Boulder Loop Trail in Albany, New Hampshire

Try a half day trail for when you want to go hiking, but you’re short on time. The Boulder Loop Trail in Albany, New Hampshire is a great family trail and easy to find. Boulder Loop is one of my “go to” hikes when I can’t devote the entire day to hiking and my overly rambunctious husky needs exercise. It’s a relatively easy hike, kid-friendly and is suitable for most skill levels. The views are quite lovely for such a moderate loop at 2.8 miles and an elevation gain of 990 feet. Plan on about 3 hours for the hike and enjoying the views along the way.

The Trail

The trail is mostly wooded with interesting crops of giant boulders scattered around. It’s no wonder why New Hampshire is the granite state. I find that I’m entirely relaxed on this trail. Kids will love all of the giant boulders and nooks and crannies to explore. There isn’t a ton of traffic, and you can easily go at your own pace. I will say, however, that there are some steep inclines thrown in here and there. It’s less than a 1000 foot gain, but it’s all within a 1.3-mile stretch.

The View

There are several places to take in the views, none of which are too sketchy to check out provided you are cautious at the edges. I tend to worry about my bouncy dog on cliffs and such. The cliffs do drop off a couple of hundred feet so keep an eye on the kids and dogs.

Where The Trail Is Located

The Boulder Loop Trail is located off the Kancamagus highway at about 6.2 miles on the right coming from the Conway. The Albany covered bridge is also worth a look even if you’re not sure about a hike. Take a right after crossing the bridge and park in the lot across from the trailhead. I prefer to park in the first lot and walk across the bridge to take in the view of the Swift River. Both lots require a 5 dollar (3 dollars in winter) parking fee.

Trail Features

I would recommend taking a left at the intersection for the accent. It feels to me more gradual and scenic. You’ll come to a rock wall that will leave in awe of the sheer size of it. Be sure to stop at the several areas along the way to take in the views. The trail becomes quite steep just before reaching the summit. There you’ll see another rock face and a side trail to go up to the ledges. The view of Mount Chocorua is worth it.

Decent Trail

After returning from the scenic ledges continue for your decent. This section of the trail is quite wooded. There is a small brook to cross and several outcroppings of giant boulders before joining back to the intersection.

There was a forest fire in November of 2016, and you’ll see some charred tree stumps along the way. They have done a great job cleaning up the trail, and the ground cover vegetation has returned. If it weren’t for a few charred trees, you would never have known about it.