New Hampshire

The State of New Hampshire was named for Hampshire, England, by Captain John Mason.  It became the 9th state on June 21, 1788. New Hampshire was one of the original 13 colonies that broke away from the British Empire, and is one of the six New England States.  The state has four unique nicknames that it is commonly referred to by its residents. The nicknames are The Granite State, Mother of Rivers, White Mountain State, and Switzerland of America.  These nicknames are showcased in a wide variety of ways throughout the state parks that provide a host of outdoor interests such as camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and a multitude of winter recreation activities.

To find out more information about New Hampshire and its state parks you can visit the Division of Parks and Recreation site.

• Ahern State Park – Laconia, NH
• Ahern Park spans 128 acres, with 3,500 feet of shoreline on Lake Winnisquam.  The area includes fishing, hiking, and trail biking.   
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• Androscoggin Wayside Park – Errol, NH
• Androscoggin Wayside is located along the Androscoggin River and lies within the Thirteen Mile Woods. It is a scenic spot for picnicking and fishing, and a favorite for canoeing.
• Annett Wayside Park – Rindge, NH
• Annett Wayside is part of the 1,494 acre Annett State Forest and is located near the Cathedral of the Pines National Shrine.  The area includes hiking, picnicking, and leashed pets.
• Bear Brook State Park – Allenstown, NH
• Bear Brook Park is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire. Located in the southeast region of the state, there is plenty to do and see for everyone. Forty miles of trails through the heavily forested park lead to seldom visited marshes, bogs, summits, and ponds. The park offers a variety of options for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.  Bear Brook has a museum complex within the park which is home to New Hampshire Antique Snowmobile Museum, Old Allenstown Meeting House, and the Richard Diehl Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum.
• Beaver Brook Falls Wayside - Colebrook, NH
• Beaver Brook Falls Wayside is 7.3 acres in size and is a popular place for hiking. The park has a scenic picnic area with picnic tables and small picnic shelter. A group use area for weddings and reunions is also available.
• Bedell Bridge State Park – Haverhill, NH
• Bedell Bridge State Park is a 38-acre park located along the Connecticut River. The park was the site of a historic two-span covered bridge, the second longest in the country. The Burrtuss bridge, which connected New Hampshire to Vermont, was destroyed by wind in 1979 and is no longer there. A Fish and Game boat launch is located within the park.
• Cardigan State Park – Orange, NH
• Cardigan Mountain State Park spans 5,655 acres and is an excellent area for hiking. A mountain road leads to trails on the west slope of Mount Cardigan as well as a trail to the summit. Mount Cardigan's 3,121-foot treeless granite summit affords outstanding views of west central New Hampshire, with a panorama that includes Mount Monadnock and the White Mountains, Camel's Hump in Vermont, and Pleasant Mountain in Maine.
• Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area – Chesterfield, NH
• Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area spans 13 acres. It offers great opportunities for hiking as you explore the footpaths along the gorge and enjoy the scenic views.  The area provides nature viewing, information on how the gorge was formed, and plant species of the gorge.
• Clough State Park Weare, NH
• Clough State Park is located on the shore of Everett Lake, a 150-acre lake formed by a dam on the Piscataquog River. The park has a 900-foot sandy beach, playing fields, and large picnic areas.  Clough State Park is open weekends only beginning on June 16, 2012 and closes September 3, 2012. Operating hours are Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 am to sunset.
• Coleman State Park - Stewartstown, NH
• Coleman State Park lies on the shore of Little Diamond Pond in Stewartstown, twelve miles east of Colebrook in New Hampshire's remote North Country. The trout fishing in Little Diamond Pond and nearby streams makes Coleman an excellent location for fishing, hunting, and camping enthusiasts.
• Crawford Notch State Park - Harts Location, NH
• Crawford Notch State Park has 5,775 acres providing access to numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, fishing, wildlife viewing, and spectacular mountain views. Crawford Notch State Park is rich in history with the famous Willey House. The campground in the park is Dry River Campground and offers 36 wooded sites.
• Crawford Notch/Dry River Campground – Harts Location, NH
• Crawford Notch State Park has 5,775 acres providing access to numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, fishing, wildlife viewing, and spectacular mountain views. Crawford Notch State Park is rich in history with the famous Willey House. The campground in the park is Dry River Campground and offers 36 wooded sites.
• Daniel Webster Birthplace - Franklin, NH
• The Daniel Webster Birthplace is associated with the birth and early childhood years of Daniel Webster, one of our country's most respected orators and statesmen. While the site affords a view of the early years of Daniel Webster, it also provides a glimpse of 1700s farm life in the infant years of the United States.
• Deer Mountain Campground - Pittsburg, NH
• Deer Mountain Campground is located in Connecticut Lakes State Forest, adjacent to the Connecticut River between Second and Third Connecticut lakes, Deer Mountain Campground is just five minutes south of the Canadian border. It is adjacent to the stretch of Route 3 north of Pittsburg, referred to as Moose Alley, which makes it a prime location for moose viewing. The campground consists of 25-site primitive campground.
• Dixville Notch State Park - Dixville, NH
• Dixville Notch State Park spans 127 acres. Within the park is a scenic gorge and waterfalls on two mountain brooks. Hiking trails lead to Table Rock and nearby mountains.
• Echo Lake State Park - Conway, NH
• Echo Lake State Park is a great place to take the family for a swim and picnic. A scenic trail around the lake provides great views of sheer, 700-foot Cathedral Ledge which towers over the lake. A mile-long auto road and hiking trails lead to the top of Cathedral Ledge where views across the Saco River Valley to the White Mountains can be enjoyed. Both Cathedral and nearby White Horse ledges are popular rock and ice climbing walls.
• Eisenhower Memorial Wayside Park - Carroll, NH
• Eisenhower Memorial Wayside Park is a seven-acre memorial park, established in 1979 as a gift from the Bretton Woods Corporation and honors the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Views of the Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest are a short walk away. Picnic tables are available.
• Ellacoya State Park - Gilford, NH
• Ellacoya State Park is located in Gilford on the southwest shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake. The 600-foot long sandy beach, with views across the lake to the Sandwich and Ossipee mountains, is a great place to spend with the family for a full day of swimming and picnicking. The campground includes 37 sites available by reservation only, and offers three-way hook-ups.     
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• Endicott Rock - Laconia, NH
• Endicott Rock may be the oldest public monument in New England. The name of John Endicott, Governor of Massachusetts Bay, and the initials of Edward Johnson and Simon Willard, Commissioners of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and of John Sherman and Jonathan Ince, Suveyors, were inscribed on the rock on August 1, 1652.
• Forest Lake State Park - Dalton, NH
• Forest Lake State Park, one of the ten original state parks, was created in 1935. The park spans 397 acres and its 200-foot sandy beach lies on the shore of Forest Lake. Popular activities in the park include swimming, picnicking, mountain biking, fishing, and boating.
• Fort Constitution Historic Site - New Castle, NH
• Fort Constitution State Historic Site is located on a peninsula on the northeast corner of New Castle Island. It overlooks both the Piscataqua River and the Atlantic Ocean. The grounds provide a casual gathering spot for picnics. In 1791, the State of New Hampshire gave the United States the neck of land on which Fort William and Mary and a lighthouse were situated.
• Fort Stark Historic Site - New Castle, NH
• Fort Stark Historic Site is located on a peninsula historically called Jerry's Point on the southeast corner of New Castle Island. It overlooks the Piscataqua River, Little Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Stark was named in honor of John Stark, commander of N.H. forces at the Battle of Bennington (1777). An unmarked walking trail traverses the ten-acre fort site.
• Franconia Notch State Park - Franconia, NH
• Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway which extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at the north.  Visitors can go to the Flume Gorge Visitor Center and walk through the renowned Flume Gorge, ride the exciting aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain, and visit the New England Ski Museum. There is also swimming at Echo Lake, trout and fly fishing at Profile Lake, bike riding on the Recreational Trail, nature viewing of hawks and falcons on Cannon Cliffs, or hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
• Franklin Pierce Homestead - Hillsborough, NH
• Franklin Pierce Homestead reflects the gracious and affluent living of the nineteenth century. A ballroom, which extends the entire length of the second floor, was used for entertaining neighbors and distinguished families of the state and nation. Franklin Pierce shared Daniel Webster's dedication to national unity and led our country during the most trying of times, the time of slavery. Private tours & large group tours, both coinciding & outside the public hours & months, can be arranged.
• Gardner Memorial Wayside Park - Springfield, NH
• Gardner Memorial Wayside Park is part of Gile State Forest, which spans 6,675 acres, and includes hiking along with picnicking. The Wayside includes a memorial to Walter C. Gardner II, whose father established Gile State Forest.
• Governor Wentworth Historic Site - Wolfboro, NH
• At Governor Wentworth Historic Site, explore the remains of an extensive northern plantation built just before the outbreak of the American Revolution. Built by New Hampshire's second Royal Governor, John Wentworth, the mansion burned to the ground in 1820. It has been the site of an archaeological dig where artifacts have been carefully pieced together.
• Greenfield State Park - Greenfield, NH
• Greenfield State Park is tucked away in this 400-acre park in the southwest corner of the Granite State and features ponds, bogs, camping, and a forest that extends to the shore of undeveloped Otter Lake. Walking paths lead to ponds and other points of interest in the park. A small park store offers refreshments and souvenirs for sale.
• Hampton Beach State Park - Hampton, NH
• Hampton Beach State Park provides year-round recreation, with Atlantic ocean-front facilities situated along miles of sandy beach. Activities in the park include swimming, fishing, picnicking, and RV camping with full hook-ups in the campground. The new Seashell Complex, Visitor Services and Administration buildings will also be open for the 2012 Summer season.
• Hannah Dustin Memorial - Boscawen, NH
• Hannah Duston Memorial was erected in 1874 and is the first publically-funded statue in New Hampshire. Located on a small island at the confluence of the Contoocook and Merrimack Rivers, the statue commemorates the escape of Hannah Duston, who was captured in 1697 in Haverhill, Massachusetts during the French and Indian War. A short walk from the parking area brings visitors to a pretty picnic spot on the shore of the river.
• Jenness State Beach – Rye, NH
• Jenness State Beach is a great family location with an Atlantic ocean-front setting - its sandy beach is ideal for swimming and picnicking. Amenities at the beach include a bathhouse.
• Jericho Mountain State Park – Berlin, NH
• Jericho Mountain State Park provides opportunities for miles of trail riding for ATV, UTV, trail bike, and snowmobile enthusiasts alike. Open to the public, but still in development, the park will continue to have more miles added to the trail network over the next several years.
• Kingston State Park – Kingston, NH
• Kingston State Park is only 14 miles from the New Hampshire seacoast and is close to many attractions such as Canobie Lake Park, The Fox Run Mall, various antique shops, and fine restaurants. The park is 44 acres in size and includes fireplaces and picnic areas, a playground, softball field, and three game areas for horseshoes and volleyball.
• Lake Francis State Park - Pittsburg, NH
• Lake Francis State Park lies on the shores of Lake Francis a 2,000 acre lake near the Connecticut Lakes of the Great North Woods region. Hunters and anglers enjoy this park as a base for their respective activities. Canoeists enjoy exploring the upper part of the Connecticut River. Lake Francis campground provides 45 sites.
• Lake Tarleton State Park - Piermont, NH
• Lake Tarleton, at 315 acres, offers an unguarded swimming beach and opportunities for fishing and hunting in season. A N.H. Fish and Game boat launch is available less than a quarter mile from the park.
• Madison Boulder Natural Area - Madison, NH
• Madison Boulder Natural Area is home to the largest known erratic in New England, and among the largest in the world. Madison Boulder is a huge granite rock measuring 83 feet in length, 23 feet in height above the ground, 37 feet in width, and weighs upwards of 5,000 tons! The 17-acre site was acquired by the state of N.H. in 1946.
• Milan Hill State Park - Milan, NH
• Milan Hill State Park is known for hiking, picnicking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. From this hilltop campground and the fire tower located there, you can get a complete view of the mountain ranges in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Canada.
• Miller State Park - Peterborough, NH
• Miller State Park is located on the 2,290-foot summit and flank of Pack Monadnock in Peterborough and is the oldest state park in New Hampshire. A winding 1.3-mile paved road leading to the scenic summit is open for visitors to drive in summer and on spring and fall weekends. Three main hiking trails ascend Pack Monadnock to the summit.  
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• Mollidgewock State Park - Errol, NH
• Mollidgewock Park offers great canoeing and kayaking opportunities for both novice and expert paddlers. The area is a favorite of fishing enthusiasts and is popular for watching moose and other wildlife. The campground offers 44 tent sites.
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• Monadnock State Park - Jaffrey, NH
• Monadnock State Park is located in and around the 3,165-ft. Mount Monadnock. The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected highlands. In 1987, Mount Monadnock was designated a National Natural Landmark. The park offers year-round recreational opportunities such as camping, hiking, skiing, along with a winter recreation area.
• Moose Brook State Park - Gorham, NH
• Moose Brook State Park is in an area of unparalleled scenery and offers a variety of outdoor activities including camping, hiking, nature viewing, biking, and fishing. The park is ideally located for fishing in the Peabody and Moose Rivers. Moose Brook flows through the park and after passing through a shallow warming pool, feeds the swimming area with cool, clear mountain water.     
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• Mt. Sunapee State Park - Newbury, NH
• Mount Sunapee State Park is a major recreation area in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region offering year-round activities including camping, fishing, swimming, and hiking. In the winter, alpine skiing is available at Mt. Sunapee Resort, owned by the state of New Hampshire and managed by the Okemo Mountain Resort. The 4,085 acre lake at Mt.Sunapee State Park Beach is an ideal spot for family and group outings.
• Mt. Washington State Park - Sargent's Purchase, NH
• Mount Washington State Park, a 60.3-acre parcel perched on the summit of the Northeast's highest peak, is surrounded by the extensive 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest.  The Sherman Adams building, a modern summit building, houses The Sherman Adams Visitor Center, a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shops, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum.
• Nansen Wayside Park - Milan, NH
• Nansen Wayside Park is located near the banks of the Androscoggin River and is a popular place for picnicking, fishing, and boating. A boat launch is available. The park spans 14 acres and is the site of the 170-foot steel-framed Nansen Ski Jump, seen towering over the area.
• North Beach - Hampton, NH
• North Beach is a great family location with an Atlantic ocean-front setting - its sandy beach is ideal for swimming and picnicking. Amenities at the beach include a bathhouse, which is open year-round.
• North Hampton State Beach - North Hampton, NH
• North Hampton State Beach is an ideal family location with an Atlantic ocean-front setting that is great for swimming and picnicking. Amenities at the beach include a bathhouse.
• Northwood Meadows State Park - Northwood, NH
• Northwood Meadows State Park spans 674.5 acres in a wilderness setting. This wooded park has a vast wetlands area and is excellent for nature walks, picnicking, fishing, and winter recreation.
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• Odiorne Point State Park - Rye, NH
• At Odiorne Point State Park picnickers can enjoy sweeping views of the ocean and rocky shore, and explorers can uncover evidence of past military occupation. An extensive network of trails wind through the dense vegetation and traverse the park. The Seacoast Science Center, which is located in the park, has exhibits relating to the natural and human history of Odiorne and the seacoast area.
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• Pawtuckaway State Park - Nottingham, NH
• Pawtuckaway State Park offers a variety of landscapes, with something to do and see for everyone. The park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking, with trails leading to many special points of interest, including a mountaintop fire tower; an extensive marsh where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen, and a geologically unique field where large boulders called glacial erratics were deposited when glacial ice melted near the end of the Ice Age. 
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• Pillsbury State Park - Washington, NH
• Pillsbury State Park is one of the more primitive and lesser known gems of the New Hampshire State Park system. Heavily wooded and sprinkled with several ponds and wetlands, its diversity of habitats makes it home to a great variety of wildlife, including moose and loons.  The area offers camping, fishing, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and other winter recreation activities.
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• Pisgah State Park - Winchester, NH
• Pisgah State Park includes over 13,300 acres of rough forested terrain, encompassing a complete watershed north of the Ashuelot River that is known for biking, fishing, hiking, and winter recreation. Within the Cheshire County towns of Winchester, Chesterfield and Hinsdale, the park protects seven ponds (popular for fishing), four highland ridges and numerous wetlands.
• Rhododendron State Park - Fitzwilliam, NH
• Rhododendron State Park is named after the 16-acre grove of Rhododendron Maximum, which is the focal point of the park. A 0.6 mile-long universally accessible trail encircles the grove allowing visitors to observe, close up, the fragrant clusters of pink blossoms as they burst into bloom in mid-July. 
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• Robert Frost Farm - Derry, NH
• The Robert Frost Farm Historic Site was home to Robert Frost and his family from 1900-1911. Frost, one of the nation's most acclaimed poets whose writings are said to be the epitome of New England, attributed many of his poems to memories from the Derry years. The simple two-story white clapboard farmhouse is typical of New England in the 1880s. 
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• Rollins State Park - Warner, NH
• Rollins State Park, located in Warner, is situated on the south slope of Mt. Kearsarge. A 3-1/2 mile long scenic auto road rises from the park entrance through woodlands to the parking and picnic areas. The picnic area, located in a natural wooded glen beneath granite ledges, is historically referred to as the "Garden." It affords views that stretch from Mt. Monadnock to the hills of New Hampshire's coastal plain.  
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• Rye Harbor State Park - Rye NH
• Rye Harbor State Park affords scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Isles of Shoals, and Rye Harbor, also called Ragged Neck. Favorite activities enjoyed in the park include saltwater fishing and picnicking with ocean breezes.  Rye Harbor State Park is a great location to hold a family reunion, corporate outing, wedding, and more.
• Sculptured Rocks Natural Area - Groton, NH
• Sculptured Rocks Natural Area, which spans 272 acres, is a unique example of nature's powerful yet delicate artistry. The Cockermouth River carved a narrow canyon in bedrock on its way to Newfound Lake, beginning as the last ice age drew to a close. Nature used grains of sand suspended in the current to carve the walls of the canyon into curious shapes and create potholes in the bedrock.
• Silver Lake State Park - Hollis, NH
• Silver Lake State Park spans 80 acres and its sandy 1,000-foot beach curves along 34-acre Silver Lake. Popular activities in the park include swimming, picnicking, and boating. Amenities include picnic tables, kayak and paddleboat rentals, flush toilets, and a park store.
• Taylor Mill State Historic Site –
• The Taylor Sawmill is situated on the Ballard State Forest in Derry, New Hampshire. Robert Taylor, for whom the mill is named, bought the property in 1799 and began operating an "up and down" sawmill similar to the current one about 1805.  This entire property, including the sawmill, the house nearby, and 71 acres of land, were very generously donated to the State of New Hampshire in 1953 by Mr. Ernest R. Ballard.
• Umbagog Lake State Park - Cambridge, NH
• Umbagog Park includes a base park campground with 27 sites with electrical and water hook-ups available, three cabins, and 33 remote campsites in isolated locations around Umbagog Lake accessible only by boat.
• Wadleigh State Park - Sutton, NH
• Wadleigh State Park offers swimming on beautiful Kezar Lake. Tall pine trees shade the picnic sites located adjacent to the beach, making it an ideal location for camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and trips for families and group outings.
• Wallis Sands State Beach - Rye, NH
• Wallis Sands State Park offers oceanfront swimming, views of the Isles of Shoals, and a sandy beach that families especially enjoy. Beach amenities include a store that sells a variety of items, food, and drinks; and a large bathhouse with hot and cold showers.
• Weeks State Park - Lancaster, NH
• John Wingate Weeks Historic Site's Mt. Prospect estate was built at the direction of John Wingate Weeks, leading conservationist, U.S. congressman, U.S. senator, and Secretary of War under Presidents Harding and Coolidge. The 420-acre Mt. Prospect estate was given to the state of New Hampshire in 1941 by John Weeks' children, Katherine Weeks Davidge and Sinclair Weeks.
• Wellington State Park - Alexandria, NH
• Wellington State Park boasts the largest freshwater swimming beach in the New Hampshire State Park system. Hiking trails and picnic areas along the shore afford views of one of the deepest and clearest lakes in the state. The park maintains volleyball and horseshoe courts.
• Wentworth State Park - Wolfeboro, NH
• Wentworth State Park spans 50 acres and is located on the shore of scenic Wentworth Lake. Popular activities in the park include swimming, picnicking and fishing.
• Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion                 - Portsmouth, NH
• Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion Historic Site is the former home of New Hampshire's first royal governor, Benning Wentworth, who served in office from 1741 to 1767. The rambling 40-room mansion which overlooks Little Harbor, is one of the most outstanding homes remaining of the colonial era. Its stateliness and impressive interior and furnishings reflect aristocratic life in Portsmouth in the 1700s.
• White Lake State Park - Tamworth, NH
• White Lake State Park offers some of the best camping and swimming in the White Mountain region. The park lies along the shore of White Lake, which is an example of a typical glacial lake. During the Ice Age, glacial ice was buried beneath glacial till or debris. When the ice melted, a depression was created which gradually filled with water.
• Winslow State Park - Wilmot, NH
• Winslow State Park, is located on the northwest slope of Mt. Kearsarge in Wilmot, New Hampshire. The picnic area is on an 1,820-foot plateau with outstanding views of the White Mountains to the north and the taller of the southern and central Vermont peaks. Mt. Sunapee, Ragged Mountain, and Pleasant Lake dominate the closer landscape.