Mink Brook Nature Preserve is located south of the center of Hanover along NH-10 just north of Mink Brook. Parking is available in the pull-off by the trailhead to the preserve on Brook Road east of NH-10. There is also parking west of NH-10 that leads to a trail along Mink Brook to the Connecticut River.
From Jim Block

This 112-acre preserve, owned by the Hanover Conservancy, protects habitat for wild brook trout, bears, and many other creatures while offering trails and quiet enjoyment of a peaceful place. This preserve is the result of deep generosity and community spirit. Substantial gifts from Dartmouth College and an anonymous donor, acknowledging the significance of this place to the Abenaki, joined 450 other gifts to protect the land in 1999. The Upper Valley Land Trust assisted in the purchase and now holds the conservation easement. The preserve links other protected lands — the Angelo Tanzi Tract and Mink Brook West, owned by the Town of Hanover, and UVLT’s brook-side parcel.

Mink Brook Nature Preserve offers a natural retreat just south of downtown Hanover. The predominant natural community is an upland forest composed of white pine and hemlock. The property features two brooks. The smaller of these is Trout Brook, which winds northward to join Mink Brook. Mink Brook is a direct tributary to the Connecticut River. Many of the paths within the Preserve parallel Mink Brook and pass by pool and riffle areas of this dynamic boulder-filled watercourse. The preserve has a fascinating history and hosts black bears, wild brook trout, waterfowl, and other wildlife. Its plant community is also of interest.

The property offers a variety of walking terrain. The easy terrain of Quinn Trail is accessible to both strollers and wheelchairs and links up with the trails in the Tanzi Tract, a preserve of the Town of Hanover. Just across Route 10, the Town-owned River Trail continues as a fully ADA-accessible path to the Connecticut River. On the south side of Mink Brook, wooded hiking trails link up with trails to preserved land in Lebanon.

The Quinn Trail runs along the north side of the brook and connects trails west of NH-10 with NH-120. Grades are gentle with a few moderate slopes. Across the log bridge, the Wheelock Trail heads east to Buck Road on a sometimes narrow, rocky path, and west to NH-10. The red-blazed Indian Ridge Trail and orange-blazed Sachem Connector Trail lead south into Lebanon and can be difficult to follow after leaving the preserve. In 2011, we worked with the Town to create a new footpath linking trails on the west side of Route 10 with the Quinn Trail on the Preserve. Find this link near the corner of Brook Road and NH-10, just east of the small utility building.