This is a picture illustrating the different zones of vegetation on Cardigan and the surrounding mountains.
September 25, 26, 27, 2022
Last Updated December 9, 2022
© COPYRIGHT 2022
This is a picture illustrating the different zones of vegetation on Cardigan and the surrounding mountains.
The summit of Mount Cardigan is about 35-40 miles north-north-west of Hopkinton but west of Newfound Lake. It is located in the eastern part of the town of Orange and west of Hebron, Bridgewater, Alexzandria, and Groton. It is south of Dorchester and east of Canaan. The alpine bog on the top of Firescrew is also north of the summit. It is also west of the AMC Lodge and the pond next to it. Cardigan is local to many small towns and worth the drive for the hikes and the view.
The summit of Cardigan is 43 degrees 38 minutes 20.01 seconds North and 71 degrees 54 minutes 24.96 seconds West. This is the absolute location, for there are coordinates involved.
Physical:
There are many things that make Cardigan special, including several glacier Moraines, where a glacier melted and a stream of water flooded the area, carving long, narrow hills into the landscape. Another thing that makes this special is top of Cardigan Mountain, which like many mountains in NH, is bare rock, with patches of small alpine plants, while the bottom is covered in streams and strong Hardwood forests. On the middle section of the mountain, there is a zone of evergreens, which start to get shorter and more bent over from wind as they start to get closer to the top. There are many things the make the Cardigan Mountain special, and these are only a few.
Some of the things that make Cardigan special include the old cellars and foundations on the top of Firescrew and the stone walls near the lodge. Both feel as if they are ancient and look like they have become part of the forest/mountain itself. Other things that make it special are the firetower, which is on the summit of Mount Cardigan, and the nature trails which are being paved for accessibility. Other cultural defining features of Cardigan are the people and the programs there. There are several programs offered, and guides for those programs, such as the program that we participated in. These people can come from all over America, even the world, in order to help the AMC run these programs. Another amazing thing about Cardigan is the food and the lodge.
Cardigan is a wonderful place and I highly reccommend it for anyone looking for a fun, family friendly hike. This trip was absolutely amazing and all three days, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, were adventures. Overall, the trip was the highlight of the 2022-2023 school year.