The 59-acre Smith Pond Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, owned and managed by New Hampshire Audubon, is made up of a diverse mosaic of wetland habitats surrounding Smith Pond.

This kettle hole pond, named for James Smith who settled nearby in 1765, covers almost eight acres. A kettle hole pond is created when a block of ice, buried in soil left behind by a retreating glacier, eventually melts and creates a deep, steep-sided pond.

Smith Pond Bog is open throughout the year during daylight hours. Although the trails are not currently maintained because of beaver activity, walkers can view the pond from the adjacent Beyer Property where an old logging road leads to a view the bog. The sanctuary’s primary purpose is to protect vital habitat for wildlife and plant life.

Directions: From Hopkinton Village, proceed 1/4 mile west on Route 9/202, across from Gage Hill Road.

The Rollins property, 48 acres on the north side of Penacook Road, just west of the junction with Gould Hill Road, has partly open fields that provide a view toward Mount Kearsarge. The view was one of the reasons the town voted to purchase the property in 2004 with money from the Open Space bond.

The property also has frontage on Little Tooky Road, where a trailhead and small parking area (.2 miles down Little Tooky Road) provides access to the one-mile Little Tooky Trail, and includes a section on the historic Concord-Clarement Railroad line.

The town has conveyed a conservation easement on the property to Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

Mast Yard State Forest lies in the northwest corner of Concord and northeast corner of Hopkinton, and provides 5 miles of interconnected trails that wind through shady forest and provide scenic views of Dolf Brook and the Contoocook River. The trails are open to hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Some trail sections follow former railroad grade, making them fairly flat, while others traverse slightly hillier terrain.

Distance: About 5 miles total; hiking travel time: about two hours

Directions: Take Broad Cove Road from Briar Hill Road. After passing under the powerlines, there is an opening on the left and a small area to park your car. Step over the large log to begin your walk.

Houston Fields, located off of Pine St. behind Hopkinton’s Town Library and Senior Center, is the gemstone of the town’s recreation facilities. It is designed to serve all age groups from the very young to the elderly and it is the home for most town-sponsored team recreation activities.

At present it is comprised of two full-sized soccer fields, two multi-purpose fields used for lacrosse, soccer and football, an official little league field and a children’s playground. Picnic areas, one with views of the entire park, have been developed near the playground.

Wheelchair accessible paths and nature viewing locations are also available. The trails on Houston Park connect with the town-owned Stevens Rail Trail to the north.

This 111-acre forest is located close to the center of Hopkinton Village, yet the well used hiking trail has a wild and remote feeling as it passes through thick hemlock groves and a steep gorge. The Hawthorne Forest trails connect to the Hopkinton Village Greenway.

Directions:
From Hopkinton Village, proceed north on Briar Hill Road for 0.3 miles, then right on Rollins Road for 0.3 miles. The parking pullout is located on the right.

Walking times:
Full 1.7 mile loop: 40 minutes. Shortened loop via cut-off trail: 25 minutes.