We're excited to officially open the new section of sustainably-built trail at Mount Major and you're invited to hike it with us on Thursday, September 12 at 1:30 PM!We'll hold a ribbon cutting at 11 AM and then meet at the trailhead at 1:30 PM to walk the Main Trail to the summit. We also want to thank the hundreds of individual donors, as well as sponsors and foundations, that have supported the project so far!
This free hike will be led by Forest Society naturalist Dave Anderson and Forest Society Reservation Stewardship & Engagement Director Carrie Deegan, who will talk about the three-month project to replace the "worst section of trail in New Hampshire" with a new, sustainably-built section of trail, as part of a years-long effort to make hiking at the beloved mountain safer, more environmentally friendly, and more welcoming.
We started the ambitious trail project on Main Trail, the most popular route up and down the mountain, in May. During the construction, Town 4 Trails Services and OBP Trailworks worked with the Forest Society to construct a sustainable trail to take the place of about 1/3 mile of the existing Main/Blue Trail. The lower sections of the Main Trail include some extremely eroded sections, the result of steep grades on sub-optimal soil combined with millions of footfalls annually.
For decades, the soil eroding from these areas has been washing down the trail, into streams and directly into Lake Winnipesaukee across Route 11 from the Mt. Major parking area. In addition to being a more enjoyable hiking experience, the new trail section will require much less maintenance over time. It's also be a major ecological improvement, reducing runoff and silting into Lake Winnipesaukee.
