The Woodland Loop Trail at Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve in Manchester, New Hampshire is an easy 0.9-mile loop trail that features a peaceful forest setting near Milestone Brook.
Trail names: Woodland Loop Trail
Location: Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve. Country Side Blvd. Manchester NH
Permitted uses: foot traffic only, Hiking, Nature Viewing, Hunting and Geocaching.
Prohibited uses: No littering, No Camping, No fires, No horses, No bicycles, No dogs except for service animals, No removal of plants or wildlife. Hikers are provided with a shoe brush at the kiosk and are asked to clean the bottom of their shoes off before and after hiking. This simple task is requested in order to stop the spread of unwanted plant seeds from entering into this fragile and rare ecosystem.
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. There are 13 parking spots and 2 designated handicap parking areas. The Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve is on the Manchester Public Bus route, allowing hikers who may not have a car, to use of the Preserve with an economical way to get back and forth from the Preserve.
Pets: Only Service dogs are permitted on the trail and must be kept on a leash.
Accessibility: The Woodland Loop trail is not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities: There is an information Kiosk at the trailhead where visitors will find a trail map, information about the Preserve and some regulations. There is a large wheelchair accessible port-a-potty with hand sanitizer in the parking area. There is no drinking water or trash bins, so please carry out all the trash you make.
Length and Trail information: This is an easy 0.9 mile long loop hike. The trail is well blazed with yellow/green markers and at the junctions there are engraved wooden signs. Hikers will enjoy a relaxing hike through a dense forest of Hemlock, Birch, Beech and Pines. There were a lot of mushrooms along the trail, but collection of plants is frowned upon, so those who enjoy adding that activity to their hikes will have to restrain themselves.
The trail substrate on the Woodland Loop Trail has a lot of rocks and a fair bit of inclines and declines, but nothing that is prolonged and strenuous. Hikers will want to have good sturdy boots and be careful while navigating through the rocky and often rooted terrain.
As of 2024, along the Woodland Loop Trail, hikers will discover an installed Picture Post. Hikers may participate in this Citizen Scientist project by following the instructions listed on the post and taking and submitting pictures of the area surrounding the post. The project's aim is to monitor the health of the forest, and hikers are encouraged to help with this effort.
If any hikers enjoy geocaching, they can spend a little time searching for the one multi-geocache that is hidden here.
This was a lovely short hike, just right for a quick recharge in nature and is worth a visit.
