Spring Water Flow and Snowmelt

Spring is in the air, snow is melting fast and the rivers and waterfalls are swollen and fast-moving. I went for a short hike yesterday along a river. Before it even came into sight, I could hear its roar as it flowed much higher and swifter than usual. I walked along the shore for about a half-mile which took a long time because every step was fascinating. The water crashed over rocky ledges, creating troughs at the base of the drop. The rapids, eddies, and swirls seemed to move in all directions and there were several sets of short waterfalls.

There is still plenty of snow at higher elevations and it's all melting fast and tumbling down the mountains to give us this seasonal treat to nature's bounty. This is an ideal time to go hiking or walking along rivers or to waterfalls and cascades. Click to see a listing of hiking trail guides for places in New England with waterfalls or cascades.

Remember to be careful while exploring these areas - this is not a good time to be swept away by a river or raging brook. And for any hiking this time of year remember that stream crossings on the trail are likely to be more difficult than usual so take your time and exercise care. If you can't find a safe way across, then enjoy the waterway from where you are or turn back and select another hiking option.

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The goal of the website is to provide free information for people hiking, walking, or snowshoeing in New England. We currently offer over 130 trail reports - written both by the Webmaster as well as other outdoor lovers. These guides are usually pretty detailed and include a description of the hike, trail distances, a difficulty rating, and driving directions; often photos or trail maps are also provided.

The home page of HikeNewEngland.com is a long listing of destinations (mountains, ponds, etc.) along with their main related facts. You can hone down what you're looking for by clicking on the column headings to sort the list by destination, region, state, difficulty rating, distance, season, date, or author; or just scan down the list to see what catches your eye. Then just click on the destination name to see the detailed narrative and related information for that trail report.

You can also use our Hike Finder at the top of the Hikes page to select exactly what types of hikes you wish to see. You can specify as few or as many options as you like: keywords, difficulty rating, distance, region, state, or season. And again, once the list of your selected hikes has been displayed, you can then choose how to sort it by clicking on one of the column headers.

Another area of this site is the Book Recommendations section. These are books from my personal collection that I would recommend to anyone interested in hiking, walking, or nature.

And a recent addition is our Articles section which contains articles related to hiking and nature, including some basic safety precautions that are good to follow.

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Happy Trails!

Welcome hikers, walkers, and snowshoers!

This blog is about our website which is geared towards those that love to be outside. Whether you're looking for outdoor fitness and recreation or wishing to find peace and serenity through nature - we have suggestions for you.

Our free trail guide resource offers everything from short, easy, nature walks to challenging mountain climbs above timberline in the alpine zone. The detailed trail reports with hike descriptions, maps, photos, and driving directions serve as a great planning tool. Many of the trail guides are based on hikes in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire.

We offer ideas for all seasons so take those boots or snowshoes out of the closet and go for a hike! Get revitalized and melt away stress; there's always a special peace or joy in being surrounded by nature whether you're all alone on a remote path or on a busy trail exchanging cheerful greetings with like-minded people.

HikeNewEngland.com covers hikes in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. We'd like to hear about your adventures in these areas so feel free to submit your own trail report.