Lincoln Woods Scenic Area
Managed by United States Forest Service
2,184 acres3.1 mi of trail
Ethan Pond TrailWilley Range TrailSpur PathTwinway
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Bethlehem
More than half of Bethlehem’s land is conserved: 59%
59% of Bethlehem’s land is conserved, about 34,038 acres. 451 acres are parks and preserves, 178 per 1,000 residents. 146 miles of mapped trail cross Bethlehem, 1.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #20 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
59%
34,038 acres · of 90.6 sq mi of land
Trails
146 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
451 ac
178 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.3 mi
8.3 mi paths
Highest peak
4,764 ft
North Twin Mountain
Lakes & rivers
11
What kind of outdoors town is Bethlehem?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild59% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.A trail town1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 90% of U.S. towns.Room to roam178 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bethlehem is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #20 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 Bethlehem’s overall grade.
Conserved land59% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (146 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land178 acres of park per 1,000 residents (451 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home34% 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 91%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 85%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Bethlehem’s 59% is ahead of 98% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Lincoln Woods Scenic Area, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
The Rocks Estate
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
1,286 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ammonoosuc River Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
271 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bretzfelder Memorial Park
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
79 acres1.8 mi of trail
Wildlife Habitat TrailNH Heritage TrailSnowmobile Trail NH 104
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Profile Recreational Trail
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
14 acres0.9 mi of trail
FR 180FR 181FR 182
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Brebner Farm and Forest
Managed by Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
203 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
John L. Jr. & Jean P. Wedick Nature Reserve
Nature preserve
127 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Marilyn's Woods
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
101 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 17 parks & preserves
Lincoln Woods Scenic Area2,184 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
The Rocks Estate1,286 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsAmmonoosuc River Forest271 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsBretzfelder Memorial Park79 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsProfile Recreational Trail14 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Brebner Farm and Forest203 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
John L. Jr. & Jean P. Wedick Nature Reserve127 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Marilyn's Woods101 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Johnson-Clark Nature Reserve225 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Bethlehem Town Forest75 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSleeping Astronomer Forest108 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Harris Reynolds Memorial Forest67 acres · New England Forestry Foundation
Strawberry Hill State Forest65 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Economic Development
Cushman State Forest29 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Crawford Notch State Park1 acres
Bethlehem Town Park and Playground1 acres
DirectionsGazebo Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
34,038 conserved acres
59% of Bethlehem’s land. Who manages Bethlehem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service30,044 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits3,632 ac
State fish & wildlife269 ac
Joint127 ac
Town or city21 ac
Not recorded1,755 ac
National Forest · 30,002 acConservation Easement · 3,494 acPrivate Conservation · 1,888 acUnknown Easement · 239 acState Resource Management Area · 96 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,928 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 32 of 49 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 | 29,557 | Open |
| The Rocks Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,279 | Unknown |
| White Mountain Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 444 | Open |
| Gould Tract Private Conservation | State fish & wildlife | 264 | Open |
| Seven Springs Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 88 | Unknown |
| Sleeping Astronomer Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 85 | Unknown |
| Bethlehem Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 80 | Unknown |
| Bretzfelder Memorial Park Private Conservation | Not recorded | 75 | Unknown |
| Reynolds Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 69 | Unknown |
| Strawberry Hill State Forest State Resource Management Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 66 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
51 places to go in Bethlehem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Bethlehem
Bethlehem Public Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Bethlehem
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Bethlehem
Zealand FallsIn Lincoln Woods Scenic Area
DirectionsScenic views in Bethlehem
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bethlehem
North Twin Mountain4,764 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Field4,268 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Willey4,242 ft elevation · In Lincoln Woods Scenic Area
DirectionsMount Hale4,049 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Tom4,049 ft elevation
DirectionsPeak Above the Nubble3,812 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Field West Peak3,691 ft elevation · In Lincoln Woods Scenic Area
DirectionsMount Hale South Peak3,681 ft elevation
Directions17 more peaks
Mount Avalon3,399 ft elevation
DirectionsWhitewall Mountain3,389 ft elevation · In Lincoln Woods Scenic Area
DirectionsMount Stickney3,048 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Echo3,045 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Rosebrook3,005 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Sugarloaf3,002 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Oscar2,700 ft elevation
DirectionsHaystack Mountain2,690 ft elevation
DirectionsMiddle Sugarloaf2,503 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Agassiz2,359 ft elevation
DirectionsCleveland Mountain2,346 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Sugarloaf2,221 ft elevation
DirectionsGarnet Mountain2,133 ft elevation · In The Rocks Estate
DirectionsLewis Hill2,011 ft elevation · In Johnson-Clark Nature Reserve
DirectionsAbbot Hill1,722 ft elevation
DirectionsRussell Hill1,601 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Knob1,565 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 2 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Bethlehem
Beaver Brook Recreation Area
DirectionsMount Cleveland Picnic Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bethlehem
Apple Hill Campground
Directionscamping1
DirectionsPlus 10 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 28.0 miHorses · 2.7 miUnpaved · 52.4 mi
Snowmobile Trail NH 1044.6 mi
North Twin Trail4.5 mi
FR 192A4.2 mi
A-Z Trail3.3 mi
Snowmobile Trail2.9 mi
FR1552.8 mi
Ethan Pond Trail2.6 mi
Zealand Trail2.4 mi
Lend-a-Hand Trail2.4 mi
Willey Range Trail2.4 mi
15 more trails
Fire Warden's Trail
2.1 miAvalon Trail
2.1 miRailroad Trail / Snowmobile Trail NH 104
2.0 miHale Brook Trail
2.0 miFR 774
1.9 miProfile Recreational Rail Trail / Snowmobile Trail NH 104
1.9 miTruckin'
1.8 miFR 304A
1.8 miGale River Trail
1.8 miWildlife Habitat Trail
1.4 miFR 313
1.3 miFR 381B
1.3 miFR 192
1.1 miSugarloaf Trail
1.1 miHarkless
1.1 miBiking & sports
8.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
5Soccer
5Tennis
3Basketball
2Multi-sport
2Equestrian
2Baseball
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bethlehem: May, August and 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 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 74 | 79 | 77 | 69 | 56 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bethlehem →
Next door
Bethlehem and its neighbors
Bethlehem has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bethlehem146 miFranconia121 miLittleton90 miCarroll55 miWhitefield31 miHart's Location29 miSugar Hill22 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 59% | 1.6 | 178 | 34% | A |
| Carroll | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Littleton | 9% | 1.8 | 20 | 51% | A− |
| Franconia | 74% | 1.8 | 3,486 | 45% | A |
| Whitefield | 16% | 0.9 | 3 | 39% | B |
| Sugar Hill | — 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 | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bethlehem
Where can I hike in Bethlehem?
The longest trail networks: Lincoln Woods Scenic Area, 3.1 miles; The Rocks Estate, 2.2 miles; Ammonoosuc River Forest, 1.8 miles; Bretzfelder Memorial Park, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bethlehem is conserved land?
59% 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 Bethlehem’s trails?
Lincoln Woods Scenic Area and The Rocks Estate don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bethlehem?
8.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bethlehem?
103,841 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bethlehem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 24,197 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #20 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 Bethlehem 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 →