A return to Gilson Pond Campground in Monadnock State Park (NH)
Over the July 4th weekend, G and I returned to Gilson Pond Campground in Monadnock State Park. We had camped at Gilson Pond Campground earlier in the summer (our first time there), and we loved it (you can read about it here!)—so much so that we decided to return just a few weeks later! For being only about an hour and a half from home, the park feels much, much further away. And while folks might have been converging on the trails to hike Mount Monadnock, one of the most frequently hiked peaks in the WORLD, we opted for a quiet weekend with Gilson Pond as our centerpiece. And boy, did it deliver. We walked the Pond Loop Trail, and then I took the packraft out on the pond while G fished for a bit from the shore. The best part? Having the trail and the pond to ourselves!
We had site B12 this time (we had B15 last time). The site was large, shaded, and offered a pretty good sense of privacy. We (and by “we,” I mean G) maneuvered the van between a tree and a large rock (note: a bunch of the sites have large boulders in the entrance—be sure to check site photos before booking!) and parked among the trees.
The biggest decision of the weekend would be choosing the trees to use for the hammocks—we certainly had our pick! From our site, the trees went pretty far back, which allowed us to retreat even further. Sweet!
The highlight of the weekend (other than hammocking among the trees) was the campground’s namesake, Gilson Pond. After a cool and gloomy Friday afternoon/evening, G and I woke Saturday morning to bright blue skies and sun. We decided to start the day by first doing the Pond Loop Trail, a gentle .8-mile loop through the woods around Gilson Pond; from the starting point, there are also some great views of Mount Monadnock.
After we returned to our campsite, we decided to head back down to the pond, but this time to fish (G) and paddle (me). When we bought our packrafts at the end of last summer, these kinds of days were just what we had in mind: being able to toss the raft into a backpack and walk down to a pond. Plus, without a roof rack on the van, traveling with our kayak and paddleboard are, at this point, not options. That’s where the packrafts come in. After doing a bit of research last summer, we decided to go with the Kokopelli Hornet-Lite. We didn’t need anything super fast or made for whitewater, and we didn’t want to spend crazy amounts of money (at $500+, they’re still a bit, though!). I initially wanted an inflatable paddleboard, but I decided on the packraft for a few main reasons: it packs super small (12 x 6 in rolled—we can get it pretty close), weighs just under five pounds, and inflates in minutes (we sprung for the Feather Pump—WELL worth the $40). The inflatable SUPs I had been looking at really couldn’t compare.
With my packraft rolled up and inside my Deuter ACT Trail 28 SL backpack, my PFD attached to the outside of the pack, and my paddle (which conveniently breaks down into four pieces), I was ready to go. G, too, was all set with fishing gear. Back down to the pond we went. I unrolled the raft, and within minutes, it was just about ready to go.
This was only my second time paddling the packraft; I’ll be honest: the first time, I hated it and immediately regretted the purchase, telling G I should have gone with the SUP after all. Why? I just couldn’t manage to paddle well enough for it to actually track straight. I ended up zig-zagging all over the place. I like paddleboarding much more than kayaking, so I didn’t expect to be won over by the packraft, but the first time was just hard. This time, I felt a little more relaxed and enjoyed paddling a bit more. And from what G could tell from the shore, I looked to be going straighter this time! I’m still debating about adding a SUP, but for times like these—when I can just toss the packraft in my pack and head to the water, the packraft is tough to beat.
I had a great time out on the water; G, unfortunately, didn’t have any bites, but he enjoyed the solitude and getting back into the rhythm of fishing, as it’s been a while. We had owned rods and reels years ago and then got rid of them during one of our moves. So I called my father-in-law (who first introduced me to fishing 25 years ago!) for some advice, ordered a set of basic rod and reel combos, put together a basic tackle box, and ordered us both New Hampshire fishing licenses. We decided on the annual license, which, for $45 each, seemed more economical than single-day passes ($10/day each). Since we’ll be camping in some great places to fish (and the licenses are good through December 31), we hope to get some practice throughout the coming months.
We packed up our gear just as some clouds were rolling in over the water and headed back to the campsite for showers, lunch, and an afternoon of crashing in the hammocks to read and relax.
