Northwood Meadows State Park - New Hampshire Hikes and Walks

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Trail Description - Northwood Meadows State Park

Northwood Meadows State Park is a relatively undeveloped tract just off of one of the major roads in the state, managed for walk-in use. Many of the trails are gravel roads or otherwise graded so they can be travelled by the mobility-impaired although narrow-tired wheelchairs are not recommended. There are loop paths around Meadow Lake that require little elevation gain, and a connection to trails up Saddleback Mountain.

In addition to the trails listed here, there are many unmarked woods roads and paths that can be explored.

Distance: From US Route 4 around the lake via Lake Trail and West Road Loop with return to parking lot, about 2.6 miles

Elevation gain: About 300 feet

Hiking Time Estimator

Maps: USGS Northwood

Location: Merrimack Valley Region
NH 2004-2005 map N-8
DeLorme NHA&G 29-E8 - Northwood
Northwood is on US Route 4 midway between Concord and Portsmouth

Trailhead: Northwood Meadows State Park parking lot on S side of US Route 4 about 2.8 miles W of the junction of Rtes. 4/9/43/202 in Northwood, elevation about 661 feet
N 43.213, -71.198 W (WGS84)
No state park fee charged as of 2006
From Exit 15E of I-93, take I-393 E and where it ends merge onto US Route 4. Pass Epsom traffic circle at about 9.7 miles and look for park sign on R at about 18.2 miles from I-93.

Owner: State and private

Maintainer: Northwood Meadows State Park and others

Special regulations: No camping, fires, motorized wheeled vehicles

Description

Follow the main gravel road S through the gate. At .2 miles, the white-blazed Huckins Orchard Trail leaves R and at .6 miles a road junction is reached, with bulletin board and outhouse.

The West Road Loop goes R and descends to cross a marsh on a causeway, then climbs slightly to a junction at .2 miles where the Huckins Orchard Trail enters R and the gravel road splits. The L branch runs along the lake shore passing an accessible fishing pier and at .5 miles from the outhouse reaches the dam which the Lake Trail leads across. At .7 miles the gravel road makes a U-turn where a white-blazed foot trail leads ahead, then the road climbs over a small ridge before descending back to the loop junction at 1.1 miles. Elevation gain: about 100 feet.
Dashing Down Road goes L at the kiosk and begins a twisty up-and-down course to Old Mountain Road. The Lake Trail leaves R at .2 miles and at .6 miles a connecting road heads over to the Lake Trail. On the outside of a curve after a short climb about 1.0 miles from the outhouse, an unblazed path descends L a short distance to the shore of Demon Pond. This junction is marked by a large pointed rock which may resemble the shape of New Hampshire. At 1.8 miles, Dashing Down Road reaches an orange gate and ends at Old Mountain Road; directly opposite is the snowmobile trail to a scenic vista on Saddleback Mountain. Elevation gain: about 100 feet.
Huckins Orchard Trail is a single-track mountain bike trail marked with white blazes, fine for hiking but narrow for snowmobiles and rough for wheelchairs. From the entrance road about .2 miles S from the gate, it proceeds S through the woods, then when the lake comes in sight ahead it suddenly makes a U-turn and heads back upstream to cross the brook on a bridge. It then turns back S and ends at the West Road Loop opposite the loop junction after about .7 miles Elevation gain: less than 100 feet.
Lake Trail leaves Dashing Down Road between two rocks about .2 miles from the outhouse and descends slightly. It turns L at a fork, crosses a small brook on a bridge, and quickly switchbacks up a minor ridge beyond. It widens and at .3 miles a branch goes L a short distance to Dashing Down Road. The path narrows again and circles around the end of a ridge to cross the dam and ends at the West Road Loop after .7 miles. Elevation gain: about 100 feet. This path has a relatively smooth surface and can be hiked by almost anybody who can hike a gravel road.
The Foot Trail marked with white blazes starts at the S end of the West Road Loop and continues S .4 miles to end at the Old Mountain Road. This abandoned town road is not maintained for travel and is muddy and eroded. You can go L on this road about .5 miles to an orange gate on the L, then follow the gravel road (Dashing Down Road) back to Meadow Lake and US Route 4. Note however that the crossing of the Lamprey River on Old Mountain Road may be flooded out and require wading or crossing on a beaver dam. Elevation gain on Foot Trail less than 100 feet, but over 100 feet up Old Mountain Road to Dashing Down Road.
To climb to the scenic vista on Saddleback Mountain, take the snowmobile trail directly opposite Dashing Down Road which angles uphill before turning L and heading to an area of open rock with N views at .7 miles. The path is marked with orange arrows and highway delineators. Elevation gain: about 400 feet. There is a trail junction in the woods beyond where a L turn will take you down through the Parsonage Lot passing two small ponds. The distance down to Old Mountain Road is about .7 miles, then turn L and go .2 miles to return to the orange gate and Dashing Down Road.
A right at the junction by the vista takes you towards Deerfield. There is shortly another junction where the L branch climbs a short distance to a rock slab with several cairns but no views. This is the 1057-foot peak of Saddleback Mountain: the higher main summit is about half a mile SE and there is no trail.

Off Season

Parking lot plowed in winter.

Map Notes: The USGS map does not show many of these trails.

Topozone.com live map

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