-Dec 15. All visitors are encouraged to wear blaze orange when using the trails and dog owners are encouraged to have their dogs wear blaze orange as well.
Trail Restrictions: No motorized wheeled vehicles are permitted on any Hollis Town Forest or Conservation Land Trails. NO ATVs, ORVs or Dirt Bikes, No Camping, No Fires of any kind. No Littering. During Spring Mud Season Trails are closed to Horses and Mountain Bikes: Signs will be posted. Any organized rides of 10 or more horses or mountain bikes must contact Hollis Trails Committee for approval of trails to be used by calling Sherry Wyskiel at 603-886-1014. For more information follow the link: https://www.hollisnh.org/trails-committee
Hours: There are no posted hours at the trailhead, but given the restrictions outlined by the Hollis Conservation Commission on the town’s website, under the trail use section, it is reasonable to assume that visitors would only be allowed to use the trails during daylight hours.
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to use the trails or to park. The parking is off road and has plenty of room for over a dozen vehicles.
Pets: Dogs must be leashed or under the owner's control at all times.
Accessibility: The trails are not wheelchair accessible
Sanitation: No restrooms or trash bins at the trailhead or along the trails. Please carry out all waste.
Length and Trail information: We hiked these two easy trails together and created a loop hike that was roughly 2.46 miles in length. It appears that this area does not have an official name but is part of a group of Conservation easements. These trails were opposite the Monson Village trails, located mostly in the town of Milford. There is not an official trail map from the Town of Hollis posted on the town’s website. The town of Hollis does have a Conservation Commission and a Trail Commission, but instead of having their own trail maps, the town links visitors to the Hollis Nor’easters Snowmobile Club site to use their maps. The problem with trying to access the Snowmobile Clubs maps is that during the summertime, the club lists all trails as being closed and maps don’t show any trail information to help hikers. The safest way to hike this area is to download the trail information from this posting and to pay attention to the direction signs posted along the trail by the snowmobile club.
The parking for this area is on Federal Hill Road at the Milford/Hollis Town line. There is parking on either side of Federal Hill road and both areas provide ample parking space off of the street. On the west side of Federal Hill Road Parking area hikers will have access to the trails we hiked on this visit. There is no Trailhead information kiosk and no posted maps; however there are excellent signs and trail blazes thanks to the Hollis Nor’ Easters Snowmobile Club. This club does an excellent job maintaining the trails and has numerous information markers posted at nearly every junction of the trails. The information signs are orange, and the trail blaze markers for the trails are orange diamonds.
The trails were very wide and well-traveled. We followed the snowmobile trail until we came to the junction of Michaela’s way which is a short side trail but worth the extra time. Visitors will be delighted if they come to hike while the Mountain Laurel and wildflowers are in bloom. We were delighted to come upon a section of the trail with a massive field of flowering coreopsis. We connected back onto the snowmobile trail and continued until we came to the junction of the Loop Trail. We followed the loop trail through the forest surrounded by flowering mountain laurel. The substrate for most of the trail was wide and flat and cushioned by woodchips. This is a stress-free hike to do when you might be short on time and want a relaxing walk in the wood. It’s a great way to take a break and immerse yourself in nature, we felt like we were walking through a beautiful park.
