Peterborough – Hiking, Water and Culture

Peterborough offers a range of options for a hotel stay: hiking at Pack Monadnock, trails and water access at Edward MacDowell Lake, as well as art, multimedia, and summer theater. For trip planning, timing is especially important: the road in Miller State Park is open to vehicles seasonally, while Peterborough Players Theater stages performances every summer season from mid-June through late August.

Hiking at Pack Monadnock

Miller State Park is located on the 2,290-foot summit and slopes of Pack Monadnock in Peterborough. A winding, 1.3-mile paved road leads to the scenic summit and is open to visitors to drive seasonally. In addition, three main hiking trails lead to the summit of Pack Monadnock, where a fire tower stands. The road and trails therefore lead to the same summit, but in different ways. As you plan, you can consider whether you would like to reach the summit by car via the road or on foot via one of the trails. If you plan to drive up, check in advance whether the road is open for the season.

Trails and Water Access at Edward MacDowell Lake

Edward MacDowell Lake in Peterborough offers hiking trails, a boat ramp, and a separate launch site for canoes and kayaks that are carried from a vehicle to the water. The difference between these water access points is specific: the separate launch site is explicitly for canoes and kayaks of this kind, while the boat ramp is also available. This makes the lake an option for hiking or for a boating outing. Compared with Pack Monadnock, the lake’s trails are complemented by two water access points, while the summit area is characterized by a road, hiking trails, and a fire tower.

Art and Live Theater

The Mariposa Museum in Peterborough features art and multimedia exhibitions about a diverse, multicultural world. This adds a cultural focus to the outdoor activities. If you don’t want to plan your trip solely around hiking or water access, you can include these exhibitions as another reason to stay in Peterborough.

Peterborough Players Theater is located three miles from downtown Peterborough, in the nearby area. It produces high-quality professional live theater as well as five main-stage productions every summer season from mid-June through late August. If you have a particular performance in mind for your travel dates, check the specific performance schedule against your planned dates before booking.

Travel Dates and Hotel Search in Peterborough

Two different details are important when choosing your travel dates: the five theater productions take place every summer season from mid-June through late August, and the road to the scenic summit is open to visitors seasonally. Plan around the offering that matters most to you, and check both the performance schedule and whether the road is open for your specific travel dates if you are planning to do both. Comparing the two will help you match your preferred travel period with the activities that are key to your stay.

Explore more destinations: Nashua, Manchester, Merrimack, Bedford, New Boston, Francestown

See the broader travel guide: Hillsborough County.