Celebrate Ten Years of Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Conservation in NH

September 20, 2013May 23, 2014 / Ellen Kolb

East Inlet, Pittsburg NH. Photo by Ellen Kolb.

Some years back, the decline of New Hampshire’s North Country paper industry left up in the air the future use of over 100,000 acres in Coos County. Conservationists got busy in an effort to protect the land for recreation and forest management. A serious team effort resulted in the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Working Forest in 2003. Time to celebrate the first decade!

Head to Lake Francis State Park in Pittsburg (get on U.S. 3 and just keep heading north) on October 5th for the big event. The Department of Resources and Economic Development – and has there ever been a worse acronym than DRED? – is hosting lunch and a few speakers at 11:30 a.m. At 1:30, the real fun begins. Attendees can choose from six tours, each in a different part of the CLHWF, lasting until 4:30. For more information, or to RSVP, email Eric Feldbaum at eric.feldbaum@dred.state.nh.us. With your RSVP, be sure to specify your choice of tours.

Want to hear about the Cohos Trail, and walk on a short segment? Yes, I know I write about the CT a lot. You can find out why if you join Lainie Castine after lunch on the 5th.

Maybe you like fire towers instead. If so, head to Mount Magalloway. Forty-five vigorous minutes on the trail will reward you with views that will knock your socks off.

Have you ever been to Boundary Pond? Here’s your chance to see it, if you’re ready for a drive; the boundary in question is with Canada. Other afternoon options include kayaking, a timber harvest forestry tour, and a local-history lesson. I wish I could head north for the event, although I’d have a hard time choosing just one afternoon activity. I encourage you to make the trip, if you are anywhere near northern New Hampshire. Again, let me mention that address for RSVPs, so the organizers know how many people to expect: eric.feldbaum@dred.state.nh.us

Yes, I love the Connecticut Lakes. My photography doesn’t do the place justice. I hope you can take your own photos there someday.

First Connecticut Lake and Mount Magalloway, from Prospect Mountain. Photo by Lainie Castine.

River Road covered bridge, on the way to Lake Francis SP. Ellen Kolb photo.

Sunset, Cedar Stream Road. Ellen Kolb photo.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Bear Brook State Park, Allenstown NH

September 9, 2013February 24, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

lake in a state park, deep blue water, partly cloudy sky, forested shore — Catamount Pond, Bear Brook SP (Ellen Kolb photo)

I had casual business in New Hampshire’s capital city this weekend, and found myself with a couple of unscheduled hours afterward. I decided to take US 3 south to NH Route 28 north in order to check out New Hampshire’s largest developed state park, Bear Brook in Allenstown. Yes, another spur-of-the-moment hike. They often work out well.

Bear Brook is a 10,000-acre park with many trails, which I’ll have to save for another day. I had time for only a brief visit. I came in to the park via Deerfield Road off of NH Rt. 28. I pulled over at the park kiosk, paid a small entry fee, and picked up a trail map. Catamount Hill was nearby, and so was Catamount Pond with a little beach. Those were destinations enough for today.

The hill is rated “difficult” on the park trail map (which is available as a PDF on the NH state park web site), but that’s a stretch. Uphill, yes, but no scrambling on the ledge. I had sneakers on, and no trekking pole, and the knee I hammered a couple of weeks ago on another hike was not stressed. The only wildlife I saw was of the six-legged variety.

One-Mile Trail, Bear Brook SP (Ellen Kolb photo)

This was a woods walk. I met three mountain bikers walking their bikes and their dogs uphill as I was heading down, and they were working a lot harder than I was. “Guess I’d better stay right,” I called. “No, we’re going down on another trail,” said one of the bikers reassuringly. They didn’t waste any time. We ran into each other again at the base of the hill, all smiles after what must have been a rip-roaring ride for them.

Catamount Pond and its facilities are across the road from the entrance kiosk. Deserted today, the beach looks like it could accommodate a crowd on a hot day. This looks like a great area for a family outing, with a playground and picnic pavilion nearby. On the lawn is a monument to the Civilian Conservation Corps workers who helped to develop this park.

There is much more to Bear Brook than I could see today. I didn’t even get to the snowmobile museum, campground, or archery range. The park land is open year-round, but some facilities may not be available through fall and winter. Check the park’s website.

CCC monument, Bear Brook SP (Ellen Kolb photo)

Northern New Hampshire road trip: Stark to Third Connecticut Lake

June 6, 2013February 23, 2026 / Ellen Kolb / 3 Comments

Great North Woods, New Hampshire (NHDOT map)

With no formal vacation in sight, I can improvise. Just give me 24 hours and a car. Good hiking territory is essential, but so is a pleasant drive. Earlier this week, that meant heading up I-93 to Coos County.

Third Connecticut Lake area

This trip was inspired by a planned work project on the Cohos Trail, cutting a spur to the summit of Deer Mountain in the town of Pittsburg near the Canadian border. Unfavorable weather forced postponement of the trail work, leaving me free to wander familiar trails alone for a few hours. Very quiet overcast morning: no logging in the area this week, only two campsites occupied at Deer Mountain State Park, only one other hiker in sight. No hills on this trip, given my limited time in the area. US route 3 was nearly deserted. Snowmobile trail #5, on which the Cohos Trail piggybacks in this area, had a few mud puddles, but nothing dramatic. I enjoyed miles of walking the highway and the trail.

When I hiked through this area on a backpacking trip in ’09, the segment of trail now shared with the snowmobile trail was not yet on line. I was on pavement in 90 degree weather from Happy Corner to the Canadian border. I loved that trip, but I can tell you that cool drizzle is fine, too.

Stark

OK, I’m cheating here: I didn’t hike in Stark. I broke up the long drive to Pittsburg by stopping for a night at the Stark Village Inn, owned and operated by a member of the Cohos Trail Association board. The inn was homey and affordable. Nancy, the owner, is the soul of hospitality. She knows the trails in the area, and she’s been known to provide limited shuttle service.

If I did decide to hike in Stark, I’d probably head up the Nash Stream Road from NH Route 110. Or maybe I’d head south of 110 toward the Kilkenny Ridge trail. Maybe I’d just walk along 110 and enjoy the sound and sight of the Upper Ammonoosuc River.

Colebrook and Columbia

I like Colebrook. It’s bustling, but it’s a tiny town nonetheless. Here, US 3 meets NH Route 26, which leads to Dixville Notch. Another day, I would have gone to the Notch for a short but lung-busting climb to Table Rock. No time on this trip, though. “Later,” I promised silently as I drove past NH 26, not weakening even when I drove past Le Rendez-Vous. That’s a bakery with amazing stuff, including irresistible chocolate croissants. (Update: Alas, since the publication of this post, Le Rendez-Vous has closed down.)

On NH 145 northeast of the center of town – a fun road, by the way – is Beaver Brook wayside area. It’s a feast for the eyes. There are short trails near the falls, especially nice in the summer when the spray from the falls is soothing on hot days. Pack a picnic.

waterfall next to picnic area — Beaver Brook wayside area, Colebrook NH

I stopped in Columbia on my way home, just south of Colebrook, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace. It didn’t take long to walk the grounds. There are days when the shrine is thronged with pilgrims & tourists. I was there a few years ago during the annual Blessing of the Motorcycles, with hundreds of cheerful bilingual bikers. This week, I was alone. Different feeling altogether. For me, it was a place of prayer.

(Update: the Shrine closed in 2014. Part of the property has become the Tillotson Center, a community heritage, visual, and performing arts center.)

The ride back to southern New Hampshire on US 3 went past some of my favorite hiking spots, including Weeks State Park. The pesky clock was ticking, though, and I kept driving. Once I was halfway home, the sun came out and the temperature went up 15 degrees. If I couldn’t have that weather for hiking, it was at least nice to have it for driving. No complaints, though. Those were twenty-four good hours.

Mt. Kearsarge via Rollins State Park auto road

May 6, 2013February 23, 2026 / Ellen Kolb / 1 Comment

The auto road up Mt. Kearsarge in Rollins State Park in Warner, New Hampshire, is gated shut and will probably stay that way until Memorial Day approaches. See the Rollins page on the New Hampshire State Parks web site for updated information. That doesn’t block pedestrians and bicyclists, though. If you’re ready for a three-and-a-half-mile uphill walk on a paved road, followed by a half-mile hike on a ledgy trail (total elevation gain from park gate: roughly 1700′), this is the place. Download a map from the State Parks website and enjoy the trip.

Yesterday, armed with plenty of sunscreen, I took the walk and reaped the views. For a plodder like me, it was two hours each way, plus time on the summit. Time well spent, indeed.

I didn’t pack bug repellent, and I should have. Lesson learned.

While there were eight other cars parked outside the gate when I arrived, I encountered other people on the road only occasionally. I was passed by an ambitious bicyclist, twice. At one of the pullouts about halfway up the road, I stopped to watch some turkey vultures gliding aloft. They’re quite beautiful when in flight, however homely they are close up. The only sounds along the way were the breeze through the trees and a rustle of leaves from some nearby critter. I haven’t been anyplace so peaceful since my last trip to Second Connecticut Lake.

A few details: there was a pit toilet along the auto road not far from the park gate, which is always good to know before setting off for a few hours of walking. There’s an admission fee to the park ($4, subject to change), and when the park gate is closed in the off-season, there’s an iron ranger (donation box) where you can place your fee on an honor-system basis. At the upper end of the auto road, if the last half-mile hike is not to your liking, there’s a parking lot and picnic area with views to enjoy, though not the panorama seen from the summit.

Note: This Mt. Kearsarge is not to be confused with a remote peak of the same name in northern New Hampshire.

Getting to Rollins State Park: Take I-89 to exit 8; follow signs to NH 103 toward Warner. In town, turn onto Kearsarge Mountain Road; look for brown signs pointing to Rollins State Park. After several miles, the town road ends at the Rollins gate.

Post revised in 2026 to update web links.

A Quick Stop: Odiorne Point State Park

December 7, 2012February 23, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

I have only a few free minutes between appointments on the New Hampshire Seacoast, just long enough for a stop at Odiorne Point State Park. Deserted in the middle of this workday in the offseason, it makes for a peaceful break.

I wonder how many people drive past here every day on route 1-A and never come into the park, thinking they don’t have the time. Just ten minutes walking anywhere within Odiorne would change anyone’s mind about that. No charge in the offseason. Just park the car & start walking. Instant refreshment.

Coastline with seawall, rocky beach, and house in the distance — Atlantic coastline at Odiorne Point State Park, Rye NH. Ellen Kolb photo.

Odiorne Point State Park, Rye, NH

May 28, 2012February 23, 2026 / Ellen Kolb

Before visiting Odiorne Point State Park on a holiday or weekend, be sure to consult the state park’s website for information on day-use reservations.

This is the best piece of New Hampshire’s eighteen-or-so miles of Atlantic coastline. With a rocky shore, it’s not a big sunbathing destination. Instead there are trails, a boat launch, a salt marsh, dense woods, a science museum (separate admission), and a few World War II-era gun emplacements. Check out the New Hampshire State Parks web page here for more information.

Located on Route 1-A in Rye, just south of Portsmouth & New Castle, Odiorne Point State Park has a modest admission fee whenever there’s an attendant on duty, as on this Memorial Day weekend. Children 5 and under, and New Hampshire residents 65 and older, get in free. Pack a lunch & enjoy the view to the Isles of Shoals from the picnic area. Bring bikes & strollers, since most of the paths are smooth & flat. The boat launch is a short distance north on Route 1-A from the main park entrance, if you want to bring your kayak. You’ll want a camera as well, especially if you’re a birdwatcher.

Somewhat hobbled by a tweaked knee today, I walked a slow circuit from the main parking area out to Frost Point, then past one of the concrete gun emplacements to the bike path along 1-A, which led me back to the parking lot. Lots of families were out & about, but there was no sense of being crowded. I was probably the slowest person in the park, and no one seemed to mind.

To get a sense of the different environments in this one small area, take an oceanside walk to feel the breeze & smell the salt air. Then walk away from the shore into the woods – and in just a minute, no more salt air. The fragrance of the woods is completely different. The shade will catch you by surprise, and so will the mosquitoes, unless you pack some bug repellent.

Flowers both wild & cultivated are everywhere. I’m fond of the wild roses that were blooming along the shore path. Clumps of iris stood near markers paying tribute to the park’s history. They’re not for picking, of course, but I have to admit I was tempted.