Welcome to Deering

Wilkins-Campbell Forest at Deering Lake

How to get there. The entrance to the Wilkins-Campbell Forest is located on Wolf Hill Rd. From Deering Center Rd (NH Rt. 149) follow on Fisher Rd, at the town garage. Follow Fisher Rd. approx. 1 mi to a T at Wolf Hill Rd. Turn right on Wolf Hill Rd. Follow Wolf Hill Rd. for approx. 0.5 mi. ti the entrance to the Wilkins-Campbell Forest on the right. From Hillsborough, follow Deering Center Rd. (NH Rt. 149) to Old County Rd. Follow Old County Rd to  Wolf Hill Rd (approx. 3 mi). Turn left on Wolf Hill and follow approx. 0.4 mi to the entrance to the Wilkins-Campbell Forest on the right. Parking is on the Wolf Hill Rd.

This is a lovely property with a long, fishable shore line at the north end of Deering Lake. There is limited on-road parking at the gate, which is about a half-mile up Wolf Hill Road (get there via Old County Road). This is a great place for a picnic, fishing or general laziness on a warm summer day. Cross country skiing or snowshoeing are very possible for the winter.

The Wilkins farm forms the heart of the Wilkins-Campbell Forest. The farm is one of the earliest farms in Deering, dating from the mid 18th Century.  The original Wilkins house now stands at the corner of Old County Rd and Falls Rd. The Wilkins family donated the first burial ground in town, the Wilkins Cemetery, which is located a few hundred yards west of Falls Rd on Old County Rd. Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, the first female physician to open her own practice in New York City owned the Wilkins property through much of the 20th Century. She, and another of her New York friends, a minister Dr. Petty, hosted their Big City guests at social gatherings along the reservoir for many years. Dr Campbell, a wealthy woman, gave the land to her church, which was located at what is now The Wilds and for many years the church ran Camp Tuckernuck before going bankrupt. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests acquired the land and removed all the camp buildings.  The Wilkins-Campbell trail passes through what was formerly Camp Tuckernuck to a lovely beach and picnic area on Deering Reservoir.

There are a few nice open spots at the end of the trail where it is easys to fish. Deering Lake is managed for bass and rainbow trout. The many blueberry bushes along the shore are a great side benefit of a visit to the Wilkins Campbell Forest.

Access to the beach is either from the trail head, a half mile walk from Wolf Hill Rd., or by kayak. The walk to the lake from the trail head is along a dirt road and is  easy to follow.  Just beyond the trail head there is a slope that could be a challenge for tired kids or others after a long day of picnicking,  but after that the trail is level and smooth. Because of the limited parking, a good way to enjoy this property is to access it by canoe or kayak and use it as an ideal picnic spot. You’ll find the town boat launch alongside the dam at the southerly end of Deering Lake. There may be a small fee to park this site at some times of year. Once your boat is in the water, paddle along the south shore toward the west. You will come to a long section of undeveloped shoreline. Look for the Forest Society sign visible from the water. Using your GPS, the beach is located at approximately N43° 03.483′ W71° 51.263′.

If your boat has been in ANY lake or stream outside of Deering you must be certain that no plants or animals are sticking to it. Invasive plant species such as milfoil and fan plant do not occur in town. Representatives of The Lake Hosts program will inspect all boats between Memorial Day and Labor day, but it is the responsibility of everybody to prevent introduction of invasive species into Deering’s waters.

If you are kayaking, there is a cove to the right as you face away from the beach. Leaving your kayak at the head of the cove you can walk 200 yards to a wetland where gentians and red lobelia abound.

Hedgehog Mountain Trails

The longest continuous wetland in Deering extends for about 2 miles from Hedgehog Mt. Rd in the north to just north of the beaver pond in the Deering Preserve. In this wetland there are at least two mighty tupelo trees, and a stand of good-sized balsam fir. Water from part of the wetland flows north in Manselville Brook into the Contoocook River. Water from the southern end of the wetland flows through a small brook into the beaver pond in the Deering Preserve, eventually passing through the Deering Reservoir and into the Piscataquog river.

This wetland is bounded on the west by a ridge that is called Hedgehog Hill or Hedgehog Mt. and on the east by Clark Summit. A recently (2016) completed trail runs along the ridge of Hedgehog Mt from Hedgehog Mt. Rd in the north to Falls Road and then back up to Wilson Hill (High Five) in the south. The total length of the trail is about 5 miles, from Hedgehog Mt. Rd to High Five at Sky Farm Rd.

Getting there: From Hillsborough take Rte. 149 south.  After ~1.5 mi bear right on Old County Rd. Follow that for between .6 & .7 mi to Hedgehog Mountain Rd on you right (west). [ For those coming from the south – Hedgehog Mountain Rd is  ~3.5 miles north of Sky Farm Rd. / Deering Reservoir Rd off Old County Rd.]  Travel  about 1/2 mi. to a parking area on the right (north) where there is a SPNHF kiosk with a map. Follow the road past Manselville Brook and up hill for about 1/4 mile to the trail head, just beyond a metal gate on the left.  There is also room to park opposite the gate next to the SPNHF Hedgehog Mt. Forest sign.

The Hedgehog Trails pass mainly through land owned by the  Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Two segments pass through privately held land and near Hogden Pasture, where there was logging in 2016, the trail passes through privately owned land. The last part of the trail, coming off Hogden Pasture and Hedgehog Mt. the trail passes through the privately owned Donovan Conservation easement. The town of Deering holds the easement.

Hedgehog Mountain Overlook Trail is about ¾ mile from the road to the outlook at the top. The beginning of the trail on Hedgehog Mt. Rd is clearly marked with yellow blazes. The first  ¼  miles is on a narrow ‘single track’ trail. The next  ½ mi. follows an old woods road, with a few detours around seasonally wet areas. (The old woods road is eroded in places and one section just below the peak is very badly washed out due to previous ATV & 4-wheel drive use.) Total elevation gain is ~ 400 feet. There are nice views of the Contoocook River Valley from the outlook at the top. A large part of this trail is steep but a person who is reasonably fit will have no problem with it. The view from the overlook is very rewarding. In early summer the orchid rattlesnake plantain (Goodyeara) is found near the bridge, and among the beech trees on the lower part of the trail there is a lot of the plant Beech Drops, which is parasitic on roots of beech; they look like short, branching twigs growing alongside the trail.

Hedgehog Ridge Trail begins just below the washed out section below Hedgehog Overlook. The trail follows the spine of Hedgehog Mt in a single track trail. The yellow blazes are frequent and easily seen. Follow yellow blazes. The trail is variable in contour. Sometimes level and other times there are steepish ascents or descents through forest. At one point the hiker must scramble over rocks to get to a great overlook,  which is also a good spot for lunch! Mostly the trail passes through typical mixed hardwood/hemlock forest. The trail passes below Hogden Pasture, elev about 1300 ft and the second highest point in  Deering. Hogden pasture was clearcut by the New England Forest Foundation about 7 years ago, in about 2000 but the vegetation is growing quickly. Thus there are no longer views from the top of Hogden Pasture. The Hedgehog Ridge trail drops down to  Falls Rd at the southern end, which it crosses before climbing once again to High Five.

For those wishing to hike south to north or to climb to High Five, parking for at most 2 cars is available on Falls Rd just beyond Beatrice Hunter’s house.

It is possible to make a loop, the Hedgehog Mt. Loop Trail returning to your vehicle on Hedgehog Mt. Download a map of the Hedgehog Mt. Loop Trail to Google Earth. Approximately 2 miles along the Hedgehog Ridge Trail, just beyond an expansive lookout, the trail turns sharply left, toward the north. The trail proceeds about 200 yards and then turns again to the right and uphill. At that point a forest road leading straight north is evident. Following that road, which is marked with red flags, the trail returns to Hedgehog Mt Rd. You will pass through a gate and some distance further along you will be directed to the left. This diversion keeps the trail on Society land and it joins with the Hedgehog Overlook trail near the trail head. The forest road is level once you’ve come off the ridge.

The forest road offers a very good opportunity for snowshoeing and cross country skiing from Hedgehog Mt. Rd.