Shaw Trail

Shaw Trail is a 2.8-mile point-to-point hike in Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The route rises about 200 feet from a starting elevation of 455 feet to a high point of 522 feet, and it is rated easy. The trail is a short, low-effort outing. The steepest stretch comes at about the 1-mile mark, where the grade reaches 25 percent. Bikes are allowed, so it works for hikers and riders alike. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Epping run to highs around 82°F in July, with September still near 73°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The trail sits close to a cluster of other outings. Pawtuckaway, a climbing area, is about half a mile away, and the Split Rock Trail and the Woronoco Trail are each about 0.7 miles off. Swirley Boulder, a climbing area, is also within a mile.