Pawtuckaway State Park
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
4,898 acres27.9 mi of trail
Shaw TrailWoronoco TrailNorth Mountain TrailMountain Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Dame School · Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Nottingham
Nottingham has 6,902 acres of parks, 1,288 for every 1,000 residents
34% of Nottingham’s land is conserved, about 10,154 acres. 65 miles of mapped trail cross Nottingham, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Pawtuckaway State Park (27.9 mi), Mulligan Forest (9 mi), Harvey's Kennard Hill Forest (0.7 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #25 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
34%
10,154 acres · of 46.5 sq mi of land
Trails
65 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,902 ac
1,288 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,010 ft
North Mount Pawtuckaway
Lakes & rivers
19
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Nottingham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Nottingham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Nottingham is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #25 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 Nottingham’s overall grade.
Conserved land34% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (65 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land1,288 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,902 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home26% 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 90%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 81%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Nottingham’s 34% is ahead of 93% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 63% 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 Pawtuckaway State Park, with 27.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mulligan Forest
Managed by Town of Nottingham
1,897 acres9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Harvey's Kennard Hill Forest
Managed by Southeast Land Trust
240 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Howard Swain Memorial Forest
Managed by Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire
78 acres0.6 mi of trail
Howard's PathQuarry Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Marston Farm Recreation Area
Managed by Town of Nottingham
46 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kennard Town Forest
Managed by Town of Nottingham
38 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Pawtuckaway State Park4,898 acres · 27.9 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMulligan Forest1,897 acres · 9 mi of trail · Town of Nottingham
DirectionsHarvey's Kennard Hill Forest240 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Southeast Land Trust
Howard Swain Memorial Forest78 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire
Marston Farm Recreation Area46 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Nottingham
DirectionsKennard Town Forest38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Nottingham
Comte Easement130 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Nottingham
Vienna Smith State Forest58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Zanard Forest66 acres · Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire
General Bartlett Memorial Forest52 acres · New England Forestry Foundation
North River Preserve52 acres · Bear-Paw Regional Greenways
DirectionsMendums Pond49 acres · NH Fish & Game
Kimball Family Forest Preserve21 acres · Bear-Paw Regional Greenways
Nottingham State Forest12 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Stevens Pines State Forest3 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Who protects it
10,154 conserved acres
34% of Nottingham’s land. Who manages Nottingham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits6,216 ac
State natural resources4,909 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)1,405 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land877 ac
Town or city784 ac
Regional agency364 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government62 ac
Conservation Easement · 7,077 acState Park · 4,904 acOther Easement · 2,163 acUnknown Easement · 494 acLocal Other or Unknown · 157 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,848 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 75 of 126 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawtuckaway State Park State Park | State natural resources | 4,909 | Unknown |
| Conservation Restriction Area 1 Private Conservation | Not recorded | 56 | Unknown |
| General Bartlett Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 54 | Unknown |
| Vienna Smith State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 50 | Unknown |
| Mendums Pond State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 49 | Unknown |
| Marston Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 46 | Unknown |
| Backland - Mulligan Ponds Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 42 | Unknown |
| Recycling Center Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 39 | Unknown |
| Backland Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
| Nottingham State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Nottingham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Nottingham
Nottingham Town Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Nottingham
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Nottingham
Boat LaunchIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsPawtuckaway Lake Boat AccessIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsScenic views in Nottingham
Pawtuckaway Fire TowerIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsStone BenchIn Howard Swain Memorial Forest
DirectionsoverlookIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Nottingham
North Mount Pawtuckaway1,010 ft elevation · In Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsSouth Mount Pawtuckaway994 ft elevation · In Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsMiddle Mount Pawtuckaway942 ft elevation · In Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsRocky Ridge630 ft elevation · In Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsTavern Hill607 ft elevation
DirectionsCooper Hill594 ft elevation
DirectionsMerry Hill479 ft elevation
DirectionsIsinglass Hill449 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Elm Hill446 ft elevation
DirectionsPeavy Hill430 ft elevation
DirectionsDuke Hill381 ft elevation
DirectionsStevens Hill358 ft elevation · In Mulligan Forest
DirectionsMagney Hill351 ft elevation
DirectionsFort Hill266 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Nottingham
East Picnic AreaIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Nottingham
Big Island CampgroundIn Pawtuckaway State Park · Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsHorse Island CampgroundIn Pawtuckaway State Park · Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsNeal's Cove Camping AreaIn Pawtuckaway State Park · Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsRemote CampsiteIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsYouth Group CampgroundIn Pawtuckaway State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.2 miUnpaved · 29.9 mi
Shaw Trail2.8 mi
Woronoco Trail2.1 mi
North Mountain Trail2.0 mi
Mountain Trail1.8 mi
Fundy Trail1.7 mi
Round Pond Trail1.4 mi
South Ridge Trail1.4 mi
Split Rock Trail1.2 mi
North Mtn. Bypass1.2 mi
Big Island Trail1.2 mi
15 more trails
Oak Trail
1.1 miMiddle Mountain Trail
0.9 miBlair Loop Trail
0.7 miConnector Trail/Mountain Trail
0.6 miBoulder Trail
0.5 miSouth Ridge Trail/Connector Trail
0.4 miTower Trail
0.4 miHoward's Path
0.4 miChase Trail
0.3 miQuarry Trail
0.2 miSouth Ridge Connector
0.2 miSide path (red/orange)
0.2 miRound Pond Trail/North Mountain Trail
0.1 miBoulder Cutoff
0.1 miLower Slab 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.
Woronoco TrailBike route
2.1 miCourts & fields
6Baseball
2Volleyball
1Equestrian
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Nottingham: 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 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Nottingham →
Next door
Nottingham and its neighbors
Nottingham has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham | 34% | 1.4 | 1,288 | 26% | A |
| Deerfield | 23% | 1.0 | 621 | 40% | A |
| Lee | 27% | 1.9 | 22 | 27% | A− |
| Barrington | 24% | 1.6 | 21 | 28% | A− |
| Northwood | 17% | 1.4 | 203 | 27% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Nottingham
Where can I hike in Nottingham?
The longest trail networks: Pawtuckaway State Park, 27.9 miles; Mulligan Forest, 9 miles; Harvey's Kennard Hill Forest, 0.7 miles; Howard Swain Memorial Forest, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Nottingham is conserved land?
34% 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 Nottingham’s trails?
Pawtuckaway State Park and Mulligan Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Nottingham?
28,354 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nottingham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,308 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Nottingham have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 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 Nottingham 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 →