Town Forest South Bouldering

There are several options for accessing this area. While the main entrance to the Henderson Swasey Town Forest is on the far Eastern edge of this 270 acre section of forest, a majority of the bouldering is located on the western half of the woods. Accessing the trail system from Commerce Way is usually a better option for boulderers.

Main Entrance (aka Tressle Lot): Take Highway 101 to exit 10. Turn south on Route 85 towards downtown Exeter. Drive .3 miles downhill to a small dirt road on the right (JUST BEFORE route 85 dips under a railroad bridge). There is a sign that says "Henderson-Swasey Forest". Drive up the dirt road 100 yards to the parking lot. The green blazed trail will take you into the heart of the forest.

Commerce Way access: Take Highway 101 to exit 9. Turn south on Route 27 (Epping Road) towards downtown Exeter. Drive .75 miles to a left hand turn onto the Industrial Drive loop road. Take Industrial Drive .3 miles to a left hand turn onto Commerce Way. Commerce Way dead ends at a cul-de-sac after 300 yards. Park here (don't block factory driveways or the dirt road to the cell tower!!). Walk up the driveway of the C3I building. After crossing the brook turn right to find the trail at the edge of the lawn that leads along the brook. Turn left at the junction to get to the blue blazed trail.

The Tunnel: From the north side of Highway 101 (Oaklands Forest) take the trail through the Tunnel under the highway and then up the hill to the yellow blazed trail.

Other options: The following access points don't have official parking areas so please follow posted parking rules. Ray Farm condominiums off Epping Road has a trail head close to the Mystery Boulders. There's a trail head across from New England Truck Center that offers a short walk to the Exeter Boulder. There's a trail head (Gas Line Connector Trail) just downhill from the intersection of Industrial Drive and Commerce Way. There's a trail head at the south end of the Industrial Drive loop (between Epping Road and the Sig Sauer plant. There's also a trail head behind the Norris Brook condos off of Epping Road.