Northwood Meadows State Park
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
661 acres6.9 mi of trail
Lake TrailSaddleback Mountain Loop TrailHuckins Orchard TrailWestern Extension+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Northwood
Northwood has 953 acres of parks, 203 for every 1,000 residents
39 miles of mapped trail cross Northwood, 1.4 per square mile of land. 17% of Northwood’s land is conserved, about 3,123 acres. The biggest trail networks: Northwood Meadows State Park (6.9 mi), Guptill Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area (3.1 mi), Parsonage Lot Town Forest (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #47 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,123 acres · of 28.1 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
953 ac
203 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
27%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,138 ft
Saddleback Mountain
Lakes & rivers
14
8 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Northwood?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Northwood have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Northwood is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #47 of 126 in New Hampshire. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Northwood’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land203 acres of park per 1,000 residents (953 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home27% 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 85%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 63%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Northwood’s 17% is ahead of 45% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 62% of them.
Water is 7% of Northwood’s area (2 of 30 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 16%.
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 Northwood Meadows State Park, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Guptill Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Northwood
102 acres3.1 mi of trail
Hill LoopBoulder DashRidge LoopDemon Pond Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Parsonage Lot Town Forest
Managed by Town of Northwood
183 acres2.2 mi of trail
Parsonage Loop TrailLalish TrailSaddleback Mountain Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Coe-Brown Academy Forestry Lot
Managed by Coe-Brown Academy
53 acres1.1 mi of trail
Lamprety Brook TrailCBNA TrailDemon Pond TrailSmugglers Run
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Lalish Lot
Managed by Town of Northwood
86 acres0.7 mi of trail
Lalish Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
School Lot Town Forest - South
Managed by Town of Northwood
91 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 21 parks & preserves
Northwood Meadows State Park661 acres · 6.9 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsGuptill Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area102 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Town of Northwood
DirectionsParsonage Lot Town Forest183 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Town of Northwood
DirectionsCoe-Brown Academy Forestry Lot53 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Coe-Brown Academy
DirectionsLalish Lot86 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Northwood
School Lot Town Forest - South91 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Northwood
Forest Peters Wildlife Management Area454 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
Deslaurier Lot Town Forest24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Northwood
Northwood Ridge Water Supply Land127 acres · Village of Northwood Ridge Water District
UNH Saddleback Mountain Lot89 acres · UNH Office of Woodlands & Natural Areas
Woodman Marsh Wildlife Management Area72 acres · State of New Hampshire
Little Acorn Conservation Lot70 acres · Town of Northwood
Yeaton Lot59 acres · Town of Northwood
Northwood Ridge Water Supply Lands37 acres · Village of Northwood Ridge Water District
School Lot Town Forest - North32 acres · Town of Northwood
Giles Lot Town Forest28 acres · Town of Northwood
Northwood Athlectic Fields23 acres · Town of Northwood
DirectionsBow Lake Athletic Fields17 acres
Narrows Brook Conservation Area5 acres · Town of Northwood
DirectionsDole's Marsh Wildlife Management Area3 acres · NH Fish & Game
DirectionsKelsey Mill Historic Site1 acres · Town of Northwood
Who protects it
3,123 conserved acres
17% of Northwood’s land. Water is left out: Northwood has 28.1 square miles of land and 2.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Northwood’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits717 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)293 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land290 ac
Joint79 ac
Town or city35 ac
Other state land5 ac
Regional agency2 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,281 acState Park · 664 acState Conservation Area · 532 acLocal Resource Management Area · 381 acLocal Other or Unknown · 338 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 711 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 39 of 50 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood Meadows State Park State Park | Not recorded | 664 | Unknown |
| Forest Peters Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 455 | Unknown |
| Coe-Brown Academy Forestry Lots Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 204 | Unknown |
| Parsonage Lot - Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 182 | Unknown |
| School Lot - Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 135 | Unknown |
| Former Sweet Tract Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 114 | Unknown |
| Guptill-Lamprey Pastures Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 102 | Unknown |
| UNH - Saddleback Mountain Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 93 | Unknown |
| Lalish Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 81 | Unknown |
| Woodman Marsh Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 72 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Northwood
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Northwood
Plus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Northwood
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Northwood
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Northwood
Northern OverlookIn Parsonage Lot Town Forest
DirectionsSouthern OverlookIn Deslaurier Lot Town Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Northwood
Saddleback Mountain1,138 ft elevation
DirectionsParsonage Peak1,056 ft elevation · In Parsonage Lot Town Forest
DirectionsBennett Hill869 ft elevation
DirectionsSherburne Hill814 ft elevation
DirectionsGulf Hill794 ft elevation
DirectionsBlakes Hill774 ft elevation
DirectionsRichardson Hill732 ft elevation
DirectionsBrowns Hill709 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 29.6 mi
NALMC Trail1.4 mi
Lake Trail1.1 mi
Parsonage Loop Trail1.0 mi
Saddleback Mountain Loop Trail0.9 mi
Lalish Trail0.8 mi
Huckins Orchard Trail0.7 mi
Demon Pond Trail0.6 mi
Hill Loop0.4 mi
CBNA Trail0.4 mi
Western Extension0.4 mi
11 more trails
White Trail
0.4 miLamprety Brook Trail
0.4 miBoulder Dash
0.3 miUniversal Access Trail
0.3 miRidge Loop
0.3 miRangeway
0.3 miLedges Loop
0.3 miSmugglers Run
0.2 miWolf Pine Loop
0.1 miSpur Trail
0.1 miBrook Loop
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
8Tennis
5Baseball
5Soccer
4Basketball
2Softball
1Beach volleyball
1Lacrosse
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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Northwood Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Northwood: 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Northwood →
Next door
Northwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood | 17% | 1.4 | 203 | 27% | A |
| Deerfield | 23% | 1.0 | 621 | 40% | A |
| Strafford | 29% | 1.4 | 49 | 15% | A− |
| Pittsfield | 10% | 1.6 | 17 | 45% | A− |
| Nottingham | 34% | 1.4 | 1,288 | 26% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Northwood
Where can I hike in Northwood?
The longest trail networks: Northwood Meadows State Park, 6.9 miles; Guptill Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area, 3.1 miles; Parsonage Lot Town Forest, 2.2 miles; Coe-Brown Academy Forestry Lot, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Northwood is conserved land?
17% 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 Northwood’s trails?
Northwood Meadows State Park and Guptill Lamprey Pasture Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Northwood?
25,674 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Northwood or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,004 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Northwood have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #47 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 Northwood 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 →