The Spooky New Hampshire Hike That Will Lead You Somewhere Deserted
By Ken MacGray|Published February 27, 2023
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Ken MacGray
Author
Hey! I'm a freelance writer and guidebook author. I've authored "New Hampshire's 52 With A View - A Hiker's Guide", serve as editor of Appalachian Mountain Club's "Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide", and and am co-editor of the "White Mountain Guide", also for AMC. I'm currently beginning work on the 6th Edition of AMC's Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, which will be published in 2025. I live in southern New Hampshire and can usually be found wandering throughout the state's mountains and forests.
Many of New Hampshire’s towns and villages have survived to this day despite conflict, disaster, and other struggles. Others have been dissolved as municipal entities or have been lost altogether. This well-preserved uninhabited village in Milford and Hollis is protected forever so visitors may experience what life might have been like in the 18th century.
Monson Center in Milford/Hollis is one of the most significant archeological sites in the northeastern U.S. The remnants of this former village date back to the 1700s and are preserved in remarkable condition.
Dating back to 1737, this early colonial settlement was in existence until 1770, and was originally part of Massachusetts at that time. The village spanned over 17,000 acres in size.
Visitors today can walk the very same roads used by Monson's residents. Along the way, you'll see cellar holes, homesteads, and the town pound where runaway cattle were retrieved by their owners.
Each step through Monson carries you further from the present and into the past. By walking the old roads, you can truly grasp what living in a village like this at that point in time was like.
While the inhabitants of Monson may be long gone, there is still plenty of life here. In addition to looking around, don't forget to look down as you walk.