Frequently Asked Questions

The Wapack Trail is primarily a day-use footpath. There are shelters, and some tenting areas, about at the halfway point, on the property of Windblown Camping, formerly Windblown Cross Country Ski Area, on Rte. 123/124 in New Ipswich. For information about Windblown Camping and to rent a camp site or shelter, contact Windblown by email at alwindblown@gmail.com, or check their website Windblown Camping. Camping is available from April to November. There is no winter use of shelters or former ski trails. Windblown is a great supporter of the Trail and the Friends of the Wapack.

Camping and camp fires are not allowed officially in any other place along the Wapack Trail. Much of the land the Trail crosses is private land. Most Wapack landowners do not permit fires, camping, etc. We pride ourselves on our excellent relationships with Trail landowners.
Unfortunately, some hikers do not abide by the usual Trail courtesies. Wapack work crews have had to clean up and disassemble fire rings and other structures cobbled together by illegal campers in various locations along the Trail. Historic stone walls have even been disassembled to build fire pits! We mention this because it shows what some of our landowners are up against, and why some are wary of campers.

Some Wapack hikers choose to leave a car at a more-or-less halfway point (such as on Rte. 124 near Windblown), drive over to stay at Monadnock State Park campground in nearby Jaffrey (603-532-8862), and resume their hike the next day. Other options include staying at one of the privately owned campgrounds and several bed-and-breakfasts and inns in the region.

The Wapack Trail is composed of a “patchwork” of ownership/management — state, federal, private. For the protection, safety and comfort of other hikers, the protection of wildlife, and simple courtesy, all dogs should be under leash control at all times when on or near the Trail. Refuge and Park regulations specifically require dogs to be on a leash on the public properties of: Wapack National Wildlife Refuge, Miller State Park, Temple Mountain State Reservation and Binney Pond Natural Area. Some parts of the Trail may restrict dogs entirely, or place other controls on their presence or activities. If you plan to hike with your dog, contact the responsible agencies to learn their current policies on dogs.

We at Friends of the Wapack are dedicated to preserving and enhancing our ongoing relationships with all our Trail landowners. Therefore, we ask that you be extremely conservative and courteous in all your uses of the Trail, and in your decision to hike with your dog.

The Wapack Trail is a footpath. It is not appropriate for use by wheeled or motorized vehicles of any kind. The tread way is fragile and easily damaged by wheels of any kind. Damage made in a moment can last for years, causing severe erosion and serious damage to fragile plant and animal species. Most, if not all, of the federal and state agencies, and private landowners who own the Trail land, do not permit wheeled vehicles to traverse the Trail across their lands. Please respect their wishes, and respect this historic, fragile Trail’s integrity as a footpath.

Directions for all trails can be found here.