WHERE TO CAMP

IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION

The Cohos Trail Association developed the new Percy Loop Camp off the Percy Loop Trail on the north flank of North Percy Peak in the Nash Stream Forest in 2004. Complete with a tent platform and Composting latrine.

This site completes the overnight camping picture -- in terms of being able to legally camp -- from southern Crawford Notch all the way to Coleman State Park on the Stewartstown plateau.

WHERE YOU CAN CAMP NOW

Much of The Cohos Trail runs on national forest and state forest lands, as well as on the lands of large landowners, particularly timber and paper firms and recreation companies. In some places camping is permitted, and in others, camping is strictly forbidden.

Below is a step by step look at the areas where you may camp and where you may not camp, along with campgrounds and other facilities along the route where you can camp or take lodging.

THE MONTALBAN WHITES

You may camp within the boundaries of the White Mountain National Forest, but you must move off the trail 200 or more. So it is possible to camp along the Davis Path, the Isolation Trail, the Eisenhower Trail and the Edmonds Path and a small portion of the Old Bridle Path down towards Upper Falls.

Past Upper Falls, DO NOT CAMP anywhere from there out to the Mount Washington Hotel and anywhere along the way to Zealand and Sugarloaf Campgrounds. These campgrounds are federal campgrounds and, of course, you may stay there.

You may camp once you enter the Cherry Mountain Road, as there are designated campsites along the old dirt route, You may camp along the Cherry Mountain massif, Mt. Martha and near the Owls Head ledges. You may camp in an area about a mile below the ledges going north, but the land soon reverts to private ownership. DO NOT CAMP a mile below Owls Head out to Route 115. From Route 115 to the Applebrook Bed and Breakfast near Jefferson village, you may not camp (bugs are terrible in there much of the late spring and summer).

From the Starr King Trailhead all the way to South Pond, you may camp 200 feet off the trail or more. It is all part of the White Mountain National Forest. However, YOU MAY NOT CAMP at South Pond Recreation Area itself.

NASH STREAM FOREST AND PERCY LOOP CAMP

Camping is permitted at the Percy Loop Camp off the Percy Loop Trail on North Percy Peak.

Two miles north of Gadwah Notch, the trail rises slowly for more than a quarter mile onto the flank of Baldhead. Once you reach the hard right turn at the boundary post and range line marker (on a birch tree in the turn) the land becomes a piece of private property owned by Fred Foss of Columbia. You may camp north of that turn and north of orange blazing on trees in the area.

BALDHEAD SOUTH

There is a new lean-to atop Baldhead. CAMP HERE or within a quarter mile of the structure. Once you are one quarter mile to the east of the Baldhead height of land, the boundaries become indistinct. It is likely you will soon move on to Wagner/Mead Corporation land.

CAMPING ON Wagner/Mead PAPER LAND IS NOT ALLOWED.

So plan NOT to camp between Baldhead summit and the summit of Dixville Peak.

DIXVILLE REGION

From Baldhead to Dixville Peak, there is a five mile area where YOU MAY NOT CAMP. Heed this warning!!!
Just north of the summit of Dixville Peak and all the way to Mud Pond well north of the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, you may camp but always on the west side of the trail. So, please, camp on the west side of the trail in all cases. Also, you may NOT build a fire at this time.

Half a mile beyond the Mud Pond area, the trail passes through a broken down gate. This marks the start of more Mead Corp. land. DO NOT CAMP from this gate all the way into Coleman State Park, a distance of some four miles.

COLEMAN STATE PARK

Coleman State Park is a state campground. You may camp here for a fee. (With hot showers)
Half a mile to the north is Sportsman's Lodge and Cabins on Big Diamond Pond. You may camp here for a fee or get a room and a hot shower, breakfast, etc....

Half a mile from Coleman State Park headed to the southwest to make the loop around Mudget Mt. to head northward again, the land turns into private property and remains private property all the way to Clarksville Pond. DO NOT CAMP on private property here.

CLARKSVILLE POND

At Clarksville Pond, Rudy's Campground and Cabins are situated. You may camp here for a fee.

CONNECTICUT LAKES REGION

In order to camp legally in the Connecticut Lakes Region, you must reach a number of public or private campgrounds.

LAKE FRANCIS CAMPGROUND

After you leave Clarksville Pond, you must hike 12 miles before you reach Lake Francis Campground, south on River Road in Pittsburg. YOU MAY NOT CAMP between Clarksville Pond and the campground.

RAMBLEWOOD CABINS AND CAMPGROUND

Located across from the West Bay of First Connecticut Lake, stop in and visit with Paul Bergeron, a great supporter of the Cohos Trail. From Ramblewood Cabins and Campground north some 16 or more miles there is no place to camp now until you reach Deer Mountain Campground, a state run facility four miles south of the border.

CAMPING ON CONNECTICUT RIVER HEADWATERS LAND IS NOT ALLOWED. ALSO CAMPING ON TRANS CANADA EASEMENTS AND CONNECTICUT LAKES STATE PARK EASEMENTS IS NOT ALLOWED.

DEER MT. CAMPGROUND

Please camp at Deer Mt. Campground. Regulations are very strict about camping outside the campgrounds in the far north, and you will face extremely stiff fines from local magistrates should you be caught camping on private land in this region.

A FINAL WORD

The Cohos Trail Association will work diligently over the next few years to fill a few very large gaps in the camping picture with some sort of facilities, even if they are only designated camping areas on an acre or so of private property where we obtain short or long term leases. Until that time, the Nash Stream Forest and the Connecticut Lakes Region can pose problems to through hikers trying to trek the trail in a legal and forthright manner.

Please, for all of us, do not jeopardize this new long distance trail system. We have worked extremely hard over a short period of time to make The Cohos Trail a reality. Good citizenship will ensure that the CT remains a viable trail for skilled hikers to use for years to come.