I’m much obliged to reader Steve for bringing Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve to my attention. This Nature Conservancy property straddles the line between Hooksett and Manchester, New Hampshire, not far from Hackett Hill Road. Among its features is the giant rhododendron, which happens to be a July bloomer.
Parking is in a well-signed spot on Countryside Boulevard, about a half-mile from Hackett Hill Road. Bring your bug repellent and enjoy the walk, but please, no dogs. The trail system is 1.8 miles long.
Kiosk at parking areaLily, Manchester Cedar SwampGiant rhododendronRhododendrons in white and palest pink
The thermometer is topping 90 degrees, and it’s not even July yet. What’s a walker to do? Air conditioning is a wonderful thing, but the trails beckon. I recommend shady ones. Here are a few favorites of mine, with photos I’ve taken along the way.
Odiorne Point State Park, on the Seacoast in Rye (Rt. 1-A). If there’s an onshore breeze, this is heaven on a hot day. Take a walk along the rocky shore, or take one of the paths through the woods. The sharp contrast between adjacent environments is surprising. Bonus: the wild roses are in bloom this time of year. There’s a modest admission fee.
Wild roses at Odiorne Point. All photos by Ellen Kolb.
Mine Falls Park in Nashua is accessible from exits 5E, 5W, and 6 on the Everett Turnpike. It’s a favorite of mine in all seasons. If you only have time for a quick lunchtime walk this summer, try the trail that runs along the mill pond, between Stellos Stadium and Nashua South high school. Bonus: if you have a kayak, you can launch it onto the pond via the ramp near Conway Ice Arena. Keep an eye out for muskrats, herons, eagles, and turtles. Free.
Miles of trails in Mine Falls Park include single track as well as wide paths like this one.
Massabesic Audubon Center is in Auburn off of the Londonderry Turnpike/NH Route 28Bypass, just a few minutes from Manchester. 130 acres, several miles of wooded trails, shoreline on Lake Massabesic. Free admission, but donations are accepted and encouraged.
Lake Massabesic from Battery Point
Madame Sherri Forest, in quiet Chesterfield. Sure, you could hike uphill from here to explore Mt. Wantastiquet. On a hot day, though, a low shady path is better. Parking for this Forest Society property is available on Gulf Road; be careful not to park on nearby private property. Check out the ruins of “Madame Sherri’s castle,” visit Indian Pond, and then stroll down Gulf Road at your leisure. Free.
Madame Sherri’s castle
Pawtuckaway State Park, Nottingham (take exit 5 from NH 101 and follow the signs). This is another year-round treat. Hike the flat shady trails, or pick a hill (one has a fire tower), or enjoy the beach on Pawtuckaway Lake. Bonus: camping and boat rentals. A small admission fee is charged, and on busy weekends and holidays, an advance reservation for parking is essential. See the state park website for more information. This is one of my favorite state parks just because of its sheer variety of recreational opportunities
Cooling off on Pawtuckaway Lake
Do you have any favorite summer spots for a dayhike? Drop a comment below!
I love this banner at the trailhead.Piscataquog River, South Branch; bridge at entrance to 4-H FairgroundsThe trail’s OK for bikes that can handle rough ground with lots of tree roots.No motorized traffic here. Fishing’s OK.New Boston Rail Trail: footbridge over Middle Branch of the Piscataquog River, just off Gregg Mill Road.Lang Station, a small building on the trail at Gregg Mill Road; once an actual stop for trains on the Boston & Maine line.Middle Branch runs fairly high in late spring; I saw kayakers on South Branch today.New Boston town common. The rail trail’s trailhead at the 4-H fairgrounds is only a 10-minute walk north of here, off Rt. 13.Don’t be put off by this beat-up trailer on the fairgrounds; the trailhead is here, with adjacent parking.
Update: since this 2013 post, the New Boston Rail Trail has been extended north to the Goffstown line, with a small parking area at the northern terminus on Riverside Drive (off Parker Road). The trail enjoys strong support from town officials and enthusiastic volunteers. It’s well-maintained, closed to motorized traffic, and easily accessible from New Hampshire’s largest cities.Web links below are up to date as of February 2026.
The New Boston rail trail follows the Piscataquog River and NH Route 13 through town. The river’s gentle sounds and a canopy of trees over the trail muffle sounds from the highway.
This is actually a remnant of the same rail line that gave rise to the Goffstown and Piscataquog (Manchester, NH) trails. This leafy and cool trail is perfect on a summer day, as long as you carry bug repellent. This is a dirt trail, which means it’s occasionally muddy, and it’s open to horses, which means watch your step.
My favorite feature of the trail is the footbridge over the Middle Branch of the Piscataquog River. It’s a simple but lovely piece of work.
Parking is available at several locations off NH Route 13 north of New Boston’s town center: the 4-H Fairgrounds (Hilldale Lane), Lang Station (Gregg Mill Road), and Parker Road. See the rail trail website for further information.
Summertime bee balm along the Cohos Trail. Photo by Ellen Kolb.
Twelfth and last in a series about my Cohos Trail section hike in 2009.If you’ve enjoyed reading about this journey, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Granite State Walker blog. Thank you!
After seven hot hours, I made it from Pittsburg village to Sportman’s Lodge (now closed). It was much more comfortable, not to mention faster, to be walking without a tent or pad or several days’ worth of food.
I slept like a baby last night. No matter how I try, there’s just no way I feel as secure in a tent as I do in a place like a cabin with a lock on the door.
I decided to spend some of my fast-dwindling cash supply on a really, really good breakfast. I went to a diner near my cabin, where the lone waitress was cheerfully attending to a nearly-full house. I ordered my plateful of food along with coffee & OJ, and then heard a cheerful greeting from the next table. I looked over and there was Armand, sitting with his buddies over coffee. A small town, indeed.
When I finished up, I bought a couple of bottles of some kind of flavored non-carbonated water-type stuff (couldn’t they just carry Gatorade??). Armand called out “May it all be downhill.” Surely, there’s no finer farewell for a hiker! We were laughing as I stepped outside for the last leg of the trip.
I took Rt. 145, & when I got to Clarksville Pond Rd., I took one look down Old County Road & decided to stay on 145 until Creampoke Road. When I got to the 45th Parallel marker, I hung my hat on its corner and propped my pack & trekking pole against the sign’s support pole & then took a picture. It occurred to me then that I should have been using that hat as a photographic prop throughout the trip.
145 climbs a bit leaving Pittsburg and heading through Clarksville. I cheered when I got to the little signs warning trucks to use low gear, knowing that meant a downhill stretch was coming up. On Creampoke Road’s long eastward run, a truck slowed down beside me & the driver said “Didn’t I see you in Pittsburg this morning?” Darned if it wasn’t one of Armand’s breakfast companions! We went our separate ways after a brief cheerful chat.
I packed 40 ounces of drinks & should have packed more. I packed 3 energy bars, & I could have done with one. Solid food seemed an unnecessary distraction.
After turning from Creampoke to Haines Hill Road which becomes Macallaster Road, I came to a fork that puzzled me. There was a logging cut on the left with a path through it, and a path like a snowmobile trail off to the right. I remembered going past a logged area when I came up here, but I hadn’t seen the fork from that direction. I used the 10-minute rule that has served me well on the trip, and I didn’t even need the full 10. About 3 minutes of walking into the log yard showed me a dead end on a little knoll.
Suddenly, I heard my phone buzzing. That little hill brought me into cell range, probably pinging off a Canadian tower. I was receiving a text my daughter had sent the night before. I texted her back with an update on my location.
Out of the logging yard, onto the other path, out of cell range: right back where I belonged. My compass confirmed I was heading SSW, close enough to south to be reassuring. The path gradually widened. I came around a curve and saw a massive tree down across the road. Suddenly, I remembered the tree from my northbound walk, and I knew where I was. The tree had been leaning over the road quite precariously when I last saw it. Once past the tree, I recognized the farm ahead, and soon I reached Bear Rock Road. The route was a piece of cake from there, with nothing ahead but signed town roads. By the time I got to Diamond Pond Road, I was dragging, but I knew I was almost done.
Coleman State Park at last! It was just a mile away from my goal, and I was more than ready for water when I got there. The park was deserted except for me and a lone motorcyclist. I dropped my pack & trekking pole on a picnic table & made a beeline for the nearest faucet. I filled my bottle & drank it straight down, savoring shade & water. A faint cell signal let me text my family that I was nearly done. My daughter sent a joyous message back a few moments later. In the patchy world of cell phone service in Coos County, there’s a faint signal at Coleman and no signal at all at the lodge a mile away.
Twenty minutes later, I was at the lodge. I let my host know I was back, told him I needed no dinner service, and went straight upstairs for a shower, clean clothes, and some rest. I felt utterly exhilarated.
We’ve had a good evening here, watching the Red Sox game. My hosts, husband and wife, treated me like an honored guest. Corey, a neighbor whom I met at last year’s Cohos Trail gathering, greeted me like an old friend & wanted to hear about the hike. We all chatted, criticized our pitcher (Buchholz tonight), & put up with dogs & cats vying for attention. I called it a night after 5 or 6 innings.
My inventory of bodily damage from this escapade actually amounts to a short list. Blisters: healing. Toes: A few discolored toenails. Nothing I haven’t seen before. Sunburn: during one stop along the way today, I was alarmed to see little blisters in patches on my shins. I’ve got sunburn over sunburn. I didn’t bother with sunscreen today because I figured I’d only sweat it off within the hour. I now have a painful reminder to USE it hourly, if necessary. I intend to lecture my kids about this. (They’ll ignore me. At their age, I didn’t want to hear it, either.) Left knee: An arthritic joint, to be sure, now sore to the point where I need a pillow under it when I lie down. Nothing new. Naproxen & rest will help.
Tomorrow: laundry, reading, review my photos, and maybe do some kayaking (with lots of sunscreen) on Big Diamond Pond. The day after that, my husband will be here to pick me up and get his first look at the area.
Let’s see: 17 to 19 miles for today, depending on the relative accuracy of Google Maps & my own calculations. Actual one-way CT mileage from lodge to border, including spurs to lodging, & including 2 miles between Coleman State Park & Tumble Dick Notch, comes to 51 miles. That excludes the work on the trails with Lainie, since it was road walking on US 3 that got me to the border. These calculations are for the benefit of all those people in my life who will only want to know how far – how many – how long. It all amounts to 85 miles altogether in 8 days of walking, if anyone asks.
It’s been three years from idea to fruition for this trip. From here, right now, it seems that it all went by in a flash.
If you enjoyed any part of this twelve-post series about my Cohos Trail hike, please consider supporting this blog by visiting Buy Me a Coffee. Thank you!
Tenth in a series of posts journaling a 2009 hike on the northernmost section of the Cohos Trail.
(Update, 2026: The station at the international border between New Hampshire and Quebec has been enlarged substantially since my hike. One welcome addition is a small dedicated parking area for day trippers heading to Fourth Connecticut Lake without wanting to cross into Canada. Watch for signage as you approach the border. If you choose to hike across the border, do so only at the border stations on US 3. Be sure to have your passport or passport card with you. No exceptions.)
At Deer Mountain State Park in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, my sleep was untroubled until the first logging truck roared onto the dirt road just across the river from my campsite at 5 a.m. I’ve changed campsites for tonight.
I woke up to find everything in the tent damp from condensation. Very unpleasant, but not surprising. This muggy weather stays overnight, even though the heat takes a break for a few hours. Tonight, I’ll cram into a plastic garbage bag all items that will fit.
The heat really took a lot out of me today. I was such a sweaty mess when I got back from the border that I got cleaned up & changed as soon as I returned to camp, even though the day was far from over. T-shirt & shorts & the indispensable socks are hanging to dry after a good rinse in spring water.
I MADE IT!!! I’ve reached the northern end of the Cohos Trail. I crossed into Canada long enough to enjoy a snack on the hill overlooking Chartierville. I got here with NO northbound shuttles past Stewartstown, on my own two blistered feet, through rain & heat & pavement & rocks & weeds. I did it, I did it, I did it. I’m 50 years old, and I’ve just had a dream come true that would not have occurred to me at 40. And I have had so much fun in the process that it’s just plain ridiculous.
Amid all this lofty prose, the tent ceiling is drooping AGAIN. That’ll keep me humble.
Conditions for today’s hike were the same as yesterday’s, & the moose are still avoiding US 3 in the heat of the day.
As I passed Third Connecticut Lake, a coyote howled over & over from somewhere on the other side. I heard a loon somewhere out there as well. These were the only sounds – no traffic at those moments.
The border crossings were quick & uneventful. I stopped on the US side to confirm that I could get back in with my passport. I then walked to Canadian customs, stopping to photograph the boundary monument. I’m sorry no one was around to take a picture of me standing there. This was not a place to seek help from the border agents. Very serious men, every one. I can usually elicit a smile from people. Not these guys.
At the Canadian station, I discovered – oh, the letdown! The disappointment! – that they had no need to stamp my passport. The document therefore still looks unused. Stamp or not, though, I couldn’t have entered Canada or returned to the US without it. Glad I brought it. Upon seeing my lunch bag & my trekking pole, and probably getting a whiff of my unshowered body as well, the Canadian agent nodded at my request to cross over for a short walk. Looking at the posted list of prohibited items, I quickly added that I was carrying a jackknife. That almost drew a smile from the agent – a ghost of a smile was in there somewhere. He saw no need to inspect my little bag, and he sent me on my way.
I have been told that it’s amazing to cross into Quebec from NH because of the abrupt change from forest to farmland. Turns out that’s absolutely true. The view from the border is really quite striking: US 3 becomes Rt. 257, and it heads straight north to Chartierville, three miles away – downhill all the way in one gentle rolling drop after another. The day was too hazy for any good photo of this scene. Little town, lots of farmland, lots of signs in French: welcome to Quebec.
I decided after seeing that downhill road that I was not going to check out Chartierville. The trip back would have been time-consuming and, quite frankly, a drain on my legs, and I still had 4th Lake on the day’s agenda. Instead, I found a picnic area in a small meadow just past the border station, with three shaded picnic tables & a tourist kiosk & view to the north. I took out my water & my snack & enjoyed my 15 minutes of international travel right there.
The meadow was full of energetic cedar waxwings, flying from trees to meadow to picnic tables in search of worms or insects or whatever it is they live on. The heat wasn’t slowing them down a bit. They kept me quite entertained, though I was too slow to get good pictures. I never knew they could hover, but hover they did when examining a promising patch of ground.
Back to the USA. I told the agent I wanted to go on the Fourth Connecticut Lake trail, and he waved me toward it. Within about two minutes, I was very glad I hadn’t gone to Chartierville & back. This little trail went up a few hundred feet in seven-tenths of a mile. Wherever it wasn’t rocky, it was muddy. I needed the trekking pole, especially on the way down. But … I got there! Fourth Lake is a peaceful, unassuming little bog. It’s a marvel to think of the lakes I’ve seen on this trip all starting out here.
The walk back to camp in the afternoon was anticlimactic. I was hot & lethargic, & I went through my water much too fast. There’s a little unmarked pullout at 3rd Lake where small boats can put in. I stopped there to sit by the shore & cool off for awhile. I soaked my bandanna in the chilly water & then tied it around my neck. Heavenly. (That bandanna has been really good to have on this trip.) A couple from Florida sat nearby with their 3 dogs. The largest of the 3 was Mick, a boisterous creature who liked chasing his little Frisbee into the water. With the owners’ OK, I tossed the toy into the lake again & again, & Mick splashed right in to retrieve it & dog-paddle back to shore for another round. He would shake off cold water all over me after every retrieval. I loved it.
Back to US 3, grinding it out one step at a time. I promised my kids I’d do no hitchhiking, and never was that promise more sorely tested than today. I behaved myself, though, and returned to Deer Mountain under my own power. I stopped at the spring at the park entrance to refill my water bottle, and I drank a third of it down in one long pull.
No rest for the weary just yet. I was determined to change my campsite to avoid another 5 a.m. logging-truck wakeup call. I’m now just a stone’s throw away from the ranger’s office & house. I’ll bet logging trucks don’t wake HIM up at 5.
Relocated & freshened up by 3:30 in the afternoon, I dropped onto my sleeping pad & slept for an hour. A breeze blowing through the tent was a big help. When I woke up, I felt thoroughly refreshed, though really hungry. I put a good dent in the contents of the bear box, washing it all down with water. Delightful.
It’s 7:30 p.m. now, & I miss having a book, & I’m picturing my family watching Jeopardy!
Ooohh, I can feel the air mucking up again. Tent fly off, mesh wide open: let’s hope that keeps the humidity at bay.
NH’s northernmost state park, Deer Mountain, five miles from the Canadian border.
Ninth in a series of posts journaling a 2009 hike on the northern section of the Cohos Trail.
(Update, 2026: the Treats and Treasures store, later known as First Lake General Store, is no longer in business. Young’s Store is where to resupply in Pittsburg.)
I figured I’d be out for six hours today, & I was right. That included stops. I scurried out this morning without much breakfast, and I paid for that later, as five minutes’ thought would have warned me. No matter. I’m here, at Deer Mountain State Park, five miles from Canada.
It took half an hour to walk from my Prospect Mountain quarters down to US 3. I stopped at a store a little north of Happy Corner to buy (& drink on the spot) a bottle of Gatorade. I knew I’d need the calories as well as the fluid. At Second Connecticut Lake dam, about two-thirds of the way to Deer Mountain, I stopped for 20 minutes because I was bonking. My no-breakfast decision caught up with me. I nibbled on a Powerbar & drank some water, then nibbled some more as a few minutes’ rest revived me. I lay on the grass in the shade, leaning against my backpack, feeling better by the minute. The spray from the dam was a treat.
Route 3 was hot and shadeless at midday. I saw no moose – not a one – though to be fair, any self-respecting moose spent today by a shady brook.
It’s the end of a summer weekend. I saw a fair number of out-of-state plates. Lots of day trippers came north with their kayaks, I presume for East Inlet. I saw so many motorcyclists that I worried they were all headed to Deer Mountain to camp, leaving me without a site. They weren’t, meaning they must have been Quebecois heading home.
I stopped at a spring on the roadside a bit north of Second Lake. While I was filling my bottles with that wonderful cold water, two people drove up to fill a pair of five-gallon jugs. They’re regulars here. They caught me up on the forecast for the next couple of days, and it sounds good, meaning no rain.
Humid, sticky day. I’ve been disappointed about not being able to hike up Magalloway, but that doesn’t bother me so much now. This may sound like sour grapes, but it’s been so muggy & hazy the past few days that visibility from the fire tower must be lousy.
It’s 5 p.m. now, there’s a soft breeze coming on, and the sun is becoming less harsh. Families are pulling into camp to claim their spaces. I saw the reservation sheet, and at least two sites have been rented for the week, starting today. It’s very peaceful here. I can see the attraction.
The attendant here, whose office is a little patio adjoining his cabin, recommended an out-of-the-way site for me. It’s right on Moose Flowage, as the Connecticut River is known in this stretch. I love the sound of the water, & while the site is buggy, I have DEET. Good enough. I actually have a couple of spots within the park that I can go to get away from the bugs. One is here, at the 2-table picnic area out front on US 3, beside the campground’s flagpole. The pole sports the most faded NH flag I have ever seen, and a somewhat less beaten-up American flag. Maybe a VIP coming to the Sentiers Frontaliers/Cohos Trail press conference Tuesday will be moved to spring for new ones.
ALMOST there. Third & Fourth Connecticut Lakes are just a few miles away. My goals tomorrow are to get to Fourth Lake and thus reach the current northern terminus of the CT, and to get over the border long enough to get my passport stamped. Lainie pointed out that bringing my backpack through Canadian customs, as I had planned to do, would be a headache. She’s right. I’ll try for the border tomorrow while my heavy equipment stays here.
The park attendant says the spring water here is fine, and I guess I believe him. He looks hydrated enough. He also said my bear canister was OK but probably not necessary. He hasn’t had a bear pester anyone here for three years. Fine. Let’s make it four. I’m using the canister. It’ll foil the raccoons, at any rate.
I’m sponging down my aching feet with my bandanna soaked in cool spring water. Ahhhh. The daily routine has been to soak my feet in cold water after a long day, dry them off, and put fresh padding around the nearly-healed blisters. (Another lesson from this trip: do not ever hike in wet socks.) That’s working well. My left knee was the day’s chief troublemaker. After 13 miles, it’s entitled to protest – just not for long.
A pair of hummingbirds entertained me for awhile when I arrived. I can hear plenty of other birds with unfamiliar songs. Sunburn & all, it’s been a glorious Sunday. This really is a lovely little piece of God’s creation.
Snug and dry as this tent was at Lake Francis, I’m still annoyed that I am never able to pitch it tight enough to keep the already-low roof from drooping. Also, I’m on a platform, and I’m still figuring out the best way to pitch and guy out my nonfreestanding tent. This trip is a learning experience. I’ve rolled back the fly and hooked it to the low side of the tent to keep ventilation going on this muggy evening. If it starts raining, I can have the fly up in a minute.
I can hear voices from nearby sites only faintly. I’m far from other sites but actually close to US 3.
I’ve put the bear canister a short distance from the tent platform. No bear is going to come after me, but I am concerned about a bear wanting my food if the food is tucked in with me. Perhaps I need a tad more fortitude.
OK, so I have fortitude of a sort. I’ve walked a fair chunk of the Cohos Trail alone. No one can ever take this away from me. I’ve also had some wonderful encounters with other people, & no one can ever take that away from me, either. This relatively inexperienced hiker is on top of the world.
For all the concerns expressed by family & friends as I prepared to take this trip, the most dangerous part of my walk so far was probably today, walking along US 3. Drivers were very friendly as they zipped past me in their fast little cars. But here I am, thank God, with no injuries but the ones I’ve inflicted on myself. My feet really do look like a podiatrist’s nightmare.
My husband wondered how I’d get by without reading material. He knows me well. I brought a magazine with me on the trip, and I decided to leave it at the Bungalow for the next occupants. I dropped every little thing I could spare to cut the pack’s weight, & I’m glad I did. But oh, I could go for something to read right now!
This trip is over the hump, & my husband & kids & home are coming in sight. It’ll be good to see them again. As soon as I get back home, it’ll be time to help my daughter pack for her departure to college. That seems awfully close now.
It’s nearly dark, and I’ve written enough. God grant me untroubled sleep & an uncomplicated day for tomorrow!
Granite State Walker 