Fletcher Park
Managed by Canaan Rec Park Committee
10 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Canaan
Few parks or trails are on the map in Canaan
10% of Canaan’s land is conserved, about 2,060 acres. 321 acres are parks and preserves, 396 per 1,000 residents. 42 miles of mapped trail cross Canaan, 1.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
10%
2,060 acres · of 33.0 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
321 ac
396 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,238 ft
Canaan Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
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 Fletcher Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Connecticut River Drivers Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
7 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
2,060 conserved acres
10% of Canaan’s land. Who manages Canaan’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,753 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)801 ac
State natural resources2 ac
Not recorded322 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,823 acConservation Easement · 1,728 acState Conservation Area · 246 acLocal Resource Management Area · 61 acState Other or Unknown · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,736 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 76 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Farm Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 246 | Open |
| Canaan Community Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Beecher Falls Recreational Trail State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Unknown |
| Washburn Family Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
| Canaan Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
| Connecticut River Drivers Wildlife Management Area State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 2 | Open |
| Wallace Pond Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
Things to do
12 places to go in Canaan
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Canaan
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Canaan
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Canaan
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Canaan
Canaan Hill2,238 ft elevation
DirectionsHarriman Hill2,014 ft elevation
DirectionsHarriman Hill2,005 ft elevation
DirectionsKemp Hill1,818 ft elevation
DirectionsCole Hill1,706 ft elevation
DirectionsVan Dyke Mountain1,542 ft elevation
DirectionsBeecher Hill1,165 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Canaan
Jackson's Lodge
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.6 mi
Upper Coos Recreational Rail Trail1.3 mi
Halls Stream Trail1.3 mi
Pollard Hill1.3 mi
Town Highway 210.2 mi
Lakes & 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
2Baseball
2Soccer
2Tennis
1Basketball
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 Canaan: 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 26 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 66 | 53 | 40 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Canaan →
Next door
Canaan and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Pittsburg354 miClarksville73 miColebrook66 miStewartstown57 miCanaan42 miLemington28 miBeecher Falls2.6 miWest Stewartstown2.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Beecher Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lemington | — 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 Canaan
Where can I hike in Canaan?
The longest trail networks: Fletcher Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Canaan’s trails?
Fletcher Park and Connecticut River Drivers Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Canaan?
13,810 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Canaan or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 685 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Canaan 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 →