Squam Lake Region: Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest

PHOTO: Bria on the boardwalk in the middle of the swamp on the Swamp Trail in the Chamberlain- Reynolds Memorial Forest on Squam Lake. The trails start from College Road in Center Harbor and are maintained by the Squam Lakes Association. Trail maps and a nature guide can be found at SquamLakes.org.

“The Squam Lakes Association is dedicated to conserving for public benefit the natural beauty, peaceful character and resources of the watershed. In collaboration with local and state partners the SLA promotes the protection, careful use and shared enjoyment of the lakes, mountains, forests, open spaces and wildlife of the Squam Lakes Region.” SLR Mission Statement-SquamLake.org.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

There is a lot to love about the Squam Lakes Region and the SLR helps make it possible for its members and the public to access Squam Lake and the surrounding forests and mountains.
At their headquarters on Piper Cove, Route 3, Holderness there is a boat launch, restricted to 25hp or less. From May to October the SLA rents kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards.
The SLA, with the help of many volunteers, maintains over 50 miles of hiking trails. Lots of trails! Including the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail that traverses the Squam Range from Cotton Mountain to Sandwich Notch Road and the popular Old Bridle Path up to West Rattlesnake Mountain.
One afternoon last week, Bria and I decided to hike the trails in the Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest and then go out kayaking. The warm weather convinced us that hiking and then playing on the water would be a fun combination.

The Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest is located off of College Road in Center Harbor. There are two trailheads. The West Fire Road has a parking lot and the East Fire Road has room for 4 or 5 cars on the shoulder of the College Road. Please remember to always be courteous if the parking is full and no safe parking is available; please come back another time.
The Forest consists of 157 acres with over a mile of water frontage on Squam Lake. This land was given to the New England Forestry Foundation in 1953 by Mr. John C. Wister in honor of his friends Allen Chamberlain and Harris Reynolds. The SLA maintains and manages the property.

On this weekday afternoon in May we were the only car parked at the East Fire Road. We downloaded the trail map from the SquamLake.org website.
Off we went down the East Fire Road to the Dog Cove Shore Trail. We really enjoyed walking along the shore of Dog Cove. The wildflowers were just coming out and we had fun looking for flowers along the trail while we were enjoying the view across the lake. Painted Trilliums and Goldthreads were blossoming.

The trail led us to the Swamp Walk Trail and we hopped across the boardwalk through the swampy area. There is an observation area with benches in the middle of the boardwalk. A woman with two dogs on leashes came up behind us and we let her pass. She told us she likes to snowshoe here in the winter.
On the trail around the perimeter of Wister Point we passed by small sandy beaches with wonderful mountain views across the water. There are also a few campsites that are rented and managed by the SLA on Wister Point. They can be accessed by hiking or by paddling your canoe or kayak. We poked around the campsites and thought they were really nice and isolated.
We hiked along the aptly named Beach Trail and stood a few minutes and watched whitecaps on the water. I didn’t realize it was so windy but it sure was out on the lake. Kayaking on Squam another day would be a better idea. Bria suggested visiting a nearby pond and that is what we did.

We could have gone straight back to our car, but next we went down and then up two interior trails. We finished retracing our steps on the East Fire Road Trail. We hiked about 3 miles total.
On our way back home Bria and I went kayaking on White Oak Pond in Holderness. Public access for non-motorized boats is at a small dam just off Rte 3. There isn’t a parking area, only a little pull room for a couple of cars on the side of the road. Our paddle was fun and we were the only ones on the water except for a couple of Loons!
Have fun.