Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area
Managed by Lakes Region Conservation Trust
841 acres3.5 mi of trail
Mount Shaw TrailGorilla TrailBlack Snout TrailHigh Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainB+Outdoors
Outdoors in Tuftonboro
21% of Tuftonboro’s land is conserved: 5,361 acres
152 acres are parks and preserves, 59 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area (3.5 mi), Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract (2.8 mi), Mount Pleasant Conservation Area (1.5 mi). 30 miles of mapped trail cross Tuftonboro, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #92 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
5,361 acres · of 40.5 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
152 ac
59 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
12%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,802 ft
Black Snout
Lakes & rivers
7
4 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Tuftonboro?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tuftonboro have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tuftonboro is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #92 of 126 in New Hampshire. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Tuftonboro’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land59 acres of park per 1,000 residents (152 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home12% 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 74%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 27%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Tuftonboro’s 21% is ahead of 60% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 9% of them.
Water is 18% of Tuftonboro’s area (9 of 49 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 17%.
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 Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area, with 3.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract
Nature preserve
2,004 acres2.8 mi of trail
Gorilla TrailCanaan Mountain TrailDave Green Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mount Pleasant Conservation Area
Managed by Lakes Region Conservation Trust
115 acres1.5 mi of trail
Mount Pleasant Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Great Meadow Preserve
Managed by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
215 acres0.8 mi of trail
Melvin River Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hackl Conservation Easement
Managed by Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
342 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ragged Island Conservation Area
Managed by Lakes Region Conservation Trust
12 acres0.6 mi of trail
Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sargent-Phelps Forest
Managed by Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
149 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area841 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract2,004 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
Mount Pleasant Conservation Area115 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Great Meadow Preserve215 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Hackl Conservation Easement342 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
Ragged Island Conservation Area12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Sargent-Phelps Forest149 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
Gould Lot84 acres · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
Copps Pond Conservation Area82 acres · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
Sidney Butler Smith Woodland60 acres · Society for the Prot. of NH Forests
Nineteen Mile Brook Lot34 acres · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
Twenty Mile Brook Lot33 acres · Tuftonboro Conservation Commission
19 Mile Beach2 acres · Town of Tuftonboro
Who protects it
5,361 conserved acres
21% of Tuftonboro’s land. Water is left out: Tuftonboro has 40.5 square miles of land and 8.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Tuftonboro’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,025 ac
Other state land1,998 ac
State natural resources1,940 ac
Town or city501 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)114 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land107 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government56 ac
Conservation Easement · 5,782 acForest Stewardship Easement · 1,788 acUnknown Easement · 865 acLocal Other or Unknown · 494 acPrivate Conservation · 472 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,361 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 57 of 67 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retsof/Chocorua Forestlands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 180 | Unknown |
| Cow Island Backland Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 141 | Unknown |
| Mount Pleasant Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 115 | Open |
| Great Meadow Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| Sidney Butler Smith Woodland Private Conservation | Not recorded | 67 | Unknown |
| Gale Property - Parcel 1 Private Conservation | Not recorded | 65 | Unknown |
| Theo Construction Company Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 50 | Unknown |
| Caverly and Blaisdel Lots Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 50 | Unknown |
| Fabian near 171 Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| Copps Pond Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Tuftonboro
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Tuftonboro
19-Mile Bay BeachIn 19 Mile Beach
Directions20-Mile Bay Beach
DirectionsNorth Beach
DirectionsWinmir Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Tuftonboro
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Tuftonboro
Boat Ramp
DirectionsTown Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Tuftonboro
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Tuftonboro
Black Snout2,802 ft elevation · In Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area
DirectionsMount Flagg2,388 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract
DirectionsBig Ball Mountain2,034 ft elevation
DirectionsCanaan Mountain1,959 ft elevation · In Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract
DirectionsLittle Ball Mountain1,706 ft elevation
DirectionsSentinel Mountain1,440 ft elevation
DirectionsBrier Hill1,289 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pleasant1,260 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Oak Hill1,188 ft elevation
DirectionsCopp Hill1,161 ft elevation
DirectionsWallace Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsNeal Hill1,053 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill840 ft elevation
DirectionsWawbeek Hill840 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Tuftonboro
Tuftonboro Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
13 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.5 mi
Gorilla Trail2.6 mi
Mount Shaw Trail1.9 mi
Candy Cane Loop1.7 mi
Italian Trail1.2 mi
Melvin River Trail0.8 mi
Nature Trail0.8 mi
Canaan Mountain Trail0.8 mi
Black Snout Trail0.7 mi
Dave Green Trail0.7 mi
Mount Pleasant Trail0.7 mi
3 more trails
Sentinel Connector Trail
0.4 miSentinel Mountain Trail
0.2 miHigh Ridge Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
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
28Tennis
9Basketball
4Baseball
1Soccer
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).
Tuftonboro United Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1997
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Tuftonboro: 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) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Tuftonboro →
Next door
Tuftonboro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuftonboro | 21% | 0.7 | 59 | 12% | B+ |
| Moultonborough | 38% | 1.4 | 76 | 30% | A |
| Wolfeboro | 11% | 0.9 | 97 | 42% | A− |
| Alton | 13% | 0.9 | 215 | 34% | A− |
| Melvin Village | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ossipee | 21% | 1.6 | 84 | 21% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tuftonboro
Where can I hike in Tuftonboro?
The longest trail networks: Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area, 3.5 miles; Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract, 2.8 miles; Mount Pleasant Conservation Area, 1.5 miles; Great Meadow Preserve, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tuftonboro 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 Tuftonboro’s trails?
Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area and Ossipee Mountains Forest Legacy Tract don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Tuftonboro?
10,331 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tuftonboro or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 152 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Tuftonboro have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #92 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 Tuftonboro 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 →