
Best Trails Walking Distance from Campus
Sometimes I just need to be outside and in nature, and if I don't get outside I feel like I might explode. I don't have a car though, and sometimes it is hard to harass my friends into driving me to a bigger hike. These four trails are super easy, fun, and walking distance from campus for when I just need to get away.
- No. 1
Velvet Rocks
While I don’t have a picture to show off this hike, Velvet Rocks is a quick 2-to-3-mile trail that starts from behind the lacrosse fields. This makes it super easy to access from campus. Like all of these on this list, it is rated an easy hike, and is perfect for when you just need to be outside and enjoy nature.
- No. 2
Balch Hill
Not going to lie, the 1.5-mile trek up East Wheelock street is much harder than the hike through Balch Hill itself. That said, Balch Hill is a cute little secluded nature reserve that is small but serene. The “summit” at the top is an exposed grassy field with a fun view of campus below (and by campus, I mean the top of Baker Berry Tower peeping through the trees).
- No. 3
Hazen Trail
If you cross the Connecticut River into Vermont, and then veer left, there’s a trailhead that takes you to the Hazen Trail, a 4-mile trail that takes you south along the river. Some people have also called it the planet trail, as it coincides with trails from the Montshire Museum, where there are signs about planets that appear every so often. This is an awesome trail for trail running, and honestly a great place to just disappear in nature for a few hours. Last time I went I saw some deer and some turkeys running along beside me.
- No. 4
Pine Park
The most classic of Hanover trails, Pine Park is frequented by many runners, bikers, and walkers alike. A network of trails spans across the Hanover Golf Course, in between the Lyme Road and the river. My personal favorite are the trails along the river, including the one that takes you all the way from north of campus, back to the Ledyard docks on West Wheelock. It’s truly a magical place.