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North River Preserve

Property Access

The property is located on Stage Road (NH Route 152) in Nottingham, NH. From NH Route 4 in Northwood, take NH Route 152 east 5.6 miles to the North River Preserve (on your right, just before crossing the North River and Flutter Street). From NH Route 125, take NH Route 152 west 3.7 miles to the North River Preserve (on your left, just after crossing the North River and Flutter Street). The North River Preserve parking area was improved through the Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program and has room for several cars. It is not maintained in the winter but there is parking at the Nottingham Town Offices across the street. 

Property Information

Bear-Paw Regional Greenways acquired this 52-acre property in June 2010. Most of the road frontage was going to be subdivided into residential house lots when the property was protected by a conservation easement purchased by the Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program and then conveyed to Bear-Paw. The North River Preserve is made up of Appalachian oak-pine forest with hemlock-hardwood-pine, as well as flood plain forest along the North River corridor. The property includes over 3,000 feet of frontage on one or both sides of the river and a wide variety of wetlands associated with it – flood plain, swamp, marsh, peatland, oxbows, and vernal pools. Much of the property is on the north side of the river and is not easily accessible during high water. It is directly connected to the Mulligan Forest – a 2,000-acre conservation property owned by a local family.

The property includes:

  • Wildlife habitat identified as conservation priorities in the NH Wildlife Action Plan (2010), NH’s Coastal Plan, and the Bear-Paw Conservation Plan
  • Over 3,000 feet of frontage on the North River; serving as a “buffer” to the river – providing riparian habitat as well as protecting water quality
  • Wetlands and other riparian habitat
  • Habitat for species of concern, including Banded Sunfish, Spotted Turtle, and Wood Turtle, all having been documented on or near the property
  • Productive forestland
  • 2,800 feet of undeveloped frontage on Stage Road
  • Outdoor educational and recreational use by the public

The property is open to the public for low-impact, non-commercial, outdoor educational or recreational activities such as hiking, wildlife observation, cross country skiing, hunting, and fishing. The North River Trail leaves a recently created parking area and follows the river north ½ mile to a loop. It probably only takes ½ hour to walk but if you stop along the way, you can spend a lot of time enjoying the river and other features of the property.

North River Preserve photo

The trail was created partly with funding from the New Hampshire Recreational Trails Program and the parking area was improved through the Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program. Much of the property is on north side of the river (“the other side”) but can be accessed when the water level is low. Bear-Paw may consider creating additional trails as part of the property’s stewardship plan.