Nash Stream Forest
Nature preserve
5,639 acres16.1 mi of trail
Cohos TrailOld Summer Club TrailLamphere Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Ken Gallager at en.wikipedia · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Stark
More than half of Stark’s land is conserved: 76%
76% of Stark’s land is conserved, about 28,444 acres. The biggest trail networks: Nash Stream Forest (16.1 mi), Kauffmann Forest (1.9 mi). 105 acres are parks and preserves, 251 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
76%
28,444 acres · of 58.8 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
105 ac
251 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,681 ft
Hutchins Mountain
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 2 boat launches
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 Nash Stream Forest, with 16.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kauffmann Forest
Managed by Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
1,866 acres1.9 mi of trail
Lamphere TrailDevils Slide Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lost Nation Preserve
Managed by Legacy Forest Trust
545 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Devil's Slide State Forest
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
294 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Nash Stream Forest5,639 acres · 16.1 mi of trail
Kauffmann Forest1,866 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
South Ponds Recreation Area9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Lost Nation Preserve545 acres · Legacy Forest Trust
Devil's Slide State Forest294 acres · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
DirectionsNorthumberland Watershed Forest130 acres
Upper Ammonoosuc River Wildlife Management Area97 acres · NH Fish & Game
Percy State Forest78 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Ammonoosuc River State Forest9 acres · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
Who protects it
28,444 conserved acres
76% of Stark’s land. Who manages Stark’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service29,843 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,180 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)621 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land310 ac
Not recorded2,505 ac
National Forest · 18,623 acConservation Easement · 13,711 acPrivate Conservation · 2,522 acState Resource Management Area · 378 acLocal Resource Management Area · 129 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7,306 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 33 of 45 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 | 14,685 | Open |
| White Mountain Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 3,938 | Open |
| Kauffmann Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 705 | Unknown |
| Kauffmann Forest Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 545 | Closed |
| Lamphere Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 420 | Unknown |
| Devils Slide State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 289 | Unknown |
| Yankee Forest Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 219 | Unknown |
| Kauffmann MOA & Class 1 EcoReserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 210 | Unknown |
| Kauffmann Class 1 EcoReserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 157 | Unknown |
| Northumberland Watershed Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 129 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Stark
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Stark
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Stark
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Stark
Crystal Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Stark
Devil's Hopyard
DirectionsStark Covered Bridge
DirectionsPeaks in Stark
Hutchins Mountain3,681 ft elevation
DirectionsPilot Ridge3,615 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Peak2,802 ft elevation
DirectionsMill Mountain2,500 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Mountain2,320 ft elevation · In Nash Stream Forest
DirectionsVictor Head2,195 ft elevation · In Nash Stream Forest
DirectionsLocation Hill1,988 ft elevation
DirectionsPotters Ledge1,627 ft elevation · In Nash Stream Forest
Directions3 more peaks
Beach Hill1,601 ft elevation
DirectionsDickey Hill1,581 ft elevation · In Kauffmann Forest
DirectionsJimmy Cole Ledge1,516 ft elevation · In Nash Stream Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.9 mi
Cohos Trail3.9 mi
Killkenny Ridge Trail2.3 mi
Lamphere Trail1.4 mi
Unknown Pond Trail1.0 mi
Devils Slide Trail0.8 mi
Old Summer Club Trail0.7 mi
Devil's Hopyard0.6 mi
Devils Hopyard0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
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 Stark: May 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 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 38 | 52 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 69 | 56 | 42 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Stark →
Next door
Stark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stark | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Northumberland | 22% | 0.3 | 124 | 55% | A− |
| Dummer | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Milan | 26% | 0.4 | 611 | 26% | A− |
| Stratford | — 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 Stark
Where can I hike in Stark?
The longest trail networks: Nash Stream Forest, 16.1 miles; Kauffmann Forest, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Stark’s trails?
Nash Stream Forest and Kauffmann Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Stark?
69,028 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stark or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 13,991 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Stark 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 →