So it’s freshman fall, and you can’t go into Greek houses yet, but you’ve already completed all of your designated academic rigor time for the day. Whatever will you do? Netflix is sort of a played-out trope at this point, and you’ve exhausted your dorm party social calendar for the weekend. That means it’s time to get out and about and enjoy your true calling in Hanover: walking.
Some people prefer long hikes up New Hampshire’s mighty peaks and, simply put, this is not a list for you. This is a list for the other people, the ones who see Mount Washington and think “ouch,” the ones who just want to casually stroll around and look at a pond. These are the best walks they can find in Hanover.
College Park
An oasis of calm and forested mental retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan Hanover, the College Park is substantially larger than maps would lead you to believe. It contains Bartlett Tower, an ominous tower whose exact use is largely inexplicable to the average student, at the top of a sloping hill. Also at the hill’s apex is a pensive statue of Robert Frost that has never served as a venue for students to consume illicit substances in any capacity at all, and the glossy stump of the Old Pine itself.
Down away from the hilltop, below a rocky ledge, sits the BEMA: Big Empty Meeting Area. The BEMA is exactly what its name implies, except for the large con- crete platform that rises imposingly over the rear end of the space. At one end, a path leaves the BEMA and descends toward East Wheelock and the Fayerweather Cluster, while the other side contains a rash of bushy undergrowth leading down toward Dragon, a secretive senior society.
The College Park has a surprising number of nooks and crannies open to discovery – why don’t you find a few?
The Takeaway: Close by and pretty, the overworked student’s dream.
Mink Brook
Down beyond CVS, beyond Hanover, there lies a special place. The end of a road marks just the beginning of Mink Brook’s path. Down an incredibly steep embank- ment, there is a mostly underbrush-free section of riverbank on which it is pos- sible to fish, set sail a canoe or just read in peace. It’s nice for a summer day, but those with a chronic fear of steep inclines should beware.
The Takeaway: Far away, peaceful, and perhaps a little overrated. Useful for when you’ve got a full afternoon off.
Occom Pond
Nothing could be more classically Dartmouth than taking a stroll down Webster Avenue, turning right, and walk- ing around Occom Pond. It can be done in any season, at any time (if you haven’t done this in the dead of night, do you re- ally go to Dartmouth?), and it takes just a few minutes. There’s no better way for a Hanoverian to achieve mental calm than a march around Occom, and little could be more convenient – especially for residents of McLaughlin and the Choates.
Occom is a managed bit of nature that extends from the Choates to the Hanover Country Club and the Dartmouth Outing Club’s house, meaning that many of us need to walk its length anyway, but don’t treat Occom like a chore: it’s a peaceful, serene walk that is best saved for a stressful day when you need to clear your head, or as an activity with friends.
The Takeaway: This is the absolute classic of Dartmouth walks, a workhorse that doesn’t lose any of its charm for being well-travelled.
Hanover Country Club
Stargazing at the Hanover Countr y Club – usually referred to simply as “the golf course” – is a common pastime in warm weather for Dar tmouth students. Only a few hardy souls venture out to stargaze in the dead of winter, but it can be done – science has repeatedly shown that the stars do not go away when it gets cold. In fact, they’re often more beautiful than before, without the shimmering humid mist of a northern New England summer hanging in the air.
The golf course also provides an oppor- tunity to walk onto Dar tmouth’s Nordic skiing trails, which branch through it from the Dar tmouth Outing Club’s house, which are another easy walk. A stargazing trip can be the capstone on a walk around Occom Pond as well, or a continuation of a longer walk into the Nordic skiing area and Pine Park.
The Takeaway: An absolute must – how can you do better than stargazing late into the night?
Pine Park
Along the Connecticut River stretches Pine Park, a forested swath of land that stretches for miles up from the boathouses owned by Dartmouth. Walking by the waterside itself can be tough – the path isn’t incredibly well maintained, and you should not (really, trust me, I know) wear nice clothes while hiking it – but the views across the river are worth the trek. Above, before the park dips into the ravine by the river, are running trails and hiking paths galore, ideal for both the keen walker and casual r unner at Dar tmouth. It’s a sad per- son who doesn’t take advantage of such anatural wonder here.
The Takeaway: Close by and essential for those who love the water.
Gile Mountain
Across the Connecticut River in Nor wich (so basically a few feet from Judge and French halls), Gile Mountain rises up from the ear th. Really more of a glorified hill than a mountain, the hike up Gile shouldn’t take much more than half an hour, but the fire tower at the hill’s summit offers sweeping 360-degree views of the entire Connecticut River Valley. Not only can one see down to the river, but up away toward the Canadian marches in the north, down toward the Massachusetts border in the south, over to the towering White Mountains in the east, and across to the slopes of the Green Mountains in the west.
It’s easiest to get to Gile by driving, but it’s close enough that you can take your bike, too, or even walk if you’re up for a longer trip too and from than to actually hike the peak. Even though it’s a ways away, you can still see Baker Tower from Gile’s peak, however.
The Takeaway: A little removed from Hanover but worth the trip, since its views are not to be missed.
The Green
The Green isn’t just a study space — it’s a good place to go outside and get some fresh air. Come with your favorite book, a to-go container from Collis or FoCo or a group of friends and spend an afternoon hanging out.
A staple of Dar tmouth College nostalgia since was one of the first pieces of land Dar tmouth purchased in 1769, and remains a beloved place for both students and alums. It even has its own (extensive) Wikipedia page. The Green is little piece of history.
The Takeaway: Maybe too small of a place to go on a walk, but a nice way to spend an afternoon anyway.
