Cool Hikes to New
Hampshire’s Great Places

Looking to explore some of New Hampshire’s remarkable natural places? Now’s the time – the air is cool, clear and crisp and the colors are astounding. Here are a few Nature Conservancy preserves in New Hampshire worth a visit this fall.

The brilliance of fall is not only up in the trees, but on the ground. Fungus adorns the moss at Conservancy-protected lands near Wilkinson Brook in Effingham. Eric Aldrich photo.

Sheldrick Forest – Wilton
Tucked away in a quiet corner of otherwise busy southern New Hampshire is this 227-acre preserve that protects an old forest full virtually undisturbed by humans since farmland abandonment in the 19th century. There’s an extraordinary mix of age, size and species diversity here on these lands that The Nature Conservancy protected from imminent development in 1996. You can enjoy the diverse landscape of Sheldrick Forest on 3 miles of trails, including some that follow glacial eskers through stands of huge white pine.

Green Hills Preserve - North Conway
High above the bustle of commerce in North Conway are the Green Hills, a group of small mountains full of exposed granite bedrock and red pine forests. Protected by The Nature Conservancy in 1990, the Green Hills Preserve also harbors several rare plants, including White Mountain silverling, which inhabits the long cracks in the granite ledge. There are several trails of 2 to 4 miles long that lead to such places as Peaked Mountain, Middle Mountain and Black Cap Mountain (elev. 2,369 feet), all of which offer stunning views of fall foliage in the Mount Washington Valley.

Otter Brook Preserve – Sullivan, Nelson, Stoddard
Trails throughout this 1,700-acre preserve in the heart of southwestern New Hampshire make this a great destination, especially in fall. Protected by the Conservancy in 1998 and 1999, Otter Brook Preserve safeguards exemplary natural communities, including pristine ponds and acidic fens. Trails lead through mixed woods to beautiful views on the shores of Bolster Pond and Ellis Reservoir. Be on the lookout for wildlife sign throughout this preserve. In the fall, look for buck rubs, moose tracks, trees scratched by black bear, beaver activity, ruffed grouse scat and much more. In the winter, the edges of Ellis Reservoir are a great place to find otter slides in the snow.

Ossipee Pine Barrens - Freedom, Madison, Tamworth
The combination of pitch pine and scrub oak with a smattering of maples offers a visual feast in the Conservancy's Ossipee Pine Barrens. The Conservancy has been working since the late 1980s to protect the Ossipee Pine Barrens, a globally rare natural community and the last remaining viable pitch pine barrens ecosystem in New Hampshire. The Conservancy has protected more than 2,000 acres here, about half of which consist of a pitch pine/scrub oak ecosystem. Unprotected portions of the pine barrens are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the state, with strong pressure on landowners for development. With that urgency in the back of your mind, check out the Ossipee Pine Barrens and explore this unique and quietly beautiful landscape. There is a good network of trails, some starting from the preserve trailhead on Route 41, but other good ones leading from Camp Calumet on Ossipee Lake Road. For a nice, high view of the pine barrens landscape, Check out the Jackman Ridge trail from Camp Calumet.

Warwick Preserve – Westmoreland
Spectacular fall colors will greet you from the high ledges on this 36-acre preserve near the Connecticut River in Westmoreland. This land was a gift to The Nature Conservancy in 1965 by Ruth C. Warwick and her daughter, Louise C. Hunninen. It harbors several rare plants and natural communities, in part because of its lime-enriched soils. The May-December Trail and Partridge Brook Trail are pleasant and serene, but a bit steep in places. Watch your footing, bring a camera and enjoy!

Manchester Cedar Swamp, Manchester
Just a short drive from New Hampshire’s biggest city is one of the state’s most important ecological reserves. Established in 1999, this preserve is now 602 acres and amounts to Manchester’s largest permanently protected open space. The preserve protects a globally rare Atlantic white cedar swamp, an unusual type that includes giant rhododendron but also contains black gum trees that are more than 450 years old. As fall pushes on and the days and nights get cooler, look for the moss beds along the Cedar Loop Trail; they take on a brilliant red hue that mixes with browns and greens of other vegetation. Photo opportunities abound.

Lubberland Creek Preserve, Durham, Newmarket
Set along the northern shores of Great Bay, TNC’s 31-acre Lubberland Creek Preserve is a remarkable natural area where you can see a mosaic of estuarine, grassland, forest, and freshwater wetland habitats. The Nature Conservancy acquired the first of many tracts comprising this preserve in 1999, and protection efforts here continue to this day. You can start your hike by going up Jeff’s Hill, where you’ll see extensive oak-hickory and hemlock-beech-oak-pine forests, good habitat for songbirds, porcupine, fisher, deer, and other wildlife, and also supporting rare plant species. As you walk past stone walls, and ledges, you can head back down to Lubberland Creek on Great Bay, where you’ll see an exemplary salt marsh and gorgeous views of Great Bay’s broad intertidal flats.