By Mel Allen
Editor, Yankee Magazine
It can be a bit of a local sport, deciding where exactly to find the absolute
best view of Monadnock. I’m here to tell you where. Driving from the east, make your first left past
Yankee‘s red buildings onto Upper Jaffrey Road. Drive a few miles, until just before Monadnock State Park, you’ll see a parking area on the right with a sign saying “Gilsum Pond area.” If you have a bicycle with you, pull in here. About 100 yards farther down, take your first left onto Thorndike Pond Road. After a few hundred yards, look over your right shoulder. The mountain opens and opens, spreading across the sky. The road around Thorndike Pond is six miles, and it’s one of my favorite bike rides, or long walks. If you’re staying with the car, it’s 10 minutes you’ll remember for the view over your shoulder.
