Keene State College

Recreational Sports

Keene State is a starting point for many good walking/jogging loops. Here are four "easily-done-in-a-lunchtime" options. Detailed, color maps are available at the Rec Center.

View or download trail map as a PDF file.

Route 1 – 1.5 miles

• From Spaulding Gym head north on Madison St.
• at Winchester St., turn right
• at Main St., take a right (south)
• at Appleton St., turn right
• when the road becomes a path, follow it past Pondside Apartments (on left)
• the path curves to the right, past the Pondside Residence Hall (on left) and the Redfern Arts Center (on right) to the south parking lot
• bear left across the lot and walk between the gym and the Whitcomb maintenance building
• turn left after Whitcomb and walk past the right side of Carle Hall
• at Butler Ct., turn right
• at Winchester St., turn right
• at Madison St., turn right and walk to the gym and the end of the route.

Route 2 – 2.25 miles

• From Spaulding Gym head north on Madison St.
• at Winchester St., turn right
• at Main St., take a right (south)
• at Appleton St., turn right
• when the road becomes a path, follow it past Pondside Apartments (on left)
• the path curves to the right, past the Pondside Residence Hall (on left) and the Redfern Arts Center (on right) to the south parking lot
• follow the southern edge of the lot to the bridge to the Joyce Athletic Field
• walk the perimeter of the fields going behind the tennis courts and following the river bank back to the bridge
• cross the bridge to the lot and continue as for Route 1 to end at the gym from Madison St.

Route 3 – 2.6 miles

• From the gym, walk south through the parking lot, past Redfern Arts Center (on left) and Pondside Residence Hall (on right)
• bear right just before Pondside Apartments, taking the walkway under Rte. 101
• turn right and walk down the road to the footbridge and the entrance to the Owl Athletic Complex (OAC)
• after the bridge, turn immediately right and follow the edge of the mowed area, winding behind the wetlands and trees and brush area, close to Rte. 101
• follow the trail up onto the railway bed and turn left (caution, this is a snowmobile trail)
• follow the railway bed until it intersects with Krif Road
• turn left on this road and immediately bear right onto the mowed path under the power lines
• follow the mowed path (the cross country loop) through the woods, along the river (on right), and behind the softball and baseball fields to the footbridge
• continue back to KSC to finish at the gym.

Route 4 – 2.9 miles

• Start as for Route 3
• from the footbridge at Owl Athletic Complex, follow the dirt path through the complex to the parking lot
• follow the road through the lot and out the entrance to the road
• follow the road, take the first right, and walk to the UPS building
• return along the same route back to the gym.

X-C Skiing
You can find maintained cross-country ski trails on Joyce Athletic Field and on the Owl Athletic Complex that approximately follow Routes 2 and 3.