Places and Activities
Dartmouth’s location in northern New England provides great opportunities for outdoor exploration and the College has long taken pride in its sense of place. We’ve collected here information on resources available in our area to help you get out, as well as descriptions of some of our favorite destinations. You don’t need to be involved with the DOC to take advantage of these opportunites, but we’re here if you have any questions, so get out!
The Dartmouth Outing Club has many cabins available throughout New Hampshire. Seven of these cabins can be rented by anyone. We also have a rental shop where you can rent outdoor gear.
We’ve collected here information to help you get started in your favorite activity, and destinations to get your explorations started:
We also have information on some of the destinations important to the Outing Club:
- Mount Moosilauke is the southwestern-most four-thousand-footer in the White Mountains and its above-treeline summit has a view considered by many to be one of the best in the area. Moosilauke has been a destination for researchers and recreationists for decades and is also the home of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, one of the largest log structures in New England and Dartmouth’s mountain home.
- The Second College Grant is a 27,000-acre (township-sized) wilderness in northern New Hampshire which was gifted to the College in 1807 by the State of New Hampshire. Cabins in the Grant can be rented by members of the Dartmouth community.
- The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,100+ mile trail which runs from Georgia to Maine. The Dartmouth Outing Club maintains over seventy miles of the trail and its shelters.
- The Outdoor Programs Office maintains two ropes courses near Storrs Pond. Both the High and the Low Ropes courses are an opportunity to have fun, challenge yourself, and learn more about yourself and the people in your group.
- There are a good number of natural areas in the Hanover region to explore.
- There are also a number of facilities to enhance your outdoor experience and skills development.
- The Hanover Conservancy offers trails on its many protected properties in Hanover, including the Mink Brook Nature Preserve, Greensboro Ridge Natural Area, Lower Slade Brook Natural Area, and Balch Hill Natural Area. Find trail maps and much more on the Conservancy’s website.
