Autumn in Keene, New Hampshire
Alice at Kilburn Pond is Pisgah State Park
I made a somewhat last-minute decision (compared to my usual trip planning, which starts several months in advance) to go to New Hampshire over Indigenous People’s Day weekend. I had been hoping to immerse myself in those famous New England fall colors, but hadn’t nailed down any official plans, other than a rental car. An Instagram post tagged at Madame Sherri Forest ultimately convinced me to look at southern New Hampshire! After some research on All Trails, I decided Keene could be a great base for some gorgeous hikes.
We were in Keene October 9-11 and had pretty good weather. Highs were in the 50s each day, but we didn’t get much sunshine either. While the majority of trees still had green leaves, there was still a lot of color! The following two weekends were probably a bit better for leaf-peeping, but the leaves changing seems to have happened late all over the country this year because of a very warm summer.
Hiking
There are several parks, preserves, and hiking areas near Keene, and we explored several! My cell service was not great outside of Keene, so I highly recommend downloading the All Trails maps. The only trailhead with a bathroom was Chesterfield Gorge, and the parking lots for the others were very small.
These are the hikes we did…
Daniels Mountain - Madame Sherri Forest
This was my favorite hike we did, and also the most challenging. It was a moderate four-mile hike, with an elevation gain of 900 feet. There were a few lookout spots on Daniels Mountain that were absolutely breathtaking, with views of other hills (mountains?) covered in fall colors. Make sure you take the slight off-shoots to “Moon Ledge” and Madame Sherri’s Castle Ruins. The trail was almost entirely empty past the castle ruins, which are very close to the trailhead, so I let Alice off-leash for the majority of the hike.
This is a short, easy hike, but so cool! The waterfall is beautiful, don’t miss it - but be prepared for crowds.
Kilburn Pond - Pisgah State Park
This is an easy, four-mile hike that follows the edge of Kilburn Pond. The first half of the trail is very easy to follow, but the second half, along John Summers Trail, is not! I was so grateful I had downloaded the map - at one point it looked like the trail was leading me directly into the water…. There are several places to peel off the main path and sit on large boulders, enjoying the reflections of the orange leaves in the water! We only saw two other groups during our hike, so it was very peaceful.
This easy, two-mile hike around the pond had so many views of leaves along the water! It was a little crowded, especially after 10:00 or so.
Downtown Keene
Maine Street in Keene is positively charming, with plenty of options for eating, drinking, and shopping. These were our favorite dog-friendly spots.
Modestman Brewing - There’s a food truck in the back, so many sour options, canned beer to-go, and the entire brewery is dog-friendly.
Elm City Brewing Company - The patio is dog-friendly, and the food and beer were great!
Prime Roast Coffee - Lots of drink options, friendly people, and tables/benches out front.
Thai Garden - I ordered a red curry to-go, which was really good, but they also had a few tables out front.
Odelay Taqueria - I got a surprisingly good burrito to-go and ate at a table out front.
Hannah Grimes Marketplace - A cute, friendly shop selling the work of local artists and creators!
The Toadstool Bookshop - Alice got several treats here, and we found a few books too!
Brewtopia - A beer shop with lots of regional beer and cider, and a pup to greet you!
Our AirBnB
We stayed in a one-bedroom RV about a 15-minute drive from Keene’s Main St. It was located in a remote area, with trees surrounding it. The RV itself was probably close to the same square footage as my studio apartment 😂 The owner left a little bottle of champagne in the fridge for me, Alice found the bed/pillows extremely comfy, and everything worked great! The price seems a bit high for what you get, but I didn’t have many options once I decided on this trip. Would still recommend this place, but splitting between two people would make it more worthwhile.
