Quincy Bog

Length: 1.3 mile loop

Difficulty (click for info): Beginner

Elevation Gain: 0 feet

Rating (click for info): 6/10

Type: Fen

Driving Directions:
Trailhead and parking area are located at the end of Quincy Bog Road in Rumney, NH. Take Smith Bridge Road from Rt. 25/3A, 2.5 miles west of Rt. 93 at Exit 26 and 1.5 miles east of where Rt. 25 and Rt. 3A split. In 0.8 miles, Smith Bridge Road becomes Quincy Road. Proceed another 2.0 miles and take a right onto Quincy Bog Road. Then in 0.1 miles, turn left to stay on Quincy Bog Road. (An alternative parking area is at the end of Cranberry Bog Road, straight ahead). Park at the end of the road, reached in another 0.1 miles.

Trail Map

About the Hike:
Quincy Bog, actually a fen, is located in the Quincy Bog Natural Area. The Joe Kent Ecological Trail encircles the fen completely, both through the woods around the marsh and on boardwalks through it. Pick up a trail guide at the kiosk before you begin to read about the ecology of the bog at stations along the trail. Head down the path toward a small nature center, where the loop begins. Turn left and follow a boardwalk out into the marsh from the nature center. From the boardwalk, you can look out over water on the west side of the fen. The boardwalk then turns into a trail around the edge of the wetland. It turns away from it and wanders through the forest for a bit. Still just outside the main body of water, the trail crosses a large inlet another boardwalk, and continues around the perimeter. The path passes by a steep, rocky slope called "The Ledges", pulls away from the water, and turns right as it nears the preserve boundary. After a while, it descends back to the marsh. You will soon see a spur on the right leading out to the end of a peninsula ("The Point"). "The Point" presents a good vantage point over the whole fen, and you can look back and see the nature center. Continuing around, the trail crosses a large outlet on a floating bridge, and follows the south side of the fen back to the nature center. You will pass a path leading to an alternative parking area.

Printable directions page