Monadnock Sunapee & Eliza Adams Gorge Hike
The Monadnock Sunapee & Eliza Adams Gorge Hike in Dublin, New Hampshire is an easy 4-mile out-and-back hike that features a beautiful waterfall (spillway), creekside scenery, and views of the Russell Reservoir.Trail names: Monadnock Sunapee Trail North, Eliza Adams Gorge Trail
Location: Route 101, Harrisville, NH
Permitted uses: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Birding, Nature Study, Snowshoeing, Geocaching
Prohibited uses: No open fires
Hours: No posted hours
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. Traffic speed along Route 101 is posted at 50 mph, and often traffic is traveling in excess of the posted limit. Parking is very limited and is available on the side of the street across from the trail entrance. Please use extreme caution when crossing Route 101. There is no official off street parking lot, but there is a small section of road to a gated conservation area that can be used.
Pets: Dogs MUST be on a leash.
Accessibility: The trail is not wheelchair accessible
Sanitation: There is no restroom or trash bin at the trailhead or on the trails. Please carry out what you carry in.
Length and Trail information: This 4-mile hike was done as an out and back hike and is mostly easy with some sections that require a bit more effort. There are white trail blazes along the trail and also an occasional wooden arrow where the trail turns. The start of the hike is up a steep gravely hill that leads to a wide road-like trail flanked on either side by ferns, Hemlock. There is a geocache along the trail, but we were unable to find it on our visit. There is also a fun, short side hike to see the Spiltoir Shelter that was built in 2006 by the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail Club. This shelter is one of 5, built along the Monadnock Sunapee Greenway. The Shelter is a nice place to stop if you are hiking along the nearly 50-mile long Monadnock Sunapee Greenway that connects Mount Monadnock and Mount Sunapee. The Shelter has a register for visitors to sign in or leave a note. There is also a sign posted that says there is a "Moldering Privy" along with directions on how to use it, but just as with the geocache, we were unable to find that either. Back on the trail hikers will encounter expected trip hazards that one finds in forest. There are some changes in elevation along the hike but nothing is too drastic. The highlight of the hike is being able to see the Howe Reservoir and then getting to the Eliza Gorge. The rock walls of the gorge are very steep and quite dramatic. The rush of the water spilling over the dam and down the spillway is quite loud. Volunteers have built a very sturdy wooden bridge to give hikers access across the waterway. We continued our hike on to see the Russell Reservoir. We hoping to find an access road, but the trail ends at a Posted private property, so we turned around and started our Hike back. At the waters edge, someone has placed a bench, so we stopped for a bit and just soaked in the quiet solitude.
