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Sweet Trail - Durham NH

jkaspik

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Jan 12, 2014
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Durham N.H
Anyone looking for a nice easy walk/hike, we just did the Sweet Trail in Durham NH. Not in the mountains, but you hike through the woods down to Great Bay for 4.3 miles. Quiet, peaceful and beautiful the whole way!
 

jrd100

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May 5, 2013
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I was out on the Sweet Trail during the Christmas holiday and loved it! I can't wait go back and try to ski it. How was the snowpack back there?
 

xwhaler

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Nov 26, 2007
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Seacoast NH
Bump...did this yesterday....really impressive trail that was perfect for my dog and son in the backpack carrier.
Lots of diverse vernal pools, hemlock groves, bridge crossings, a few little spots of elevation.....the only 2 negatives were my son screaming in my ear for the 5 miles and the mosquitoes at the end where it looks out on Great Bay.

Also, its not a loop so the 5 miles is from the Longmarsh parking area in Durham out to the terminus on Great Bay in Newmarket.
Unless you want to go out and back your best to leave a car on either end which is what we did.

Definitely recommended for anyone in the Seacoast area.
 

deadheadskier

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Ha! We were planning on doing the Sweet yesterday, but felt lazy and just did the Heron point in town instead.

If we get a decent snow pack next winter I'm thinking about bringing my skis out to that final little hill on the Newmarket end of the trail. Pretty steep with some well spaced trees.
 

xwhaler

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Ha! We were planning on doing the Sweet yesterday, but felt lazy and just did the Heron point in town instead.

If we get a decent snow pack next winter I'm thinking about bringing my skis out to that final little hill on the Newmarket end of the trail. Pretty steep with some well spaced trees.

It did look pretty good...we were pretty tired from the kid screaming and the bugs at that point so didn't go up there. Along w/ Wagon Hill Farm the Sweet is probably my favorite low key, easy, diverse walk in the Seacoast right now if you have a few hrs.
 

snoseek

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Jun 7, 2006
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Are bikes allowed? Would it be of interest for a bike?
 

xwhaler

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Seacoast NH
Are bikes allowed? Would it be of interest for a bike?
They are allowed and I think the majority of the trail would be nice on a MTB. Its generally singletrack but there are spots it gets too rocky going up hill that you may need to carry it up a short (15' vertical gain section)
Also there are some bridges that could be tricky on a bike due to where the gaps in the planks are.
The area on the Newmarket end seemed better for bikes so if you wanted to try I'd start at that parking area and see how you like it.
 

deadheadskier

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I had never done Wagon Hill until today. Nice little walk. Can't believe I hadn't ever gone out there having lived in the area for now six years.

I had no idea there's a little swimming beach. I've always thought that it would be great if there was a swimming spot on Great Bay so that people who don't have a boat or live on the bay can get out and enjoy the water. Next time I go, I'll wear a swimsuit, maybe pack a inner tube in my backpack to float around in.
 

xwhaler

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I had never done Wagon Hill until today. Nice little walk. Can't believe I hadn't ever gone out there having lived in the area for now six years.

I had no idea there's a little swimming beach. I've always thought that it would be great if there was a swimming spot on Great Bay so that people who don't have a boat or live on the bay can get out and enjoy the water. Next time I go, I'll wear a swimsuit, maybe pack a inner tube in my backpack to float around in.

Nice, yeah we've been there a couple times but I'd been living in the area for 12+ yrs before I visited. Its deceiving because from the road you think its just the hill with the wagon and not worth the stop, but the trails behind it and the little beach you mentioned were a real eye opener for me.
Any other areas in a similar mold I should know about let me know!
 
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