FUTURE ACCOMMODATIONS
The Cohos Trail Association plans to build a number of overnight hostels and lean-tos over the next five years. Here's a wish list (and we do mean wish) so that you may get an idea of what we are thinking of and where. Most of these structures would be in delightful spots but they would be out of the backcountry, thereby avoiding the human impact and environmental degradation that almost invariably occurs around remote overnight structures situated in isolated areas. Numbered in order from southern-most to northern-most.
Notchland Hostel, Harts Location, NH, 5.5 miles south of Crawford Notch State Park, near the Davis Path and Nancy Ponds Trail trailheads.
At this time, this is only an idea. We would like to purchase an acre or two of land near the Saco River between the two trailheads and build a rustic 20-bed hostel with one "Great Room", several bunk rooms and a kitchen.
Owlshead Hostel, off Route 115, Jefferson, NH, near several wonderful natural features between the Dartmouth and Pliny Ranges.
This would be a small 16-bunk hostel situated on private land between the Owlshead trailhead on Route 115 and the Pondicherry Wildlife Reserve with its productive headwaters of the Johns River, including spectacular Cherry Pond.
Percy Peaks Hostel, Percy Road, Stark, NH, at the doorstep of the Nash Stream Forest and near the banks of the Upper Ammonoosuc River.
The planned structure would be the first to be built. It would be the headquarters of The Cohos Trail Association. It would house up to 20 people overnight and it would sport an office. The hostel would be a true gateway to both the Nash Stream Forest and the Kilkenny Region of the White Mountain National Forest.
Broken Dam Lean-to, Nash Stream Road, near Sugarloaf Mt. trailhead and the new East Side trailhead.
If the state of New Hampshire will permit the construction of this single lean-to within the confines of the Nash Stream Forest, TCTA will develop an eight-person Adirondack-style lean-to not far from Nash Stream itself and the Sugarloaf Mt. trailhead. There would be a pit toilet and a fire wall, and that's it. The site we would like to build in is an old sandpit, which we would restore and plant to native trees and shrubs.
Dixville Notch Hostel, Dixville Notch, Dixville, NH, either on leased state land on the east side of the notch.
Be it on one side of the notch or the other, TCTA hopes to build one 16-bunk hostel in dramatic country. This would be the second hostel built and it would make possible a 30+ mile hostel-to-hostel trek between Stark and Dixville Notch.
Ben Young Lean-to, near Ben Young Hill or Clarksville Pond, Clarksville, NH
This would be a small Adirondack-style lean-to built either on private land at the height of land on high elevation Ben Young Hill, or down near small high elevation Clarksville Pond. This structure would make it possible for a sheltered overnight between the Stewartstown plateau/Coleman State Park area and Lake Francis Campground. TCTA would either lease or purchase a small plot of land to make this structure possible.
Headwaters Lean-to or Cabin, between First and Second Connecticut Lakes, Pittsburg, NH
Camping overnight is forbidden in private lands north of Pittsburg village. So TCTA wants to purchase or lease a plot of land for the construction of a lean-to or tiny four-walled log cabin that would make an overnight possible and, of course, legal. Since private companies who own the bulk of the lands in the far north do permit day time use, we want hikers and other visitors to The Cohos Trail to have every opportunity not to trespass and break the law. Such a structure would be midway between Deer Mt. campground, Magalloway Cabins, and Lake Francis campground, making easy day hikes possible between the facilities.
FROM THE TENT TO FOUR-STAR LUXURY
One of the truly odd things about The Cohos Trail is that this very remote trail system passes within a few yards of two world-class four-star grand resorts -- The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel and the fabled Mount Washington Hotel -- and a highly critically acclaimed country inn, The Notchland Inn.
You may, of course, make reservations to stay at each and every one of these remarkable resorts, but they aren't as cheap as staying in your tent and eating gorp all day.
Nonetheless, these resorts are all very close to the CT right of way and they will welcome you if you don't smell too badly from weeks on the trail.
1. The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch:
800-255-0800
800-255-0600 in NH
2. The Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, NH:
800-258-0330
603-278-1000 in NH
3. The Notchland Inn, Harts Location, NH:
800-866-6131
AND A FEW MORE
Finally, we should mention two other campgrounds that are very close to the southern-most terminus in Harts Location. The Davis Path starts just off Route 302 5.5 miles south of Crawford Notch State Park at the Bemis suspension bridge just off the trailhead parking area. Within two miles of the trailhead there are two campgrounds, one a private one and one a WMNF facility. They make good base camps for the run north or good places to crash after the long trek south.
Crawford Notch Campground and General Store, Harts Location, NH
This is a private campground and store just half a mile north on Route 302 from the Davis Path trailhead, which is the southern terminus of the CT.
Dry River Campground, Harts Location, NH
A bit less than two miles north of the southern terminus, the WMNF maintains a heavily wooded campsite for hikers and other visitors in the confluence of the Saco River and the Dry River. This is usually a very heavily used campground so call the USFS for reservations.
