HIKES & EVENTS

Pawtuckaway State Park Hike and Swim

Hiking/Walk

DATE: Aug 16, 2014
END DATE: Aug 16, 2014

Hike/Event Location: Raymond NH

Trip Leader(s)


Gandalf
Thornton, NH United States,

JDNnh
Thornton, NH United States

Meeting Time: 1:00 PM

Max # People: 15

Hike Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money

Hike Difficulty Level:

Easy

(Do you qualify to attend with this hike difficulty rating? Click Here.)

Sign Up To This Trip/Event

You must be a least a guest member to participate. Comments such as "+1" or "bringing a friend" are NOT permitted. All participants must sign-up for the event individually.


Select your mode of transportation, make any comments and then click on button.


You are not logged in.
Please, Log In

Disclaimer: The club and its members take no responsibility and will not be held responsible for any injuries or accidents that may occur during club events. Outdoor sports are inherently dangerous and accidents will happen. By joining the club or participating in any events posted on our website you are taking responsibility for your own safety and well-being. Anyone with an internet connection can post a trip on our web site. It is your responsibility to determine if this person has the experience and competence to lead the trip. We do not certify or confirm the qualifications of any of our members to lead or participate in trips.
Summary

Spend an enjoyable day in an interesting place rather than driving several hours to do a hike!

Our adventure will be to take a 2.2 mile roundtrip hike from our vehicles to explore the Boulder Field and Devil's Den caves. [We recommend wearing swim trunks for this hike.] There is not a 'lunch stop' on the hike so either eat before you leave home or wait until we reach Round Pond.

Once we return from the hike, we'll grab from our vehicles sandals [not flip flops], beach chairs [it's rocky so laying on a towel would not be comfortable], sunscreen, small cooler and carry in your daypack anything else you would typically bring to the beach. It's a short walk to the rock ledges of nearby Round Pond where we will enjoy the rest of the afternoon sunbathing and swimming. This is our favorite 'secret' swimming hole for a hot summer day with no crowds, parking issues, gift shops, noisy arcades, screaming kids,..OK...you get the idea. Round Pond is a small, clean, beautiful, pristine, and quiet mountain pond. The only people we usually see are fishermen or rock climbers...we have seen people swimming off the rock ledges [rare] so hopefully we'll get there first!

The Park is in Southern NH, so it is an easy drive for most Masschusetts residents as well as those of us who live in New Hampshire. Pets are not allowed in the Park, so this is not a dog-friendly hike.

The total elevation gain of the hike is only 400 feet and the only steep section, minor at that, is climbing up to Devil's Den caves. On the hike over, we can view a marsh, see if there are any rock climbers that frequent a 70-foot vertical ledge, and explore the large boulders or glacial erratics. Some are safe to climb without needing any sort of protection!   

Directions To Trailhead Parking Lot

Refer to this trailmap to help you drive to Round Pond.

Note: We are not meeting at the official park entrance where one has to pay a fee! We are using the back entrance!

The back entrance road to the park heads eastward from NH 107 between Deerfield and Raymond. Approaching from the north, you'll come to a junction of NH 107 and NH 43. Continue south on NH 107 for 4.2 miles. Watch closely for the street sign for Reservation Road [the map indicates Tandy Road it may now be called that]. If you're coming from the south, the street sign is 3.2 miles from the junction of NH 107 and NH 101 Business Loop.

I'm not exactly sure of the distance from this turn to the trailhead but let's say 5 miles. The road changes from asphalt to gravel after 0.9 mile. At the first intersection, bear right [this may be Reservation Road according to the map]. The road continues past an old cemetery on the right. Take the first left fork [called Round Pond Road on the map]. Drive slowly and watch out for rocks and ruts. If you have a truck or sport-utility vehicle, use it to reach the trailhead...you can still get there using a car, but be careful. You'll pass a marsh on your right and road may be partially covered with water if we had any recent heavy rain. At the next road junction, keep left, and you'll start descending. Follow this road to the very end ignoring other cars you may see parked along the way [this is a different trailhead]. We are driving a blue Toyota FJ Cruiser. We do not carry a cell phone so give yourself extra time if you've never been here before. If you are running late, we will not wait longer than 15 minutes for you.

Trip Leader(s)

Gandalf

Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous


Thornton, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
JDNnh

Outdoor Fitness Level: Very Strenuous


Thornton, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email

members signed up for this event

moosehill

Outdoor Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate


Londonderry, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
XTERRAMAN03053

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Londonderry, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
HikerBiker

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


Londonderry, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
sustaining member
dochal3

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


boston, MA


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
g-man

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous


durham, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
NHGuy1028

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Merrimack, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
Tri-coastal

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


Lee, NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
goldnwolf

Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate


St. Petersburg / Pittsburgh , NH


United States
Invite To Be Your Buddy Send Email
Attended
Discuss This Trip/Event
Gandalf Posted Aug 14, 2014 at 7:25 AM

With all this rain, the road we described may be underwater and you may then get lost with the maze of roads in this section of the park. MEET US AT A NEW LOCATION. When you take the turn on Reservation Road off NH 107, once you go under a Powerline, pull off the road and wait for us. We are driving a blue FJ Cruiser.

Hiking, backpacking, camping or vacation adventures, GayOutdoors [GO] has been the LGBTQ outdoorzy community leader for the last 22 years. We are an informal group of diverse hiking enthusiasts in the United States with a shared love of the mountains who prefer hiking with friends. We invite you to join us on our hikes, to post hikes for other members to join you and to share your hiking photos, stories and advice.

Become A Member

If you find it invigorating to hike along a mountain trail with friends not knowing what’s just around the corner, to get some fresh air, to stop and soak in the views on a summit, and to soak your feet in a mountain brook after a hike, give us a try!

BECOME A MEMBER







Powered by Ecomsolutions.net - ColdFusion Experts