The Bowl Research Natural Area
Nature preserve
645 acres2.2 mi of trail
Rollins TrailTom Wiggin TrailBlueberry Ledge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Waterville Valley
More than half of Waterville Valley’s land is conserved: 98%
98% of Waterville Valley’s land is conserved, about 40,232 acres. The biggest trail networks: The Bowl Research Natural Area (2.2 mi). 103 miles of mapped trail cross Waterville Valley, 1.6 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
98%
40,232 acres · of 64.3 sq mi of land
Trails
103 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.8 mi
4.5 mi paths
Highest peak
4,180 ft
North Tripyramid
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches
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 The Bowl Research Natural Area, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
40,232 conserved acres
98% of Waterville Valley’s land. Who manages Waterville Valley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service40,217 ac
Town or city8 ac
Not recorded11 ac
National Forest · 40,217 acWatershed Protection Area · 11 acConservation Easement · 8 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 6 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 | 40,207 | Open |
| Waterville Valley Water District Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 11 | Unknown |
| White Mountain Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 10 | Open |
Things to do
55 places to go in Waterville Valley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Waterville Valley
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Waterville Valley
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Waterville Valley
Scenic views in Waterville Valley
Waterville Flume viewpoint
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Waterville Valley
North Tripyramid4,180 ft elevation
DirectionsMiddle Tripyramid4,140 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Tripyramid4,101 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Passaconaway4,019 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Tecumseh3,997 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Whiteface3,993 ft elevation
DirectionsSandwich Mountain3,986 ft elevation
DirectionsSandwich Dome3,957 ft elevation
Directions21 more peaks
West Sleeper3,881 ft elevation
DirectionsEast Sleeper3,839 ft elevation
DirectionsScaur Peak3,566 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Fool Killer3,491 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Mountain3,481 ft elevation
DirectionsJennings Peak3,406 ft elevation
DirectionsFlat Mountain3,330 ft elevation
DirectionsFlume Peak2,953 ft elevation
DirectionsNoon Peak2,930 ft elevation
DirectionsHibbard Mountain2,917 ft elevation
DirectionsSnow's Mountain Viewpoint2,779 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Wonalancet2,772 ft elevation
DirectionsDickey Mountain2,733 ft elevation
DirectionsPotash Mountain2,664 ft elevation
DirectionsSachem Peak2,648 ft elevation
DirectionsHogback Mountain2,615 ft elevation
DirectionsWelch Mountain2,605 ft elevation
DirectionsFisher Mountain2,402 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Scaur2,231 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Knob2,057 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Mountain1,785 ft elevation
Directions32 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Waterville Valley
Sabbaday Falls Picnic Area
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Waterville Valley
Camp Rich TentsiteWonalancet Out Door Club
DirectionsOsceola Vista CampgroundFee · National Forest
DirectionsWaterville Valley CampgroundUS Forest Service
DirectionsDisc golf in Waterville Valley
Town Square CourseWaterville Valley Resort
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Waterville Valley
Mary Bierbrier Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.9 miUnpaved · 29.1 mi
Sabbaday Brook Trail4.5 mi
Flat Mountain Pond Trail4.4 mi
Mt. Tripyramid Trail4.3 mi
Mount Tecumseh Trail3.9 mi
Downes Brook Trail3.7 mi
Dicey's Mill Trail3.6 mi
Sandwich Mountain Trail3.4 mi
Kate Sleeper Trail2.9 mi
Pine Bend Brook Trail2.9 mi
Snow's Mountain Trail2.8 mi
15 more trails
Drakes Brook Trail
2.6 miLivermore Road - 53
2.6 miRollins Trail
2.3 miCascade Brook Trail
2.2 miOld Waterville Road XC Trail
2.0 miLivermore Trail - 53
2.0 miSmarts Brook Trail
2.0 miBlueberry Ledge Trail
1.9 miFire Route 116
1.8 miMcCrillis Trail
1.8 miCascade Path
1.6 miLogging Road - 511
1.5 miWalden Trail
1.4 miGreeley Ponds Trail
1.4 miPotash Mountain Trail
1.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
18Tennis
2Pickleball
1Basketball
1Soccer
1Skate park
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Waterville Valley: June 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 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 26 | 33 | 46 | 58 | 66 | 70 | 69 | 62 | 50 | 38 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 5.1 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
February is the driest month (4.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 70 °F). 7.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Waterville Valley →
Next door
Waterville Valley and its neighbors
Waterville Valley has the second most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterville Valley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sandwich | 45% | 1.0 | 328 | 21% | A |
| Albany | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Thornton | 49% | 1.3 | 2 | 7% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Waterville Valley
Where can I hike in Waterville Valley?
The longest trail networks: The Bowl Research Natural Area, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Waterville Valley’s trails?
The Bowl Research Natural Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Waterville Valley?
4.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.5 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Waterville Valley?
140,955 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Waterville Valley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 13,442 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Waterville Valley 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 →