Town Hall Check town web site for current business hours. Bear Brook State ParkBear Brook State Park is the second largest of the New Hampshire state parks at over 10,000 acres, but it is the largest developed park. The large acreage covers most of the eastern side of Allenstown along Deerfield Rd. The campground and the rest of the park are in Deerfield. The park offers picnic grounds, swimming, canoeing, ball fields, fishing, a woodland archery course, a fly fishing pond, a campground, and miles and miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking in the warmer months, and cross country ski trails and snowmobile routes for the winter months. The following sections give summaries of the opportunities you can find at Bear Brook State Park. For more information, go to the Bear Brook State Park web site.
DirectionsFrom Manchester or Hooksett, NH proceed north on Routes 3 & 28 to Allenstown. At the fork just past Sully's Market, go right onto Route 28 North. From Concord, take Route 3 south to Allenstown. At the traffic lights just past Aubuchon's Hardware, take a left onto Route 28 North. In about three miles, take a right at the Bear Brook sign onto Deerfield Rd. In one mile, the park's main toll booth is on the right. This is the location for Catamount Pond, a swimming area, picnic areas, and some hiking trails. At 1 1/2 miles, the Old Allenstown Meeting House is to the left and to the right on Depot Rd. are the New Hampshire Antique Snowmobile Museum and the Richard Diehl Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum. At about three miles, take a right onto Podunk Rd. After stopping at the toll booth, take a left turn at teh Ranger Stataion to go to the state campground (three miles away). A right turn takes you to a parking lot for hikers and mountain bikers. Go straight on Podunk Rd. (when open) to get to more hiking trails. At about one mile past the Ranger Station, Hayes Field is a popular starting point for many trails.
FeesAdmission fees for day use are $4.00 per adults, and $2.00 per children ages 6 to 11. There is no admission charge for NH residents age 65 and older and for children ages 5 and under. If you are 65 or older, ask for attendant for the Senior Pass. Season passes are available as follows.
Hiking TrailsThe park contains miles of hiking trails, which also serve as cross country ski trails in winter. Getting LostGetting lost in Bear Brook State Park is easy if you fail to pay attention to its basic landmarks and don't bring a compass. On a sunny day, use the sun to identify directions; if cloudy, then use a compass. Avoid the situation where you have to ask, "Where am I?" Along the north side of the park, the Campground Road, Bear Brook, and Deerfield Rd. all run east to west. On the east side are Spruce and Beaver Ponds, the state campground, and South Rd. in Deerfield. Far to the west is Route 28 which runs north-south. Podunk Rd. enters the park from Deerfield Rd. and runs generally south through the middle of the park, starting from Deerfield Rd. on the north side and soon becoming a gravel road. Landmarks along Podunk Rd. are Hayes Field (right), Spruce Pond Rd. (left), and the old 4H Camp at Bear Hill Pond (right at the south gate). In 2018, they started renting a few cabins on the pond so the gate to the camp is now open. Getting FoundIf you don't have a map or compass and are unsure of where you are, head north until you come to either Podunk Rd., the Campground Rd., or Spruce Pond Rd. and then look for another hiker to help you get back to your starting point. The next time you hike in the park, plan your route and frequently ask yourself, "Do I know where I am?" Using a Trail MapA printable trail map is available from the state park web site, but many of the trails have been rerouted since the map was drawn. For example, the Salt Lick Trail touches Podunk Rd. only once and the Little Bear Trail is totally different north of the Hayes Farm Trail. Hiking CategoriesMost trails are easy to moderate. The Catamount Trail up Catamount Hill and the Ledge Trail around Bear Hill might be considered moderate to difficult. BugsStarting in early May, black flies become a daytime annoyance. They have an uncanny ability to fly behind your glasses or into your ears. They usually disappear by mid-June. In late May, ticks and mosquitoes become additional pests. These latter two insects persist into the cold weather in the Fall. At least you can hear the mosquitoes closing in. For all these insects,you might want to use an insect repellent. DEET is quite prevalent in many products but has been cited in various studies for harmful effects on the nervous system and for melting certain plastics. Another choice is Picaridin at about 20%. This is similar to an essential oil found in black pepper. Another choice is oil of lemon eucalyptus at about 30 percent. Lab tests have shown these two to be as effective as DEET but with fewer negative effects. The choice of course is up to you. One article worth reading is at mercola.com. For ticks, you should always perform a quick inspection during and at the end of your hike. Dogs are especially prone to picking up a lot of ticks. One key item to carry is a roll of transparent tape or masking tape, AKA the Tick Terminator. When you remove a tick, wrap it tightly in a small piece of tape and bury it. The tick will never bother anyone else.
Favorite TrailsHere are some of the more popular trails for hiking and mountain biking. Where some trails pass through wetlands or over small brooks, the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) has constructed boardwalks or low bridges. Thank you!
Archery CourseFor archers who would like to practice target shooting or hone their skills for bow hunting seasons, a 15-target woodland archery course provides 2D target boards that are located along a wooded trail that provides realistic shooting situations. A four-target practice range next to the pond allows you to take some preliminary shots to warm up before heading onto the woodland trail. Kids will enjoy the 2D dinosaur targets, such as this one in which a gray squirrel is attacking a Triceratops dinosaur. Click on either image to view a full-sized version.
Fly Fishing PondFor the fly fishing enthusiast, the Archery Pond offers fly fishing for trout. It is located about 1/2 mile up the Campground Road on the left. There is a paved walkway leading to a concrete pad for handicapped users. On a good day, the pond is dotted with fishermen trying their hand at catching a fish. CampingThe park campground offers 101 wooded campsites situated near Beaver Pond. Amenities include a camp store, canoe rentals, coin-operated showers, ice, firewood, and a dump station. A hiking trail (approx. 1.5 mi.) circumnavigates the pond. The campground is open from May 6 through October 29 and you can make reservations by calling ReserveAmerica at 1-877-647-2757. The campground is on the eastern side of the park, which is within the town of Deerfield.-
Wood CarvingsSeveral years ago, master chainsaw artist Clayton George of Salisbury, NH created some beautiful animal carvings at several locations in the park. Click on any of the following images to view a full-sized photo. If you look at a trail map of the park, there are a lot of trails named for animals: Ferret Trail, Little Bear Trail, Bobcat Trail, Chipmunk Trail, Hedgehog Trail, Lynx Trail, and Beaver Pond Trail. Don't these trails need carvings too? The next time you see the park rangers, ask them to hire Clayton George to do more carvings along these trails. Bear Ranger This gigantic eight-foot-tall carving greets visitors at the entrance to the state campground. It is dressed in a ranger uniform and is holding a huge fish. This carving stands in front of the campground store at the end of the Campground Road about three miles from Deerfield Rd.
Stumpie Bear This carving is tucked in a stump to the right of the Bear Ranger. Both bears were carved into trees that the park was going to cut down.
Rocky Raccoon This easily overlooked carving inhabits the end of a fallen log on the Campground Trail that runs east from the fly fishing pond toward the campground. The carving lies below one of the archery caution signs. The fine detail is definitely worth a view from either side. Please don't kiss the raccoon. Guardian of the Forest This carving sits in a tall tree stump at the intersection of the Broken Boulder Trail and the Campground Road. It would make a cuddly Teddy Bear if it wasn't made out of wood (and if it didn't have those sharp claws). Please don't hug the bear.
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