Great North Woods region is a lovely setting for walking and hiking
Umbagog Lake State Park
Route 26
Cambridge, NH
Phone: 603-482-7795
Umbagog Lake State Park offers a beach area for swimming, fishing, wildlife viewing, and boating. Canoe, kayak, and rowboat rentals are offered, as well as transportation for remote site campers. A boat launch and fuel sales are available, as well as a park store. Wildlife viewing includes birds, deer, and moose. Information: www.nhstateparks.org.
Umbagog Lake State Park campground has a camp store, flush and pit toilets, and coin-operated showers. The park has a total of 69 campsites. The lakeside base area has 35 sites. There are hook-ups for water and electricity for RVs, as well as a dump station. There are 34 remote sites in wooded areas and accessible only by boat. Each remote site has a fireplace, picnic table, and a primitive pit toilet. These campsites are carry in/carry out. The park offers transportation to the remote sites for a fee. Open: Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Camping with limited facilities is available pre-season starting in April, and post-season is through October.
Beaver Brook Falls Wayside Park
Off Route 145
Colebrook, NH
Phone: 603-538-6707
Beaver Brook Falls Wayside is 7.3 acres in size and is a popular place for hiking. The park has a scenic picnic area with picnic tables and small picnic shelters. A group use area is available. Beaver Brook Falls Wayside is unstaffed but is Open to the public year-round at no charge. No restrooms are available and all items (including trash) must be carried out with you when you leave. Pets allowed. Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Coleman State Park
Route 26 to Diamond Pond Road
Stewartstown, NH
Phone: 603-538-6965
Coleman State Park lies on the shore of Little Diamond Pond in Stewartstown, 12 miles east of Colebrook. There is excellent trout fishing in Little Diamond Pond and nearby streams. A boat launch is located within the park; small boats are permitted, but speed is restricted. Boats are available for rent. Pets allowed. The park is also a good base for fall hunting. Other activities include hiking, canoeing, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing. Open in winter.
The primitive campground at Coleman State Park offers 24 campsites. Many of the sites can accommodate most camping equipment including self-contained recreational vehicles with a maximum length of 35 feet; hook-ups are not available. Flush toilets, coin-operated showers, along with pit toilets, a playground, and a dump station are available. The campground is open from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Self-service/self-pay camping with limited services is available pre-season, weather permitting. Organized youth group camping is welcome. Reservations are required.
Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Connecticut Lakes State Forest
Route 3
Pittsburg, NH
Phone: 603-538-6965
Visitors will enjoy fishing, hunting, boating, paddling, and hiking. In the winter, there are cross-country ski trails available. This state forest includes the Deer Mountain Campground operated by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and REcreation. Deer Mountain Campground is just five minutes south of the Canadian border and 13 miles from Lake Francis. It is adjacent to the stretch of Route 3 north of Pittsburg, referred to as Moose Alley, which makes it a prime location for moose viewing. The 25-site primitive campground includes 22 sites available by reservation only, and three for first-come/first-served campers. Each site has a fireplace, picnic table, flat area for a tent, and a parking space. The campground is open for reservable stays from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend. First-come/first-served camping with limited facilities is available starting in mid-May, 2009, weather permitting. Information: www.nhdfl.org or www.nhstateparks.org/
Deer Mountain Campground
Route 3
Pittsburg, NH
Phone: 603-538-6965
Located in Connecticut Lakes State Forest, adjacent to the Connecticut River between Second and Third Connecticut lakes, Deer Mountain Campground is five minutes south of the Canadian border and 13 miles from Lake Francis. It is adjacent to the stretch of Route 3 north of Pittsburg referred to as Moose Alley, which makes it a prime location for moose viewing. Available for camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and non-motorized boats. Pets allowed.
The 25-site primitive campground includes 22 sites available by reservation only, and three for first-come/first-served campers. Each site has a fireplace, picnic table, flat area for a tent, and a parking space. The campground is Open from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. First-come/first-served camping with limited facilities is available starting in May, weather permitting. Deer Mountain Campground welcomes organized youth groups. Reservations are required.
Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Dixville Notch State Park
Route 26
Dixville, NH
Phone: 603-538-6707
Dixville Notch State Park spans 127 acres. Within the park is a scenic gorge and waterfalls on two mountain brooks. Hiking trails lead to Table Rock and nearby mountains. The park is also a great spot for picnicking. Pets allowed.
This park offers moderate to more difficult hikes to waterfalls and scenic vistas. Hiking trails to Table Rock feature interesting views of surrounding cliffs. Dixville Notch State Park is unstaffed but is open to the public year-round at no charge. Please note: Cascade Falls and the trail leading to the falls are closed until further notice due to flood damage. Information:
Jericho Mountain State Park
Off Route 110, Jericho Lake Road
Berlin, NH
Phone: 603-752-6060
Just a few miles northeast of downtown Berlin is one of the newest additions to the state park system. Jericho Mountain State Park provides opportunities for miles of trail riding for ATV, UTV, trail bike, and snowmobile enthusiasts. The park will continue to have more miles added to the trail network over the next several years. Throughout the park, visitors are treated to a number of scenic outlooks. Park guests can also enjoy swimming, fishing, canoeing, or picnicking at Jericho Lake. Future plans for the park include a campground, group picnic pavilions, and improved beach facilities.
John Wingate Weeks Historic Site
Off Route 3
Lancaster, NH
Phone: 603-788-4004
The Mount Prospect estate was built by John Wingate Weeks, conservationist, congressman, senator, and Secretary of War. Set at the very top of Mount Prospect, the house and grounds on this 420-acre estate provide a 360-degree panorama of mountain splendor, including the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the upper Connecticut River Valley. The main house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hours: Late June to early September, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m.; mid-September to mid-October, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: New Hampshire residents admitted free of charge; non-resident adults, $7; children ages 6-11, $3. Information:
www.nhstateparks.org
Little Nature Museum
656 Gould Hill Road
Contoocook, NH 03229
Phone: 603-746-6121
Open: Late June to late October, weekends and holidays
A small nature center featuring exhibits, trails, a library, and special programs. The Little Nature Museum is located in a historic 200-year-old barn at Gould Hill Orchards. The collections include, rocks, minerals, fossils, sea life, insects, Indian artifacts, mounted birds and mammals, and plants. There are also interpretive exhibits, hands-on activities, and nature trails. Open weekends for free. Guided tours offered by appointment weekdays and weekends for $1 per person. Open during late spring, summer, and early fall. Information: www.littlenaturemuseum.org/
Milan Hill State Park and Campground
Route 16
Milan, NH
Phone: 603-466-3860
Milan Hill State Park is ten miles north of Berlin, near popular areas for hiking, picnicking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. From the hilltop campground and fire tower, you can get a view of the mountain ranges in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Canada. Animals are welcome but must be leashed and under control. All waste must be cleaned from the trails as required by state park rules. Cost: Day use fee is adults, $4; children age 6 to 11, $2; people under age 5 and over age 65, free. Information: www.nhstateparks.org
The Nansen Ski Club operates a network of more than 7 kilometers of groomed trails for skiing and snowshoeing in Milan Hill State Park, for users of all ages and all abilities. Use of trails is free. This is not a flat skiing experience.
Primitive camping area has four yurts and six campsites. Yurts are available for reservation and the campsites are first-come/first-served. The park is open from mid-May through mid-October for camping and picnicking. Camping fees are $23 (no hookups); $300 to $350 for yurts. For reservations, call 877-647-2757).
Mollidgewock State Park
Route 16
Errol, NH
Phone: 603-482-3373
Mollidgewock State Park lies along the shore of the Androscoggin River within Thirteen Mile Woods Scenic Area, approximately 28 miles north of Berlin and three miles south of Errol. The Androscoggin offers great canoeing and kayaking opportunities for both novice and expert paddlers. The area is a favorite of fishing enthusiasts and is popular for watching moose and other wildlife. Pets allowed with some restrictions. Cost: Day use fee is adults, $4; children age 6 to 11, $2; people under age 5 and over age 65, free. Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Mollidgewock State Park Campground offers 47 tent sites; 42 of the sites are located at the base camp and 37 of them are by reservation only; 5 sites are for first-come/first-served campers. Check with the campground directly for availability of the 5 remote sites. Water and pit toilets are located in this primitive campground. Wood and ice are offered for sale. The campground is Open from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. First-come/first-served camping with limited facilities is available starting in May, weather permitting.
Moose Brook State Park
Off U.S. Route 2
Gorham, NH
Phone: 603-466-3860
Popular with fisherman because of its numerous ponds and streams, this park also offers hiking trails, mountain climbing in the Crescent Mountain range, mountain bike trails and lake swimming. Cross-country ski trails are open in the winter. There is a public campsite available.
Nansen Wayside Park
Route 16
Milan, NH
Phone: 603-823-7722, ext. 757
Located near the banks of the Androscoggin River, Nansen Wayside Park is a popular place for picnicking, fishing, and boating. The park spans 14 acres and is the site of the 170-foot steel-framed Nansen Ski Jump, seen towering over the area. Nansen Wayside Park is unstaffed but is open to the public year-round at no charge. There is no winter maintenance. A boat launch is available. Information: www.nhstateparks.org
Nash Stream
Off Route 110 to Emerson Road to nash Stream Road
Odell, NH
Phone: 603-788-4157
More than just one stream, this is actually 40,000 acres of undeveloped land. It's available for public use for hiking, fishing, paddling, hunting, snowmobiling, ATV riding, and cross-country skiing. Camping is not permitted. Information: www.nhdfl.org.
Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Off Route 116 or Route 115
Jefferson and Whitefield, NH
The Pondicherry Division of the refuge sits in a basin surrounded by the Kilkenny Range, the Presidential Range, the Dartmouth/Pliny Range, and the Dalton Hills. The area including Cherry and Little Cherry Ponds and the surrounding complex of wetlands and swamps is known for its diverse wildlife species, particularly birds. Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education, and interpretation are priority public uses of the refuge. Motorized and mechanized vehicles, bicycles, and horses are not permitted on trails within the refuge. All dogs must be under control.
Location: The best access is through a parking facility on Route 116 about 1 mile east of the Whitefield/Jefferson town line or through a parking lot on Hazen/Airport Road approximately 1.5 miles west of Route 115 and about a quarter mile east of Mount Washington Regional Airport. From the parking lot it is a 1.5 mile hike north on the rail-trail to Cherry Pond.
Information: 413-863-0209 ext. 7 or visit www.fws.gov/r5soc/come_visit/pondicherry_division.html
