The Monadnock Region is a region in southwestern

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. It is named after

Mount Monadnock Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is the highest point in Cheshire County. It lies southwest of Concord a ...

, a 3,165 foot isolated mountain, which is the dominant geographic landmark in the region. Although it has no specific borders, the Monadnock Region is generally thought of comprising all of Cheshire County and the western portion of Hillsborough County. In addition to the frequently hiked Mount Monadnock, the region offers abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation, including four New Hampshire state parks.

Pisgah State Park Pisgah State Park is a public recreation area located in the Cheshire County towns of Winchester, Chesterfield and Hinsdale in New Hampshire. It is the largest state park in New Hampshire and contains a complete watershed north of the Ashuelot ...

consists of of forest, seven protected ponds popular for fishing, and six trails that may be used for hiking, mountain biking, ATVs, and snowmobiles. The Monadnock Region also boasts four recreational

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

s, lakes with public swimming beaches, and three ski areas. The largest municipality, and only city, in the region is Keene with 23,409 residents. The nearby town of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

is famous for the

MacDowell Colony MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire, United States, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDowell ...

and for being the setting of the

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' — a ...

play ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

''. Other notable landmarks in the region include

Cathedral of the Pines Cathedral of the Pines is an open-air complex in Rindge, New Hampshire, that was built as a memorial to the American war dead. It incorporates a multi-denominational sanctuary, other sacred spaces, and a number of burial grounds. The Cathedral, ...

and

Franklin Pierce College Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshire. It was founded as Franklin Pierce College in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional development, professional preparation. The scho ...

, both located in Rindge. Map of New Hampshire Regions

References

External links

Guide to Monadnock Region events

Monadnock Region visitor's guide

MonadnockRegion.net

DiscoverMonadnock.comN.H. Department of Transportation map of New Hampshire's regions
{{coord, 42, 56, 40, N, 72, 14, 30, W, type:adm2nd, display=title Regions of New Hampshire Tourism regions of New Hampshire