Hanover

A rustic stone seating area overlooking the rushing waters of Mink Brook, dedicated in 2019 to honor Bob Norman, a co-founder of the Hanover Conservancy. Granite slabs provide a pleasant perch for watching the water flow over boulder-filled pools and riffles. The overlook features native plantings including red osier dogwood, whose brilliant red stems create beautiful winter interest. You can watch the spring white sucker spawning run here in late April.

This 937-foot summit offers a hidden escape with ten trails winding through former pastures and apple orchards that now host old sugar maples and ancient red oak trees. The largest red oak in Grafton County lives here, over 200 years old with a 16-foot circumference. Stone walls reveal the area's sheep farming past from the 1800s, and the summit provides wind-swept views of Vermont's Green Mountains including Killington Peak 29 miles away.

Hanover's oldest conservation area, saved by 17 locals from becoming matchsticks in 1899. The Girl Brook Trail follows a deep hemlock-shaded gorge with the sound of tumbling water over granite ledges. Towering 125-year-old white pines create cathedral-like spaces that would have caught King George's eye for mast trees. The trail crosses the historic Carolyn Tenney Bridge and passes through an old-growth forest that Diamond Match Company nearly destroyed.

This 15.8-acre tract alongside Mink Brook honors Angelo Tanzi, a beloved Italian grocer who once owned this land. The loop trail visits rich native vegetation and offers close-up views of Mink Brook tumbling over a scenic rocky section. Stone walls mark the boundaries of this almost level trail, perfect for wildflower viewing in spring and summer. The tract connects seamlessly with the Quinn Trail via a gentle forested path.

Named for the reindeer moss that carpets the rocky summit like velvet, this lesser-known section of the AT starts behind the athletic fields near the Co-op. The trail winds through switchbacks in hemlock forest to reach the moss-covered rocks where views are filtered through pines but the granite formations create an otherworldly landscape. A blue-blazed shelter loop adds to the exploration, and locals know to continue past the shelter for the best moss gardens.