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News

  • Help Keep New Hampshire Beautiful, Practice Leave No Trace

    Matt Scaccia
    May 15, 2023

    It's the perfect time of year to remember what it means to recreate responsibly and help care for the resources we all enjoy.

  • The Old Man & the Forest Society

    Dave Anderson, Anna Berry
    May 3, 2023

    In 1923, the Forest Society led a campaign to purchase 6,000 acres in Franconia Notch, including the Old Man of the Mountain, the Flume, the Basin, and two mountain lakes.

  • Every Day is Earth Day at the Forest Society

    Anna Berry
    April 17, 2023

    Here are a few ways you can help us protect our state's natural places in honor of Earth Day on Saturday, April 22.

Forest Society Guide to Winter Hiking & Recreation

Your Guide to Regularly Plowed Forest Society Reservations
Anna Berry
November 16, 2022
Recreation
Land Conservation
Dame Forest, New Durham. (Photo: Jerry Monkman)

Planning on enjoying the colder months by hiking, snowshoeing or just forest bathing in the fresh air? Our 191 Forest Reservations are open year-round and you don't need to register in advance to use these protected spaces, except for Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves (closed for the season) and Mount Monadnock (reservations recommended).

However, winter access may be limited — visitors must follow roadside parking bans that ensure transportation routes are plowed, which means that if there are no plowed parking spaces, you may need to find somewhere else to explore. Below is a list of 11 Forest Society reservations across New Hampshire that have parking spaces plowed regularly during the winter. 

11 Forest Reservations with Plowed Parking

  • Bretzfelder Park, Bethlehem
  • Creek Farm, Portsmouth
  • Dame Forest, New Durham (Longmarsh Road-Route 108 end)
  • Hay Reservation, Newbury (The Fells parking area)
  • Madame Sherri, Chesterfield
  • Merrimack River Outdoor Recreation & Conservation Area, Concord
  • Monson Village, Hollis/Milford
  • Morse Preserve, Alton
  • Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey (Monadnock HQ and Old Roll Road parking only)
  • Mount Major, Alton
  • Weeks Woods, Gilford

Cold is cool IF you're prepared! Remember to:

  • Hike safe and recreate responsibly (pack the 10 Essentials and see the bottom of this page for some universal guidelines);
  •  Download the Forest Society Mobile App, powered by OuterSpatial, for digital maps of our reservations;
  • Follow "The Hiker Responsibility Code" that was developed and is endorsed by The White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire Fish and Game.
  • Check in advance to see whether parking lots are plowed and respect roadside winter parking bans;
  • Be prepared for winter conditions and early sunset times!

Want to go with a guide? Check out our events!

  • See what events, including guided hikes and owl prowls, we have coming up at our reservations this winter.

A graphic of 10 essentials for winter recreation: navigation, flashlight, sun protection, first aid, knife, fire starter, shelter, extra food, water and clothing.

P.S. Here is a list of recommended NH State Parks for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

 

A graphic with recreate responsibly guidelines.

 

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests54 Portsmouth St.Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603.224.9945Fax: 603.228.0423info@forestsociety.org
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