Hemenway State Forest
Managed by State of New Hampshire
2,040 acres7 mi of trail
Betty Steele Loop TrailPeg King Spur TrailBetty's Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Tamworth
45% of Tamworth’s land is conserved: 17,225 acres
983 acres are parks and preserves, 341 per 1,000 residents. 66 miles of mapped trail cross Tamworth, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Hemenway State Forest (7 mi), White Lake State Park (3.1 mi), Forrester A. Clark Reserve (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #27 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
45%
17,225 acres · of 59.6 sq mi of land
Trails
66 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
983 ac
341 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
32%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,664 ft
Black Snout Mountain
Lakes & rivers
14
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Tamworth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild45% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.Room to roam341 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 83% of U.S. towns.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tamworth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tamworth is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #27 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 Tamworth’s overall grade.
Conserved land45% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (66 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land341 acres of park per 1,000 residents (983 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13AParks close to home32% 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 89%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 79%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Tamworth’s 45% is ahead of 95% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 42% 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 Hemenway State Forest, with 7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
White Lake State Park
Park
890 acres3.1 mi of trail
Pitch Pine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Forrester A. Clark Reserve
Managed by Chocorua Lake Conservancy
265 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Frank Bolles Nature Reserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
244 acres2.3 mi of trail
Heron Pond TrailMiddle TrailLake TrailPond Loop
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Black Spruce Bogs Natural Area
Managed by Tamworth Conservation Commission
56 acres0.8 mi of trail
Esker Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mary P. Scott Nature Reserve
Managed by Chocorua Lake Conservancy
52 acres0.8 mi of trail
Pond LoopHeron Pond TrailMiddle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gilman Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
203 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
48 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
All 31 parks & preserves
Hemenway State Forest2,040 acres · 7 mi of trail · State of New Hampshire
White Lake State Park890 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsForrester A. Clark Reserve265 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Frank Bolles Nature Reserve244 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Black Spruce Bogs Natural Area56 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Tamworth Conservation Commission
Mary P. Scott Nature Reserve52 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Gilman Forest203 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve48 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Ossipee Mountains Preserve2,806 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Jackman Pond Wildlife Area38 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
The Island24 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Woodhouse Reserve19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Earle H. Remick Natural Area11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Tamworth Conservation Commission
DirectionsHackett Hill Wildlife Management Area236 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract656 acres
Porter-Rogerson Forest192 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Brown Lot149 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Bowditch-Runnells State Forest135 acres · State of New Hampshire
Mill Brook Preserve123 acres · Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Browne, Greenough, VerPlanck Forest94 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Theodore & Alice Browne Memorial Forest45 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Tewksbury Reserve24 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Johnson Waterfowl Haven17 acres · Tamworth Conservation Commission
Abigail Adams / Scott Korson Nature Reserve13 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Charles & Alice Thompson Natural Area10 acres · Tamworth Conservation Commission
Stanley C. Snow Reserve6 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Kennett Triangle6 acres · Town of Tamworth
Bowditch Reserve6 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
Emerson Natural Area6 acres · Tamworth Conservation Commission
Hobbs Natural Area5 acres · Tamworth Conservation Commission
The Grove2 acres · Chocorua Lake Conservancy
DirectionsWho protects it
17,225 conserved acres
45% of Tamworth’s land. Who manages Tamworth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits18,091 ac
Town or city1,955 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1,179 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)990 ac
State natural resources762 ac
Other state land752 ac
U.S. Forest Service224 ac
Conservation Easement · 19,769 acUnknown Easement · 2,251 acState Resource Management Area · 2,134 acPrivate Conservation · 1,725 acState Park · 889 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11,609 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 275 of 322 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemenway State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,079 | Unknown |
| White Lake State Park State Park | Not recorded | 889 | Unknown |
| Forrester A. Clark Reserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 266 | Unknown |
| Frank Bolles Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 243 | Unknown |
| White Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 224 | Open |
| Hackett Hill Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 217 | Unknown |
| Porter-Rogerson Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 205 | Unknown |
| Gilman Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 204 | Unknown |
| Thompson #1 (Watson Pasture) / Kimball Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 180 | Unknown |
| UNH Tract Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 166 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
21 places to go in Tamworth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Tamworth
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Tamworth
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Tamworth
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Tamworth
Black Snout Mountain2,664 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Preserve
DirectionsBald Mountain2,434 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Preserve
DirectionsMount Whittier2,218 ft elevation
DirectionsLarcom Mountain2,051 ft elevation
DirectionsJohnson Mountain1,929 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Preserve
DirectionsLittle Larcom Mountain1,670 ft elevation
DirectionsGreat Hill1,247 ft elevation · In Hemenway State Forest
DirectionsMcDaniel Hill1,168 ft elevation
Directions7 more peaks
Page Hill1,138 ft elevation
DirectionsLunt Ledge1,099 ft elevation · In Hemenway State Forest
DirectionsWashington Hill984 ft elevation
DirectionsCleveland Hill965 ft elevation
DirectionsBunker Hill935 ft elevation
DirectionsHeckel Hill919 ft elevation
DirectionsRyan Hill784 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Tamworth
White Lake State Park Campground #1In White Lake State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.7 miHorses · 1.7 miUnpaved · 12.8 mi
Great Hill Pond Trail2.0 mi
Brook Path1.6 mi
Bickford Trail1.1 mi
Jackman Pond North Trail0.9 mi
Heron Pond Trail0.9 mi
Larcom Mountain Trail0.9 mi
Betty Steele Loop Trail0.8 mi
Peg King Spur Trail0.6 mi
Bolles Access Trail0.4 mi
Middle Trail0.4 mi
9 more trails
Pond Loop
0.3 miBetty's Path
0.2 miLake Trail
0.2 miLittle Larcom Moutain Spur
0.2 miEsker Trail
0.2 miRed Path
0.1 miGordon Path
0.1 miPitch Pine Trail
0.1 miCabin Trail
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
2Tennis
2Baseball
1Softball
1Basketball
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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Tamworth: 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 33 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 58 | 45 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Tamworth →
Next door
Tamworth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth | 45% | 1.1 | 341 | 32% | A |
| Albany | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ossipee | 21% | 1.6 | 84 | 21% | A− |
| Sandwich | 45% | 1.0 | 328 | 21% | A |
| Madison | 16% | 1.4 | 161 | 25% | A− |
| Moultonborough | 38% | 1.4 | 76 | 30% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tamworth
Where can I hike in Tamworth?
The longest trail networks: Hemenway State Forest, 7 miles; White Lake State Park, 3.1 miles; Forrester A. Clark Reserve, 2.8 miles; Frank Bolles Nature Reserve, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tamworth is conserved land?
45% 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 Tamworth’s trails?
Hemenway State Forest and White Lake State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Tamworth?
81,763 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tamworth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,211 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Tamworth have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #27 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 Tamworth 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 →