Bartlett Experimental Forest
Nature preserve
2,597 acres11.6 mi of trail
XB411McKiels pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Bartlett
More than half of Bartlett’s land is conserved: 66%
66% of Bartlett’s land is conserved, about 31,827 acres. 90 miles of mapped trail cross Bartlett, 1.2 per square mile of land. 205 acres are parks and preserves, 63 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #61 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
66%
31,827 acres · of 74.8 sq mi of land
Trails
90 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
205 ac
63 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
13%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
15 mi paths
Highest peak
3,369 ft
Mount Tremont
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Bartlett?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bartlett have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bartlett is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #61 of 126 in New Hampshire. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bartlett’s overall grade.
Conserved land66% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (90 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land63 acres of park per 1,000 residents (205 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home13% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 82%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 52%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Bartlett’s 66% is ahead of 100% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 50% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Bartlett Experimental Forest, with 11.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cathedral Ledge State Park
Park
155 acres3.1 mi of trail
Bryce Path (Yellow)White Horse Ledge Trail (Yellow)Yellow TrailBarber Wall Access+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Merriman State Forest
Managed by State of NH DRED
507 acres1.7 mi of trail
Bartlett Mountain Trail (Yellow)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Morrell Family Community Complex
Park
8 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Climbers' Preserve
Managed by Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
9 acres0.6 mi of trail
Echo Lake TrailsBryce Path Link (Yellow)Blue / Red TrailBryce Path (Yellow)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Burnell Conservation Easement
Managed by Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
96 acres0.5 mi of trail
Buttonwood Trail (Blue)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mount Surprise Preserve
Managed by Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
39 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Bartlett Experimental Forest2,597 acres · 11.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCathedral Ledge State Park155 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMerriman State Forest507 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · State of NH DRED
Morrell Family Community Complex8 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Climbers' Preserve9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Burnell Conservation Easement96 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Mount Surprise Preserve39 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Osgood Conservation Easement16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Humphreys Ledge Natural Area38 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · State of NH DRED
Dundee Community Forest608 acres · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
Green Hills Preserve234 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Sawyer Pond Scenic Area79 acres
Thorne Pond Conservation Area61 acres
DirectionsWare Preserve54 acres · Upper Saco Valley Land Trust
DirectionsWho protects it
31,827 conserved acres
66% of Bartlett’s land. Who manages Bartlett’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service30,375 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,008 ac
Other state land218 ac
Joint45 ac
State fish & wildlife42 ac
Not recorded1,067 ac
National Forest · 30,375 acConservation Easement · 865 acPrivate Conservation · 569 acState Resource Management Area · 507 acState Park · 154 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 550 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 28 of 40 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 30,375 | Open |
| Merriman State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 507 | Unknown |
| Hertel Family Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 200 | Unknown |
| Green Hills Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 187 | Unknown |
| Cathedral Ledge State Park State Park | Not recorded | 154 | Unknown |
| Cassidy Private Conservation | Not recorded | 119 | Unknown |
| Humphrey's Ledge Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 42 | Unknown |
| Mt Surprise Private Conservation | Not recorded | 39 | Open |
| White Mountain National Forest - Nh Portion Ma Equi-Site Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 24 | Unknown |
| Bear Notch Road Shed State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 6 | Unknown |
Things to do
48 places to go in Bartlett
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bartlett
Moo Lagoon
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Bartlett
Diana's Baths
DirectionsScenic views in Bartlett
17 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bartlett
Mount Tremont3,369 ft elevation
DirectionsBear Mountain3,202 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Moat Mountain3,136 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Parker2,995 ft elevation
DirectionsBartlett Haystack2,972 ft elevation
DirectionsOwls Cliff2,920 ft elevation
DirectionsBig Attitash Mountain2,904 ft elevation
DirectionsMiddle Moat Mountain2,756 ft elevation
Directions15 more peaks
Iron Mountain2,710 ft elevation
DirectionsTable Mountain2,654 ft elevation
DirectionsBartlett Mountain2,579 ft elevation · In Merriman State Forest
DirectionsLittle Attitash Mountain2,493 ft elevation
DirectionsWest Moat Mountain2,474 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Langdon2,369 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pickering1,913 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Crippies1,834 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Stanton1,673 ft elevation
DirectionsCave Mountain1,414 ft elevation
DirectionsThorn Hill1,394 ft elevation
DirectionsCathedral Ledge1,158 ft elevation · In Cathedral Ledge State Park
DirectionsSawyer Rock1,135 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Surprise889 ft elevation · In Mount Surprise Preserve
DirectionsPine Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bartlett
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Bartlett
Glen Ellis Family Campground
DirectionsGreen Meadow Camping Area
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.7 miHorses · 17.7 miUnpaved · 27.0 mi
Attitash Trail6.5 mi
Moat Mountain Trail5.3 mi
Mount Stanton Trail4.9 mi
Mount Langdon Trail2.7 mi
Kearsarge North Trail2.6 mi
Red Ridge Trail (Yellow)2.4 mi
Brunel Trail2.3 mi
FR 3792.0 mi
Mount Parker Trail1.9 mi
Bartlett Mountain Trail (Yellow)1.7 mi
15 more trails
FR 20
1.7 miIron Mountain Trail
1.5 miMount Tremont Trail
1.4 miFR 27A
1.2 miTent Boulder (aka Way int he Woods)
1.0 miRocky Branch Road (Closed Indefinitely)
1.0 miHalf Day
0.8 miRed Ridge Trail (Orange)
0.8 miBryce Path (Yellow)
0.7 miSawyer Pond Trail
0.7 miRocky Branch Trail
0.6 miXB411
0.5 miPasture Trail
0.5 miEcho Lake Trails
0.5 miMcKiels pond Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
15 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
14Tennis
2Baseball
1Soccer
1Basketball
1Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Bartlett RoundhouseBuilding · listed 2015
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bartlett: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 39 | 52 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 75 | 68 | 55 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 6.4 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
February is the driest month (3.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 6.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bartlett →
Next door
Bartlett and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartlett | 67% | 1.2 | 63 | 13% | A− |
| Jackson | 78% | 1.7 | 517 | 25% | A |
| Conway | 32% | 2.2 | 217 | 50% | A |
| Albany | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hart's Location | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Conway | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chatham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bartlett
Where can I hike in Bartlett?
The longest trail networks: Bartlett Experimental Forest, 11.6 miles; Cathedral Ledge State Park, 3.1 miles; Merriman State Forest, 1.7 miles; Morrell Family Community Complex, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bartlett is conserved land?
66% of its land, against a typical 19% for a New Hampshire town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bartlett’s trails?
Bartlett Experimental Forest and Cathedral Ledge State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bartlett?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bartlett?
160,260 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bartlett or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 23,934 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bartlett have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #61 of 126 in New Hampshire. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bartlett neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →