The Hidden Nature Park In New Hampshire With Its Very Own Old-Growth Trees, Fire Lookout, And So Much More
By Ken MacGray|Published June 18, 2024
×
Ken MacGray
Author
Hey! I'm a freelance writer and guidebook author. I've authored "New Hampshire's 52 With A View - A Hiker's Guide", serve as editor of Appalachian Mountain Club's "Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide", and and am co-editor of the "White Mountain Guide", also for AMC. I'm currently beginning work on the 6th Edition of AMC's Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, which will be published in 2025. I live in southern New Hampshire and can usually be found wandering throughout the state's mountains and forests.
New Hampshire is certainly well-known for its natural wonders, such as the high White Mountains and open landscape vistas. The more popular locations can draw thousands of visitors each year. Personally, I prefer to seek out the lesser-traveled spots, which may not be as impressive on a grand scale but are in no way any less interesting. One natural area in New Hampshire that you may not know about is tucked away off an auxiliary highway in the rural town of Tamworth. Let’s take a walk to Big Pines Natural Area – Hemenway State Forest.
Big Pines Natural Area - Hemenway State Forest lies off State Route 113A in the town of Tamworth. A trail system within the forest spans two-and-a-half miles in total.
A variety of woods walks and longer hikes can be made here, from a 0.3-mile interpretive trail to an approximately two-mile round trip to the summit of Great Hill and back.
Big Pines Natural Area features towering eastern white pine trees as tall as 150 feet and as wide as 15 feet. While "young" at 150-200 years of age, these trees are still growing to their maximum size.
The full tour of the forest leads one to the summit of Great Hill, where a fire lookout tower has stood watch since 1934. It remains one of the state's active lookouts to this day.