View from Stratham Hill Tower, Stratham NH

October 12, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

A decommissioned fire tower is a five-minute walk uphill from the parking lot at Stratham Hill Park on Route 33 in Stratham, New Hampshire. I paid it a quick visit on a sunny and clear fall afternoon.

Stratham Hill tower can’r be seen from Route 33, but it’s only a short walk uphill from Stratham Hill Park’s parking lot.

Early fall, Weeks State Park, Lancaster NH

September 28, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

View of the Presidentials and Mt. Martha (right) from Weeks State Park auto road, Lancaster NH — _{View of the Presidentials (center) and Cherry Mountain (right) from Weeks State Park auto road, Lancaster NH. All photos by Ellen Kolb.}

I had the good fortune to have business in Lancaster recently as fall was setting in across the North Country. I stopped for a walk up the Weeks State Park auto road, which is currently closed to auto traffic on weekdays. I wasn’t the only pedestrian enjoying the unseasonably warm day. The leaves are turning; my guess is that peak color in this part of Coos County is still a week away.

From Mt. Prospect: town of Jefferson and Mt. Starr King — From Mt. Prospect: town of Jefferson and Mts. Starr King & Waumbek

The oaks lining the auto road are still in full leaf, with just a hint of color. Squirrels were busy gathering acorns and dropping more than a few onto the pavement (but I dodged ’em). The green canopy was out of sync with all the colorful foliage visible from the auto road’s pullouts.

Since my last visit to Weeks, a small unpaved parking lot’s been added just outside the gate to the auto road. That’s an improvement over having to walk across two lanes of 50 m.p,h. highway to get to the park from the pretty little lot on the other side of U.S. 3.

The fire tower was locked, unfortunately. Perhaps summer weekends are the only time to get a look at the inside of this unique structure.

Pack Monadnock via Raymond Trail: Miller State Park, NH

August 21, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

The view from Pack Monadnock’s summit was a treat even on this cloudy day. I hiked up via the Raymond Trail for the first time. The score is Ledge 1, Hiker 0 after a slight slip on the way down, and I keep a first aid kit in my pack for such occasions. The hike was otherwise uneventful. There are rocky stretches, but the Raymond Trail is not as ledgy as the Wapack Trail up the mountain. Unlike the Wapack and Marion Davis trails, Raymond Trail doesn’t start from the Miller State Park parking lot. It goes up the west side of the mountain from a trailhead on East Mountain Road that has parking for three cars (maybe four in a pinch).

Cell tower on mountaintop with view to distant hills — The Wapack Range stretches to the south, with the ridge of Temple Mountain in foreground.

meadowsweet flowers — The Wapack Range stretches to the south, with the ridge of Temple Mountain in foreground.

Coming from Manchester via NH 101: drive west through Milford, Wilton, and Temple. Take a right at Mountain Road, about 0.2 mile past the Miller State Park entrance. Mountain Road becomes East Mountain Road. The trailhead is on the right, about a mile off of 101.

Over the Merrimack River on the Piscataquog Trail

August 19, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

I was early for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats game a few days ago (that’s baseball, for all you out-of-towners). It’s been too long since my last stroll over the Hands Across the Merrimack bridge, part of the rail trail that begins behind the baseball stadium and extends a couple of miles west along the Piscataquog river, clear over to West Side Arena.

The Hands Across the Merrimack bridge over the Merrimack River, seen from the trail behind Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

The odd bit of graffiti aside, the bridge is in good shape structurally and aesthetically. And for crossing the Merrimack river, it sure beats dodging the auto traffic on the nearby Granite Street bridge.

It's good to see this acknowledgment of one of the people who made the Hands Across the Merrimack bridge project happen. — It’s good to see this acknowledgment of one of the people who made the Hands Across the Merrimack bridge project happen.

August at Odiorne Point State Park

August 9, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, New Hampshire never gets old for me, in any season.

I had planned a one-day “grand tour,” with a stop at Pawtuckaway for the fire tower then Odiorne Point for the beach and then Stratham Park for the observation tower. (Whew.) Eight hours, with three of them in the car. I’m glad I reconsidered. Odiorne Point was all I needed.

From the shore, visitors can see traffic going in and out of Portsmouth harbor.

Groton, Massachusetts on Nashua River Rail Trail

August 1, 2014February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

I headed south of the border into Massachusetts on the Nashua River Rail Trail for a walk through the Groton stretch. Of the four towns along the trail, Groton is where the history of the rail line is most evident. The town is also home to the most park-like section of the trail, situated within the J. Harry Rich State Forest.

The harsh shadows in the photos are from the full midday sun, cheerfully blazing away on a summer day.

The trail crosses over Rt. 119 in Groton on a nicely rehabbed bridge. All photos by Ellen Kolb.

There are three trailheads in Groton, with the most parking available off of Broadmeadow Street. Smaller unpaved lots are at Sand Hill Road and Common Street.

Local students painted the walls of the trail's underpass at Rt. 225 with scenes of area history. — Local students painted the walls of the trail’s underpass at Rt. 225 with scenes of area history.

There are no portajohns along the way. Near the trailhead at Broadmeadow Road are a couple of benches and an informational kiosk. The posted information and illustrations are worth a look.

The best-maintained and most informative kiosk along the NRRT.

Groton must have strict zoning laws that keep commercial signs tiny. How am I supposed to find the nearest place to buy a large iced beverage? That kiosk near Broadmeadow has a bonus: a map of Main Street and the roads connecting it to the trail, with nearby businesses listed. That large iced beverage is only a short walk away.

Marker on Main Street in Groton, a short distance from the trail.

Some of the old rail line’s granite mile markers are still in place, and they’re kept painted by area volunteers. “P” is for Portland, Maine, and “W” is for Worcester, Massachusetts – once upon a time, the two ends of a line of the Boston and Maine Railroad. Of the 120 or so miles of that old line, twelve miles now make up the Nashua River Rail Trail.