but less known outside of the residents there.

Here are my two.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS THE MOST CLIMBED MOUNTAIN IN AMERICA

I now live in New Hampshire. We have the most climbed mountain in America and the 2nd/3rd most climbed in the WORLD. Mount Monadnock in Southwestern NH is climbed by approximately by 125,000 people per year! (MA & NH schools typically go send their 4th grade students for one of their day-long spring field trips and a very popular hike for New England residents.)

Most probably already know that Mount Washington in New Hampshire is the tallest peak west of the Rockies, so I went for something much less well known for my state tidbit to share.

See down below the next section on Fitchburg, Massachusetts info for many more details on Mount Monadnock and why it is so popular, earning its status as most climbed in America and 2nd or 3rd most climbed mountain in the world!

MASSACHUSETTS HAS THE 2ND HILLEST CITY IN AMERICA

Most probably learned a lot about the history of Massachusetts in school when studying the American Revolution against England. So I'm going for something that most probably don't know.

I was born in the small city of Fitchburg, MA in north central Massachusetts and grew up in a nearby small town served by Fitchburg hospitals.

Fitchburg is the 2nd hilliest city in America, just after San Francisco.

As an adult, I lived in several cities and towns in MA, including Fitchburg which was a terrible place full of crime (far, far worse than inner-city Boston) we moved from when relocating to New Hampshire in an awesome small town with minimal crime and fantastic roads. LOL

See below the info on Mount Monadnock for more details on Fitchburg, MA 2nd hiiliest city behind San Francisco.

Hiking Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire - by Kristen Wandering

Mount Monadnock is considered the most climbed mountain in the United States and is often cited as the second or third most climbed mountain in the world, attracting over 125,000 hikers annually. Its popularity is due to its accessibility to major population centers like Boston and Providence, combined with its scenic beauty and cultural significance, having been a subject of inspiration for writers such as Henry David Thoreau.

Why is Mount Monadnock so popular?

Proximity:
.....It is located within a two-hour drive of major metropolitan areas such as Boston and Providence.

Scenic Beauty:
.....The mountain offers stunning views and a connection to nature, which attracts many hikers.

Cultural Significance:
The mountain holds artistic and literary fame, inspiring famous writers like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Accessibility:
.....While challenging, the trails are well-marked and can be completed by hikers of various ages and skill levels.

Bare Summit:
.....Unlike many other mountains, Mount Monadnock has a bare, rocky summit due to forest fires in the early 19th century, which gives it a unique appeal. (Sia: they don't mention the REAL reason why it is bald. Fires were deliberately set to drive out wolves!)

Statistics on its Popularity:

Over 125,000 hikers visit Monadnock each year.

It is considered the most climbed mountain in the United States.

Globally, it is often ranked as the second or third most climbed mountain, following Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Tai in China.

MORE ON ITS SUMMIT from Wiki:

Mount Monadnock is known for its bare, rocky, and bald summit, which provides expansive 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape and is a popular feature for hikers and climbers.

The summit is accessible via several trails, with the White Dot Trail being a well-known and popular option that involves some scrambling over the rocky terrain.

The "bald" nature of the summit allows for expansive views, a key characteristic that makes Mount Monadnock a celebrated landmark in New Hampshire.

Key Features of the Bald Summit

Expansive Views:
....The bare, rocky summit offers unobstructed, wide-ranging views in all directions.

Scrambling Terrain:
....The upper sections of the summit are rocky, requiring some climbing and scrambling with hands and feet for safe passage.

Iconic Landmark:
....Its unique bald summit makes it a distinctive and recognizable feature in the Monadnock Region

What can you see from the top of Mount Monadnock?
....On a clear day, the summit of Monadnock offers views of the Boston skyline to the southeast. To the west, you can see Massachusetts' tallest peak, Mount Greylock, tucked in the state's northwest corner. To the north, you can see the white mountains. All are over 100 miles away!

The fires and the wolves

1800: The first major fire was set to clear the lower slopes of the mountain for pastureland. The blaze accidentally spread to the summit and killed the native red spruce forest.

1810s–1820s: A few years later, a second massive fire swept the mountain. This blaze was started by farmers trying to destroy the dens of wolves they believed were preying on their livestock. The fire is said to have raged for weeks, killing the remaining trees and burning away the topsoil, leaving it bald for 2 centuries now, and likely forever.

The second "hilliest city" in America. From Wiki.

Fitchburg, MA is often described as one of the hilliest cities in the U.S., frequently cited as the second hilliest city in America after San Francisco. This reputation comes from its challenging and uneven terrain, which features numerous steep streets, including some with grades exceeding 20 percent.

Evidence of Fitchburg's Hilly Terrain

Steep Streets:

The city boasts 111 streets with a grade of 12% or steeper, with some reaching over 20%.

Well-Known Examples:

Streets like Jay Street, Huron Street, Granite Street, and Weymouth Street are known for their significant inclines, with grades over 20%.

Impact on Daily Life:

The hilly topography can pose challenges, such as reduced pressure for fire hoses when traveling uphill and creating icy conditions during winter.

From an AI overview:

Why it's called the "second hilliest"

The comparison to San Francisco, a city famous for its numerous hills, leads to the common characterization of Fitchburg as the "second hilliest" in the nation.

Fitchburg, Massachusetts is often cited as the second hilliest city in the U.S., after San Francisco, known for its steep roads and uneven terrain.

Some sources mention cities like Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Seattle as consistently ranking high in hilliness, though a definitive ranking is difficult due to varying definitions of "hilly".

Why Fitchburg is Considered Hilly

Steepness:
.....Fitchburg has a significant number of streets with steep gradients, with some exceeding a 12% grade and a few surpassing 20%.

Uneven Terrain:
.....The city's landscape is characterized by a hilly topography, contributing to its reputation as a very hilly city.

Other Noteworthy Hilly Cities

San Francisco:
Consistently ranked as the hilliest city due to its many prominent hills, such as Mount Davidson and Twin Peaks.

Pittsburgh:
Known for its steep hills and deep river valleys, giving it a visually stunning and undulating terrain.

Seattle & Portland:
These cities are also considered very hilly.

Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Nashville:
These cities also have hilly sections and are mentioned among the hilliest.

Fitchburg has more streets with higher average grades than the others, even though some of the other cities may have some random streets with higher grades and some may have more hilly streets, the average overall grade and volume of hilly streets in Fitchburg is higher than all but San Francisco.

Fitchburg is also a small city in comparison to the others with a significantly greater average of hilly streets vs more level streets.

Fitchburg, MA, is a good place for those seeking affordability and a sense of community, with a diverse population, a growing downtown, and proximity to Boston.

However, it presents challenges such as high utility rates and a perception of poor infrastructure, including roads. While the cost of living is lower than the national average, residents should be prepared for harsh winters and consider the quality of local services

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Sia: FYI Fitchburg typically gets far more snow than all other places in MA. That and their terribly maintained, often unplowed roads is extremely challenging. It was not uncommon for lesser streets to wait DAYS to finally be plowed, especially the steepest ones

We lived on a steep road with an equally steep driveway cut into the steep hill our house and road was on. Strangely enough, the road served as a wind tunnel that left our side buried in deep snow after every storm while the houses across the street had very little.

With the growing volume of violent crime, drug trade, break-ins, and rival gang warfare surrounding us, we couldn't wait to get the hell out of there!

I've heard that the city has made strides in reducing crime overall, but some sections with very high rates, like ours was, still remain. Getting the 4 rival gangs out remains a huge challenge.

The city has lost significant numbers of residents due to the crime rates, low quality city services, and thevenormous loss of manufacturing factories whose business went overseas, leaving more homes available for gangs, increasing that problem.

Fitchburg boasts being the 2nd hilliest city in the US (which i consider a bad thing considering the harsh winters) and also as "The city and the River".

The Nashua River winds through the city with a ton of badly cared for bridges connecting it all. (Way too many bridges failed over time and each of them took years to replace, forcing residents to take lengthy alternate routes to navigate the messy street layout and ever-failing bridges to get to the other side for work** or to get home.

Traffic was a nightmare there, especially in winter with half-plowed & unplowed roads everywhere and also so many critical bridges out of commission. If greed and the overseas markets hadn't stolen all of the manufacturing jobs, surely the volume of failed bridges, poor maintenance, and excessive traffic on city streets would have caused many to leave it behind to build someplace more profitable.

**Hundreds of factories were built along that wicked windy river to utilize it for water power before reliable electricity was an option. Manufacturing was the predominant employment there.

Nearly all had strong unions and much higher than average pay for their workers, along with the transportation challenges, leaving the businesses ripe for bugging out to greener pastures.