Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract
Nature preserve
2,963 acres19.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Whittier Bridge · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Ossipee
21% of Ossipee’s land is conserved: 9,380 acres
110 miles of mapped trail cross Ossipee, 1.6 per square mile of land. 380 acres are parks and preserves, 84 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract (19.2 mi), Pine River State Forest (5.4 mi), Charles C. Norman Munroe Preserve (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #54 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
9,380 acres · of 70.5 sq mi of land
Trails
110 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
380 ac
84 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
21%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,775 ft
Grant Peak
Lakes & rivers
24
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Ossipee?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild21% 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 89% of U.S. towns.Room to roam84 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 Ossipee have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ossipee is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #54 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 Ossipee’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (110 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land84 acres of park per 1,000 residents (380 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home21% 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 83%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 58%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Ossipee’s 21% is ahead of 61% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 72% of them.
Water is 6% of Ossipee’s area (5 of 75 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 20%.
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 Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract, with 19.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pine River State Forest
Managed by State of New Hampshire
995 acres5.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Charles C. Norman Munroe Preserve
Managed by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
174 acres2.2 mi of trail
Loop TrailBoundary TrailRiver Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
370 acres2 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Thurley Mountain Preserve
Managed by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
627 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Heath Pond Bog Natural Area
Managed by NH Department of Resources & Economic Development
471 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Merrow Preserve at Dan Hole Pond
Managed by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
199 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Constitution Park
Managed by Town of Ossipee
109 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 20 parks & preserves
Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract2,963 acres · 19.2 mi of trail
Pine River State Forest995 acres · 5.4 mi of trail · State of New Hampshire
DirectionsCharles C. Norman Munroe Preserve174 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve370 acres · 2 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Thurley Mountain Preserve627 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Heath Pond Bog Natural Area471 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · NH Department of Resources & Economic Development
Merrow Preserve at Dan Hole Pond199 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Constitution Park109 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Ossipee
Thissell Smith Memorial Forest165 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New England Forestry Foundation
Window on the Ossipees17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Bearcamp Woodlands205 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New England Forestry Foundation
Stimson Forest43 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Ossipee Lake Natural Area442 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Little Pine River State Forest79 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Garland Pond Wildlife Management Area69 acres · NH Fish & Game
DirectionsOssipee Town Forest25 acres · Town of Ossipee
Garland Pond Tract12 acres · Town of Ossipee
Lord Pines State Forest11 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsY-Field5 acres · Town of Ossipee
Cleveland Beach2 acres · Town of Ossipee
DirectionsWho protects it
9,380 conserved acres
21% of Ossipee’s land. Water is left out: Ossipee has 70.5 square miles of land and 4.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Ossipee’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources3,912 ac
Other state land2,958 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,960 ac
State fish & wildlife90 ac
Town or city17 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government14 ac
Not recorded4,219 ac
Conservation Easement · 4,431 acForest Stewardship Easement · 2,943 acPrivate Conservation · 1,637 acState Resource Management Area · 1,090 acState Conservation Area · 977 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,670 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 67 of 80 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 998 | Unknown |
| Carroll County Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 845 | Unknown |
| UNH - Lovell River Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 476 | Unknown |
| Heath Pond Bog Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 471 | Unknown |
| Ossipee Lake Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 442 | Unknown |
| UNH - Lord Farm Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 387 | Unknown |
| Ossipee Pine Barrens Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 376 | Unknown |
| Thurley Mountain Private Conservation | Not recorded | 265 | Unknown |
| Thurley Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 217 | Unknown |
| Bearcamp Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 205 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Ossipee
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ossipee
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Ossipee
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Ossipee
Dog ParkIn Constitution Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Ossipee
Lakefront Landing Marina RampFee
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Ossipee
Summer Brook Fish Hatchery
DirectionsSummer Brook Fish Hatchery
DirectionsSummer Brook Fish Hatchery
DirectionsPeaks in Ossipee
Grant Peak1,775 ft elevation
DirectionsBayle Mountain1,709 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract
DirectionsNickerson Mountains1,706 ft elevation
DirectionsThurley Mountain1,650 ft elevation
DirectionsBean Mountain1,407 ft elevation
DirectionsKnox Mountain1,365 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Mountain1,352 ft elevation
DirectionsEldridge Hill1,286 ft elevation
Directions8 more peaks
Thompson Hill1,260 ft elevation
DirectionsBennett Hill1,253 ft elevation
DirectionsPocket Mountain1,184 ft elevation
DirectionsRaccoon Mountain1,040 ft elevation
DirectionsFoggs Ridge1,010 ft elevation
DirectionsRattlesnake Mountain1,004 ft elevation
DirectionsSheep Mountain820 ft elevation
DirectionsMilliken Hill659 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 24 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 40.7 mi
Loop Trail1.3 mi
Boundary Trail0.8 mi
Sentinel Mountain Trail0.6 mi
Old Route 250.5 mi
Randall Rowy0.3 mi
Compartment C & D access0.3 mi
Old Route 280.1 mi
River Trail0.1 mi
Dore's Crossing0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Archer's PondBean PondBlack PondBroad BayConner PondDan Hole River ReservoirreservoirDuncan LakeGarland PondHeath PondpondLeavitt BayLittle Dan Hole PondLost PondMoody PondpondRound PondpondSnake PondpondWhite PondBearcamp RiverBeech RiverChocorua RiverDan Hole RiverLovell RiverOssipee RiverPine RiverWest Branch River
Biking & 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
2Baseball
2Tennis
1Multi-sport
1Skate park
1Basketball
1Pickleball
1Soccer
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Ossipee: 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 42 | 55 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ossipee →
Next door
Ossipee and its neighbors
Ossipee has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Ossipee110 miMoultonborough81 miTamworth66 miFreedom51 miWolfeboro43 miEffingham38 miTuftonboro30 miWakefield18 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ossipee | 21% | 1.6 | 84 | 21% | A− |
| Freedom | 22% | 1.5 | 310 | 5% | A− |
| Effingham | 30% | 1.0 | 405 | 24% | A |
| Wolfeboro | 11% | 0.9 | 97 | 42% | A− |
| Tamworth | 45% | 1.1 | 341 | 32% | A |
| Tuftonboro | 21% | 0.7 | 59 | 12% | B+ |
| Moultonborough | 38% | 1.4 | 76 | 30% | A |
| Wakefield | 6% | 0.4 | 22 | 31% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ossipee
Where can I hike in Ossipee?
The longest trail networks: Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract, 19.2 miles; Pine River State Forest, 5.4 miles; Charles C. Norman Munroe Preserve, 2.2 miles; Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ossipee is conserved land?
21% 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 Ossipee’s trails?
Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract and Pine River State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ossipee?
12,667 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ossipee or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 395 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ossipee have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #54 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 Ossipee 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 →