This article is about Stonehouse Forest, a place to hunt, fish, bike, etc., which will have its grand opening on October 19th, 2019.
Photographs by Jerry Monkman/EcoPhotography - www.ecophotography.com
If you have never been to Stonehouse Forest, you don’t know what you’re missing! This beautiful 1500-acre wooded property in Barrington has wide flat trails perfect for exploring the gently sloping landscape with its forests, ponds, and fields. The property, purchased by Southeast Land Trust (SELT) in the fall of 2017, has been open to the public for the past two years. Recently, SELT staff and volunteers have been hard at work installing two gravel parking areas and cutting additional trails in preparation for a Grand Opening Celebration on October 19th.
Stonehouse Forest is open to the public for walking, jogging, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Mountain biking and horseback riding will be allowed on designated trails. Hunting and fishing are also permitted according to NH State Regulations. Further trails are currently under development, including a trail that will connect the property to the popular Stonehouse Pond conservation area. A trail map is also under development. Existing trails can be accessed from parking areas on Route 202/9 (near Hearthside Drive) and Merry Hill Road (near McDaniel Shore Drive).
Stonehouse Forest was purchased by SELT in 2017 from a European investor, who planned to create a private exotic game preserve on the property. In addition to the trails, warming huts and a grand staircase that was intended to lead to the main lodge were installed by this owner. When plans fell through for the game preserve, the investor offered the land to local conservation organizations before putting it on the open market. It took two years of fundraising from private and public sources for SELT to raise the necessary $3.5 million to acquire, conserve and steward the property by the deadline of December 2017.
The Grand Opening for the property will occur on Saturday, October 19th at the Route 202/9 entrance, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. and a variety of guided hikes to explore the property immediately thereafter. Hikes will include easy, moderate and strenuous options and pre-registration is required. For more information about the Stonehouse Forest property or to sign up for hikes during the Grand Opening celebration, visit www.seltnh.org and click on “News and Events” or call 603-778-6088 to reach the SELT office. Trail maps should be available at the Grand Opening.
