A Few Cool Destinations for the Bigfooter

Otter Brook Preserve
© Eric Aldrich/TNC

Don't be too anxious for winter to end. Only a precious few weeks remain to head out on your snowshoes and explore some of The Nature Conservancy's wilder side.

Here are a few TNC destinations you might try on snowshoes:

Otter Brook Preserve - The hills, ponds and streams of southwestern New Hampshire form the backdrop of TNC's Otter Brook Preserve. Snowshoeing here can be an hour-long jaunt or an all-day adventure, exploring the trails of this wild part of Cheshire County. Tracking here is great; look for otter slides along Otter Brook and Bolster Pond. Sign of black bear abound in the red pine forest on the preserve's eastern end. Bring a Thermos with a hot drink and a camera.

Fourth Connecticut Lake - The adventurous can trek to the source of New England's largest river ecosystem, Fourth Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg. The round trip is only about 2 miles, but the Conservancy's Wink Lees notes that the first 3/4 of a mile is steep and rocky and not for the faint of heart. Prepare for wind and excellent views as you get up on the ridge that divides both the U.S. and Canada and Connecticut/St. Lawrence river systems. You can also hike around Fourth Connecticut Lake. Be prepared to see moose and their sign.

Peaked Mountain Trail - This is one of the Conservancy's most popular hiking destinations in the Conservancy's Green Hills Preserve in North Conway. Although you won't see them under several feet of snow, the preserve harbors three rare plants, including smooth sandwort, White Mountain silverling and green adder's mouth. This 2.1-mile excursion (one-way) leads to excellent views of Middle Mountain and Black Cap. There are a few steep sections, but the views are well worth the effort. Park at the Pudding Pond trailhead off Thompson Road.

Ossipee Pine Barrens - For easier and flatter-terrain snowshoeing, check out the Conservancy's Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve in Freedom, Madison, Ossipee and Tamworth. The Pine Barrens Loop is 1.3 miles, beginning at the preserve sign on Route 41 (maps available at trailhead). It's an easy excursion through classic pitch pine scrub oak barrens - makes for great winter photos.

Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp - For a mix of terrain and scenery, try the Loverens Trail in Antrim in the southwestern part of the state. The loop takes you through an Atlantic white cedar swamp and along the icy North Branch of the Contoocook River. You'll also see giant glacial erratics, deposited during the retreat of the last ice age some 15,000 years ago. Trailhead is on Loveren Mill Road, just off Route 9 in Antrim.

Sheldrick Forest - There are lots of great trails for snowshoeing in the Conservancy's Sheldrick Forest in Wilton ... and it's an easy-to-reach destination. Terrain and trails are diverse enough for an outing of an easy hour to several hours through this forest that has remained largely undisturbed for more than 150 years. For an ambitious option, take the Heald Connection, which links this preserve with the trail network on the Heald Tract, owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Manchester Cedar Swamp - Not far from downtown Manchester is this 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. Winter is a great time to see this interesting area; bring a camera. This recently expanded preserve has a 1.8-mile loop trail system, which includes two offshoot loops. Trailhead is off Countryside Boulevard on the west side of Manchester.

For more information on these and other destinations of The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire, contact Eric Aldrich, 603-224-5853, ext. 26.