Fourth Connecticut Lake, Pittsburg
Ever wonder where the Connecticut River starts? Here's the northernmost reach of this 410-mile river, a pristine 2.5-acre pond just below the U.S./Canada border in Pittsburg. The gurgling brook flowing out of this pond is the beginning of New England's longest river. Fourth Connecticut Lake is a northern acidic mountain tarn, a remnant from the post-glacial tundra and unusual in New Hampshire. The acidic cold water results in a very slow decomposition of organic matter. The edge of the lake is surrounded by a well-developed floating bog mat of mosses, sedges, grasses, leather leaf, buckbean, and insect-eating plants, like sundew and pitcher plants. You might see moose, white-tailed deer, black bear, spruce grouse or northern three-toed woodpecker. A 1.7-mile (round trip) trail that starts at the border station takes you right along the international border. At the south end of Fourth Connecticut Lake, you can actually step across the Connecticut River.

For directions and more information, click here.

East Inlet, Pittsburg
If you're up for canoeing or kayaking, try East Inlet in Pittsburg. It's an inlet to Second Connecticut Lake. You have a chance of seeing nesting black-backed woodpeckers, osprey, bald eagles, great blue herons, moose, pine marten or spruce grouse. A section of The Nature Conservancy's 427-acre Norton Pool Preserve is at the northern end of East Inlet. It includes a magnificent virgin stand of spruce and fir.

For directions and more information, click here.

White Mountain silverling at Peaked Mountain.
Jeff Lougee photo (C) TNC.

Peaked Mountain Trail, North Conway
This 2.1 mile (one way) trail takes you comfortably away from North Conway's outlet stores to the 1,793-foot summit of Peaked Mountain. It's part of the Conservancy's 2,822-acre Green Hills Preserve, which was protected in 1990 with help from the late Anna B. Stearns. The preserve consists of a group of small mountains composed of Conway Granite, a durable, volcanic bedrock formed 200 million years ago. On the vast amounts of exposed bedrock on Peaked Mountain, there are many examples of glacial grooves and scratches formed when the last Ice Age's glacier scoured the area's slopes. The Green Hills are home to three rare plants, including White Mountain silverling, smooth sandwort, and green adder's mouth. White Mountain silverling is really interesting, because it grows mostly in the cracks of exposed ledge where there's amazingly little soil and where it's exposed to hot sun and icy winter conditions. The plant has been located in only a handful of sites in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts.

For directions and more information, click here.

Manchester Cedar Swamp, Manchester
On the northwestern end of Manchester is a network of trails through a globally rare ecosystem, where you can see forested wetlands with Atlantic white cedars and black gum trees that are as much as 450 years old. Now is a great time to see this interesting area because of the giant rhododendron. This preserve has a 1.8-mile loop trail system, which includes two offshoot loops. Be sure to hit the Rhododendron Loop Trail ... and Bring a camera!

For directions and more information, click here.

Other good Conservancy preserves with hiking trails include: Otter Brook Preserve in Sullivan, Loverens Mills Cedar Swamp in Antrim and Stoddard, Sheldrick Forest in Wilton, and Ossipee Pine Barrens.