List of NH State Parks Closed for Inspection/Cleanup

Here's the list of NH parks and forests closed for inspection or cleanup after the ice storm:

Monadnock State Park / Jaffrey
Greenfield State Park / Greenfield
Kingston State Park / Kingston
Miller State Park / Temple
Rhododendron State Park / Fitzwilliam
Northwood Meadows State Park / Northwood
Monadnock Branch Rail Trail / Jaffrey & Rindge
Rockingham Recreational Trail / Portsmouth & Fremont Branches
Annett State Forest / Rindge
Fox State Forest / Hillsborough
Temple Mountain State Park / Temple
Russell-Abbott State Forest / Wilton & Mason
Low State Forest / Hillsborough
Shieling State Forest / Peterborough
Totten Trails State Forest / Henniker
Vincent State Forest / Weare
Woodman State Forest / Northwood
Casalis State Forest / Peterborough

Pictures can be seen at http://www.nhstateparks.org/ice-storm-dec08.aspx

Pawtuckaway

I'm surprised Pawtuacaway is not on the list. Hiked there Monday (12/15) and spent more time off the trail than on it. There won't be any snowmobilling in there until some chainsaw clean-up happens.

What is a state forest? Here's a full list in NH:

http://64.233.169.132/search?q=cach...sts+totten+trails+NH&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

Does anyone ever go to these places? Particularly, has anyone ever been to Totten Trails State Forest? Do they have walking/hiking trails? Are they mainly for snowmobiles in winter?

The only one I've ever been to is Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth. It was an oasis in coastal suburbia that allowed dogs (way back when, don't know about now). I remember about 2 miles of walking path.

Have I been missing out on something? There are five or six state forests up here.

Fox Forest is a nifty place, especially for beginning hikers and small kids -- good hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Northwood Meadows is good for wildlife (it's what attracted the overdue deer hunter I had a hand in locating once upon a time.) Temple Mountain used to be a commercial ski area and was kinda, sorta facing redevelopment as condos when some locals and others mounted a successful campaign to have the state acquire it a few years ago.

EDIT: For reasons passing all understanding, it seems that the default mode for DRED is to bury useful info it has about the state lands. Only recently did they publish their limited list of available maps. But years ago I stumbled onto what I believe is the complete list, with links to outline boundary maps of virtually every parcel, on the Fish and Game Trapping page.

sardog1 said:

Fox Forest is a nifty place, especially for beginning hikers and small kids -- good hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing.

Click to expand...

The local schools are just down the street and the kids visit the forest as part of the curriculum, which is great.

sardog1 said:

But years ago I stumbled onto what I believe is the complete list, with links to outline boundary maps of virtually every parcel, on the Fish and Game Trapping page.

Click to expand...

Wow, that link is excellent. I had no idea they published this info on the web.

sardog1 said:

But years ago I stumbled onto what I believe is the complete list, with links to outline boundary maps of virtually every parcel, on the Fish and Game Trapping page.

Click to expand...

Be aware that the maps are gross indicators only, nothing to take out on the land with you and start trapping there. The map for my area has included my land in the WMNF boundaries, for instance. The map is way off. Maybe just as well these have been buried.

What I would like to unearth, since I'm sure they exist, are maps of USFS forest roads.

Waumbek said:

Be aware that the maps are gross indicators only, nothing to take out on the land with you and start trapping there. The map for my area has included my land in the WMNF boundaries, for instance. The map is way off. Maybe just as well these have been buried.

What I would like to unearth, since I'm sure they exist, are maps of USFS forest roads.

Click to expand...

Some of the outline maps are indeed very old and should be used with caution. Others are brand new, laid onto topo maps and showing trails.

The USFS forest roads are available as a GIS layer at WMNF Local GIS Data.

You'll need a GIS application of some sort to use it. GIS freeware is available; see a list of some at Granit (sic) Links to Other GIS Related Sites . My current favorite is QuantumGIS, but I've got ESRI's ArcExplorer and a couple others as well. (N.B. The GRANIT link has a link to the confusingly-named "ArcGIS Explorer," which is a Web-based application. ArcExplorer -- Java Edition for Education ("AEJEE") is the stand-alone application that I use and reference in my link above.)

Waumbek said:

Does anyone ever go to these places? Particularly, has anyone ever been to Totten Trails State Forest? Do they have walking/hiking trails? Are they mainly for snowmobiles in winter?
...
Have I been missing out on something? There are five or six state forests up here.

Click to expand...

Most SF don't have much except a sign and blue boundary blazes

Some state forests have genuine built hiking trails such as those at Cardigan, others have woods roads. I've seen the sign for Totten Trails SF but don't know that it actually has trails. Vincent SF has the "Five Bears" geocache which everyone I know is afraid to visit

Some state forests such as Gile SF were actually bought as part of a policy of open space acquisition, while others were land given to the state that no other agency wanted.

There is an Appalachia article about AMC Reservations, much forest land in NH was given to the AMC and they managed several reservations before they got tired of the expense and gave most of them to the state. Some editions of the WMG for instance mention the JSFay Reservation in Lincoln/Woodstock, now Fay SF.

What I would like to unearth, since I'm sure they exist, are maps of USFS forest roads.

Click to expand...

The maps in the Forest Plan which is online show many of them, and more detailed maps are available in conjunction with proposed actions such as timber sales. You can also buy special USGS maps from the Forest Service which show more roads.

Monadnock Beta?

Does anyone have any 'insider' information regarding the time frame for the reopening of the New Hampshire state parks affected by the ice storm? Of particular interest is my 'training facility' of Monadnock. Now that winter has arrived in full force I am afraid that cleanup efforts may be piecemeal until spring, and it will be a very long winter without the local mountains available. Do you think that this is a short term issue, or are we looking at a spring time reopening? Having driven half way up Poole Rd. shortly after the storm, I am appreciative of the amount of damage on the mountain and in the region, and I realize that opening up the trails and park facilities is not a minor undertaking. A concern is that there may be a "wait 'til spring" attitude because of that level of damage.

I do realize that there are other mountains to hike, and higher priorities given the fact that there are still people without power and lots of cleanup in general in the Monadnock region. I would be willing to provide some volunteer time at the park. Not sure of their interest in that. Any insight there is also welcome.

What are you other Monadnock regulars doing to 'fill in' short of the long ride up north?

This is from the State Park web site:

Per Res 7301.07 and 7301.16)
The campground and all hiking trails at Monadnock State Park are closed until further notice due to severe damage by the recent ice storm. Violators shall be prosecuted and vehicles shall be towed. Currently, crews are working on cutting and removing trees and debris. The park has no power and direct phone access is limited. Please continue to check here for updates.
Updated 12/17/08

I had a really nice showshoe in Sheiling SF after the last snow. There are trails but I didn't follow them and found a few deer yards and places where they had bedded down. No views but a nice time in the woods.

The defunct Temple Mtn ski area which is now a SP has very nice views from the old ski trails and from some ledgy areas about 1/2 mile past the ski area summit.

Casalis State Forest has a trail that follows an old road past a beaver pond and nice stream, another nice(short) woods walk.

I just talked with someone on staff at Monadnock today 12/23. The Mountain is still closed. I guess the east side of the mountain, White Dot, Cross, Cascade Link etc sustained a lot of tree damage. They are trying to get funding to get it cleaned up. They are also working on other clean up options. As the previous poster indicated fines, towing, and rescue expenses are all possibilities for any violators. Phone services is still out to the Park so don't try to call, it will ring but there is no message and no pick up. Since I am a frequent hiker, volunteer at the mountain and am in frequent contact with the staff there I will post any updates as I hear them. Happy Holidays to All

Thanks for the update!

Please post if you find that they are looking for volunteers.

I'll try to get a hold of Patrick today. Last I spoke with him his intent was to at least get the White Dot open asap.

Grand Monadnock

Spoke with the park manager Patrick Hummel yesterday. He said the White Dot is still choked with fallen trees and an evaluation of most trails has shown the same situation, the saving grace being less impact on the southwest (Marlboro Tr) side. So the entire trail system is still closed and is considered by decree a disaster area. Staff with some help from the National Guard was able to clear the Dot up to Falcon Spring, but now deep snow has caught up with progress. Plus staff is having their time wasted by folks not honoring the "No Public Entry" postings at access points and getting into pissing matches about why they should be excepted, even to the point of letters of complaint making it to Concord, which take up even more of the managers time. Don't understand why people can honor a closed sign on any other establishment, but not when it comes to hikers. People need to understand that the absolute worst damage from the ice storm was focused in the Jaffrey, Rindge, New Ipswich area. The trails are unrecognizable, and the few who have snuck into the park have already damaged vegetation while trying to follow trails.

The tentative plan if Concord gives blessings is to focus on getting the Dot cleared out so hikers can have this one trail to use. Patrick also wants to suspend the day use fee while the situation persists so it will keep people unwilling to pay, off the back trails until they can be reopened. Some of the trails won't be cleared probably until April (& Gap Mt).

Patrick appreciates the offers from volunteers, but the damage is so bad that it requires experienced backcountry sawyers. Light clearing can only be done alongside rangers, since the corridors are so unrecognizable that keeping on track will be an issue. He is also tied up enough coordinating and participating with the heavy removal crews, there is no time to coordinate volunteers. Additionally he still has no power or phone service in the park, so contact is very difficult.

Andrew said:

Grand Monadnock
Patrick appreciates the offers from volunteers, but the damage is so bad that it requires experienced backcountry sawyers. Light clearing can only be done alongside rangers, since the corridors are so unrecognizable that keeping on track will be an issue. He is also tied up enough coordinating and participating with the heavy removal crews, there is no time to coordinate volunteers. Additionally he still has no power or phone service in the park, so contact is very difficult.

Click to expand...

So Andrew, are you sorry you're not still there?

I'm sure that things are bad at Monadnock, with lots of damage and winter staffing basically in caretaker mode. And with state budget issues, nobody is going to want to hire a lot of expensive help.

But there are volunteers such as ATC certified sawyers who may know more about clearing in the backcountry than professional loggers, and some volunteers may know some of the trails as well as rangers not to mention that in the case of major blowdown the trail often moves slightly anyway. One ranger could coordinate several nearby cutting crews, and with snow on the ground there will be less ground damage if work can be done now instead of April.

I would have thought that White Arrow might have been a better choice to open first, road most of way where heavy equipment can be used then smaller trees above that can be mostly cut with hand tools.

Glad I'm not there anymore Roy. Had enough hassle from the ice storm of '98.

It looks like FEMA $ will be able to be used to cover some of the staff costs for clean up. I agree there are many out there very suited to heavy sawyer work that can be a benefit, maybe once the power is back on and life a little more normal, looking towards coordinating those who really can help will be more reasonable. Trouble is there are only a few who know all the trails so well they can keep things on track.

The OTR trailhead is missing a few elements to open as the primary route, enough parking, winter toilets, a warm ranger station with a telephone etc. The Hollisters must have had quite a time getting down the road right after the storm!

Just wanted to update that Miller State Park on South Pack Monadnock is no longer posted as closed at the parking lot, and the Wapack and Marion Davis trails are cleared.

My son was working near Monadnock yesterday and had been warned that it was closed, but he started walking up the access road to the state park headquarters anyway and was promptly chased away. So it is still closed.

For those interested. I just heard from one of the Rangers at Mt Monadnock who informed me that a press release is being issued stating that the mountain will be open for hiking starting this Saturday, 1/17/09. Hiking will be limited to the White Dot and White Cross Trails for now and everyone will be required to enter through the main park and check in at the park store. The other trail head parking areas are closed and there will be Rangers redirecting you to the main Park if you try to use those trails. The hiking fee, $4.00, is being waived until further notice.

Here's some more details:



State of New Hampshire
Department of Resources and Economic Development
DIVISION of PARKS and RECREATION
172 Pembroke Rd, PO Box 1856 Concord NH 03302-1856
Phone: 603/271-3556 Fax: 603/271-3553 E-Mail: [email protected]
Contact : Amy Bassett, Public Information and Outreach Specialist


For Immediate Release





New Hampshire State Parks Ice Storm Update

(Concord, NH) – The December ice storm resulted in significant damage to several state parks in the southern part of the state. Six of seventy-three state park properties were closed due to the concern for public safety and to protect the natural features and resources of the parks.

Division officials announce today that Kingston State Park in Kingston and Northwood Meadows State Park in Northwood have been removed from the list of parks previously closed. Miller State Park in Temple, Greenfield State Park in Greenfield, and Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam will remain closed until further clean-up of debris and downed trees is complete. Although Greenfield State Park is still closed, the parking area is open for snow machine trailhead parking.

Monadnock State Park, the most heavily impacted of the parks, will partially open, with the White Dot and White Cross trails open for winter hikers only. Those wishing to use these trails must check in at Monadnock Headquarters and speak with staff to find out the status of current trail conditions. The campground, all other hiking trails, and cross-country ski trails remain closed. Other trails on Mount Monadnock will continue to open as crews are able to clear the trails.

Division crews continue to work on restoring the remainder of the closed parks to conditions safe for opening. For updated information, visit nhstateparks.org.

New Hampshire State Parks are managed by the NH Division of Parks and Recreation. The division is part of the Department of Resources and Economic Development and manages 73 state parks, campgrounds, historic sites, trails, and natural waysides. For information about other New Hampshire State Parks, visit www.nhstateparks.org or call 603/271-3556.


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