These New Hampshire and Maine Hiking Spots Are Perfect for Beginners

This writer has a confession.

Despite having lived in New England her whole life, she hasn't done much hiking. There's no particular reason for this; she just never got around to it.

But maybe it's time to change that. After all, considering there are so many places to hike around here, why not take advantage of the close proximity (and chance for some good exercise) by visiting some of them?

That's where things start to get tricky.

Not all of the mountains in New England are optimal for beginner outdoorsmen and women. Plenty are on the more advanced scale, and should be left to the experts; the experienced hikers who've done it for a while. A newbie can eventually tackle these mountains, sure. But it's best to let them be for now.

So, that leaves us with a question: what mountains and trails in New England are the best hiking options for new hikers? There must be places to go where you can feel challenged without putting your safety at risk this early in the game.

We decided to ask our readers and find out, and received tons of recommendations. So, let's look at these easy hiking spots in New Hampshire and Maine that could be just what you're looking for.

Thinking of hitting the slopes this winter but haven't skied before? Here are some mountains and resorts perfect for the newbie skiers.  How many of these spots have you been to?