EXPLORING MONADNOCK TRAILS: Atop the summit at Flat Mountain

The hike to the top of Flat Mountain in New Ipswich is not a long one, but it is one of my favorites, simply for the little surprises that can be found at the end of each little rabbit warren of a side trail.

The trail is easy to access from a parking area on Turnpike Road across the street from Windblown Camping area, which is marked as also being an access point for a midway point of the much-larger Wapack Trail, if you’re looking for more than a short hike. There is no trailhead marker, and depending upon the time of year, the entrance to the trail can be hard to notice, but quickly will widen out to a more-defined path.

The Wapack follows the Wapack range, covering more than 21 miles from Ashburnham and including trails through Pratt, New Ipswich, Barrett and Temple mountains, Pack Monadnock and North Pack Monadnock, with a few entry points along the way. So, if you’re already on the Wapack, a stop on Flat Mountain is worth the detour – it’s only a few tenths of a mile from the trail connector to the top, with a few interesting things to see.

There are a couple of ways to go to the summit on this short hike. The Upper Flat Mountain Loop or the Lower Flat Mountain Loop will both get you there in about the same amount of time, though I’ve found that the upper loop can have some muddy spots you might avoid on the lower loop.

The hike itself does not have any spectacular notables, but is a nice, wooded hike. The trail is sometimes sparsely marked, but is defined enough that it would be difficult to get off track, though at some points, the trail does narrow significantly.

Just before the summit, you’ll reach a T, with the entrance to the summit shortly after you take a right. There is a lovely viewing spot, sitting atop an old ski slope, looking down a rolling field framed by a lot of birch trees and a skyline mountain view. I’ve been there in the fall, and if you hit it at the peak, you’ll get a nice shot of the fall colors.

The hike might be worth it for the view alone, particularly if you’re looking for an easier hike for yourself or with children, but if you want to extend the walk, it’s easy to do so, even without venturing off onto the connector for the Wapack.

It is a place worth exploring because evidence of its former life is scattered around. On the mountain top, there is the remains of an old ski lift, long disused, and the poles and pulley that were used to bring it up the mountain. Sitting atop the viewing area is the shell of an old truck. If you explore to the opposite side of the clearing, you can find a small trail where there is evidence of campers that used the woods.

If you make your way back to the T, and take the opposite path, there is more to find – an empty cabin, and multiple outbuildings, some containing equipment, including an old tractor and bucket. Some of the buildings have seen better days – when I visited the area a year ago, a shed put up to shelter a tractor was still standing. On a more recent visit late this fall, it had fallen in, althrough the tractor was still there among the debris.

Though it makes for a short hike if you are only going up and down the trail, there is quite a bit to see. The hike has enough elevation to give a good view as a reward, but is a low-intermediate difficulty, without the need for any specialized equipment, and is accessible to beginner hikers.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.