Welcome to New Hampshire, the prettiest part of the Appalachian Trail! We here in Hanover welcome you to one of the first Appalachian Trail Communities! Hanover has worked hard to make itself extremely welcoming to AT Hikers and we hope you'll enjoy your stay.
The Dartmouth Outing Club is an AT Member club and is responsible for the first 50 miles of AT going north in New Hampshire. We hope you enjoy our section of trail and please let us know if you find any problems with the treadway or corridor!
The DOC and the Hanover Chamber of Commerce have collaborated to provide this information on resources available to AT hikers. It has lots of info about freebies in town, maps of the downtown, etc.
Robinson Hall has free internet and local phone access, as well as a handy place to drop bags while you explore town. Robinson Hall has no overnight lodging. There's often a dropbox for exchanging unneeded items and a logbook to sign in. Please note that we cannot accommodate hikers during the First-Year Trips program, from mid-August to early September (exact dates posted at neighboring trailheads during the program).
One of the greatest resources that Hanover has to offer is easily accessible laundry and showers at the Richard W. Black Community Center. Community Center Shower and Wash times: 10:30am-3:30pm for $5 per load and per shower M-T with no offerings on Friday.
Parking: If you need overnight parking while hiking the AT in the Hanover area email Dartmouth College Transportation Services Transportation.Services@Dartmouth.edu with the information about your vehicle. Parking in A-Lot is permitted after permission is granted. If you don't get permission you will get a hefty parking ticket!
If you are looking for a great place to camp near Hanover check out the beautiful Storrs Pond Recreation Area. You can take a free bus ride via Advanced Transit from downtown Hanover to a stop that is a very short walk to Storrs Pond.
Unfortunately, Dartmouth does not allow non-students to stay in any College-owned buildings, but Norwich and Hanover have an excellent network of Trail Angels. Stop by Robinson Hall, The Howe Library or Dan and Whit's in Norwich to pick up an up-to-date list of volunteer hosts!
If you're headed north and want to know a little bit about our section of AT, check out our information about those hikes here! Also, the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker's Association would love to serve as a resource, and if you stick around, we'd love to have help maintaining the trail.
Have fun out there, stay safe and good hiking!
