The Hills Are Alive

Also known as Long Sound, the 9.5 mile run winds through forest trails from Hanover, NH to Norwich, VT

I first ran “The Sound of Music,” known colloquially as “Long Sound,” during preseason of my freshman year at Dartmouth. Its panoramic views made it one of my favorite runs — and it has stayed that way ever since.   

I learned over my next four years in Hanover that the special mix of technical forest terrain and remote, rolling dirt roads could hammer strength into my legs, fortitude into my lungs, and a special bond among the people I shared it with.

The roughly 9.5-mile run features a scenic view that’s earned in 1,000 feet of elevation gain, winding through forest trails to Bragg Hill via the Ballad Trail system. It begins in Hanover, heading down West Wheelock Street and crossing the Connecticut River on Ledyard Bridge into Norwich, Vt. 

Here it climbs gradually over several miles, past Dan and Whit’s General Store (convenient for a restroom or refreshment stop) and left onto Beaver Meadow Road, offering glimpses into quaint Vermont countryside living before reaching the Ballard Trail entrance on the left, at Ballard Park.

The Ballard trail single-tracks twist and climb gently as a creek trickles nearby. After a mile and a half of switchbacks and stone steps that can feel more like dancing than running, you reach a junction and turn left onto Brown Schoolhouse Road. Here, the trail continues its quiet ascent for nearly half a mile, before rising sharply to a steep climb — a physical crescendo that matches the anticipation for what’s to come. 

At the top, it spills out onto Bragg Hill, where rolling green pastures stretch out on either side of the dirt road and the horizon finally reveals itself, giving way to mountains in the distance. Turn left and take it all in — this is the Sound of Music, the panoramic view that gives the run its name. On a summer day, it feels unforgettable, akin to the opening scenes of the 1965 film.

Celebrate the lactic burn in your legs as you descend Bragg Hill and the road gets cooler and shadier as pines shed moisture into the country air. After all that technical climbing, the dirt downhill feels forgiving. When Bragg Hill eventually intersects Beaver Meadow Road at the bottom, turn right and head back through Norwich’s Historic Village, following the same route back across the Connecticut once more and up West Wheelock back into town.

By the time my teammates and I would reach the top of this final hill, waiting for the stoplight to turn and to cross the street, the Sound of Music was behind us. We were back to the rhythms of our regular lives — dining halls, dinner and tomorrow’s exams. The green pastures and open hills felt impossibly far away, like something we’d passed through in a dream, almost imagined. But when the stoplight turned green and we started jogging again, our legs would always remind us otherwise.

I best enjoy this trail from late spring through early fall, when conditions are more reliable. If you decide to explore this hidden gem, be sure to check the weather and trail conditions, watch for ticks and bring water — and a friend.