Temple Mountain
Encyclopedia
Temple Mountain is a 2045 feet (623.3 m) monadnock
located in south-central New Hampshire
within the Wapack Range
of mountains. It lies within Sharon
and Temple, New Hampshire
; the 22 mi (35.4 km) Wapack Trail
traverses the mountain, and the northern face includes the 350 acres (1.4 km²) Temple Mountain Reservation, owned by the state. The mountain is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and has several summits; three of them are named: Burton Peak 2010 feet (612.6 m), Whitcomb Peak 1710 feet (521.2 m), and Holt Peak, the high point.
The mountain was home to the former Temple Mountain Ski Area
, which is now a state-owned recreation area.
Pack Monadnock Mountain
is located directly to the north along the Wapack ridgeline; Kidder Mountain
to the south. Much of the north face of the mountain, formerly the Temple Mountain Ski Area, is the state-owned Temple Mountain Reservation Area. Scattered ledges along the ridgeline offer long vistas west to Mount Monadnock
and south along the spine of the Wapack Range; the abandoned ski area on the north side of the mountain offers 270-degree views.
The east side of the mountain drains into the Souhegan River
watershed, thence into the Merrimack River
and Atlantic Ocean
; the west side drains into the Contoocook River
, thence into the Merrimack River.
Monadnock
A monadnock or inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain...
located in south-central New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
within the Wapack Range
Wapack Range
The Wapack Range, sometimes referred to as the Pack Monadnock Range, is a 20-mile range of mountains in south-central New Hampshire and adjacent Massachusetts. The range is considered very scenic and rugged with many bare summits and ledges ranging from 1,800 feet to 2,290 feet. The 22 mile Wapack...
of mountains. It lies within Sharon
Sharon, New Hampshire
Sharon is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 352 at the 2010 census.-History:Settled in 1738, Sharon was originally a part of Peterborough...
and Temple, New Hampshire
Temple, New Hampshire
Temple is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2010 census.- History :Incorporated in 1768, Temple takes its name from colonial governor John Wentworth's lieutenant governor, John Temple.- Geography :...
; the 22 mi (35.4 km) Wapack Trail
Wapack Trail
The Wapack Trail is one of the oldest public, interstate hiking trails in the United States. Opened in 1923, it follows the Wapack Range north-south for , between Mount Watatic in Ashburnham, Massachusetts and North Pack Monadnock mountain in Greenfield, New Hampshire...
traverses the mountain, and the northern face includes the 350 acres (1.4 km²) Temple Mountain Reservation, owned by the state. The mountain is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and has several summits; three of them are named: Burton Peak 2010 feet (612.6 m), Whitcomb Peak 1710 feet (521.2 m), and Holt Peak, the high point.
The mountain was home to the former Temple Mountain Ski Area
Temple Mountain Ski Area
Temple Mountain Ski Area was a downhill, or alpine, ski area that operated from 1938 until 2001 on Temple Mountain in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. During peak operation, the ski area featured a quad chairlift, a double chairlift, and multiple T-bars and rope tows...
, which is now a state-owned recreation area.
Pack Monadnock Mountain
Pack Monadnock
Pack Monadnock or Pack Monadnock Mountain , is the highest peak of the Wapack Range of mountains and the highest point in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The mountain, a monadnock, is located in south-central New Hampshire within the towns of Peterborough and Temple. The Wapack Trail and a...
is located directly to the north along the Wapack ridgeline; Kidder Mountain
Kidder Mountain
Kidder Mountain is a monadnock located in south-central New Hampshire within the Wapack Range of mountains. It lies within New Ipswich and Temple, New Hampshire just off the Wapack Trail on a side trail. Temple Mountain is located directly to the north along the Wapack ridgeline; Barrett...
to the south. Much of the north face of the mountain, formerly the Temple Mountain Ski Area, is the state-owned Temple Mountain Reservation Area. Scattered ledges along the ridgeline offer long vistas west to Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is the most prominent New England mountain peak south of the White Mountains and east of the Massachusetts Berkshires, and is the highest point in Cheshire County, New Hampshire...
and south along the spine of the Wapack Range; the abandoned ski area on the north side of the mountain offers 270-degree views.
The east side of the mountain drains into the Souhegan River
Souhegan River
The Souhegan River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in the northeastern United States. long with a drainage area of , it flows north and east through southern New Hampshire to the Merrimack River....
watershed, thence into the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
and Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; the west side drains into the Contoocook River
Contoocook River
The Contoocook River is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Pool Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook , where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction...
, thence into the Merrimack River.
External links
- Friends of the Wapack
- http://www.nhstateparks.org/library/pdf/TempleMountainFactSheet.pdf - New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation (PDF, slightly outdated)