The Two Places Trail in New Boston, New Hampshire is an easy 1-mile loop hike that features pasture views, a large swampy area called The Great Meadow, and a self-guided nature walk with points-of-interest along the way (see the trailhead kiosk for the self-guided tour information).
Trail name: Two Places Trail
Location: Saunders Hill Road, Saunders Pasture, New Boston NH
Allowed activities: Hiking, Nature Study, Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Mountain Biking
Trail Restrictions: No fires, No camping, No digging, No motorized vehicles, No littering, No horses, no cutting of trees or removal of plants
Hours: Open at dawn and closed at dusk.
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. There is limited off road parking at the trail head, and the entrance/exit to Saunders Hill Road is a bit steep and gravely, so caution should be used when attempting to pull out of this area onto Saunders Hill Road.
Pets: Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a short leash to protect the habitat of nesting wildlife from April 1st to September 1st. Please make sure to remove all dog waste from the trail and surrounding area.
Accessibility: This trail is not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly
Sanitation: There are no restrooms or trash receptacles at the trailhead. Please take out all trash with you.
Length and Trail information: We hiked this easy 1 mile trail as a loop. The trail is narrow, and during our visit was a bit over grown in the upper Pasture area and along the Lower Pasture. This area can be wet and muddy in some places, so it’s a good idea to make sure you have the proper waterproof footwear for this hike. Despite the dense vegetation, the trail is very well marked by yellow and orange blaze markers, 19 numbered points of interest, and several education plaques that have been mounted to the different tree species.
At the trail head parking area, just at the start of the trail, hikers will notice a small black mailbox mounted to a wooden post alongside the trail. Inside the box is an information sheet about the Great Meadow that abuts Saunders Pasture and how it came to be. Along with the information about the Great Meadow, hikers will find a nature study guide entitled “Two Places Trail”. Make sure to take this guide along for the hike as the guide lists and explains the 19 points of interest that can be found along the trail. Not only do the points of interest help mark the trail, they are really educational and fun. One of the highlights to this hike was being able to take a break and rest at the two benches that have been thoughtfully placed at the edge of the Great Meadow. The Great Meadow is a massive 100 acres in size. It’s an invaluable sanctuary for numerous species of wildlife.
There is no trail map to take with you, but one can be downloaded by following the link below:
https://www.newbostonnh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif4756/f/pages/saunders-trailmap_sept_18.pdf
Saunders Pasture spans nearly 74 acres of land purchased by the Town of New Boston in 1988 and is subject to a conservation easement held by the Piscataquog Land Conservancy.
This may not be the longest trail, or the most strenuous, but we really enjoyed taking our time on this trail, stopping at each point of interest and reading the nature guide to learn more about the area we were hiking through. We also enjoyed taking the time to stop and read the information about the different tree species and their amazing history.
