Date visited: December 12, 2015
As fall made one more last gasp, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm (50 degrees) weather and made my way up north to the picturesque Pawtuckaway State Park in Nottingham, New Hampshire.
Located about an hour and a half north of Boston, MA, Pawtuckaway is a 5,000 acre preserve with a camp site, lakes, a beach, a spectacular view of the Pawtuckaway Mountains and 15 miles of trails. The parking lot is pretty big so parking shouldn’t be a problem if you get there early in the day during the spring and summer. There were only 4 cars there when I went in December. It costs $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-11. It is free when it is not staffed (from 11/2 until 5/1). The park hours are 8 am-7 pm.
The trails can be challenging not so much because of their inclines, which can be tricky at parts, but because of the rocks which are randomly placed throughout the trails. They can come in handy, though, when you have to cross the puddles along the trails.
I arrived at Pawtuckaway early in the morning. Mist and frost was still visible on the way to the lake.
Looking into the pond was like looking into a mirror.
The views from the rocks trail on the Fire Tower make the long ascent (about 3 miles from the entrance) worthwhile.
The fire tower is located a short distance (about a quarter of a mile) from the rocky ledge with all of the beautiful views.
While I preferred the views from the ledge, the fire tower offered views from every angle and both sides of the vista.
There were also many pretty trees at Pawtuckaway.
There is also a beach at Pawtuckaway. I got there just in time for the sunset.
Pawtuckaway is said to have been derived from a Native American word meaning, “big buck.” I didn’t see any bucks but I did some dogs! From top to bottom Artie, Lulu (on the left), Rooster (on the right), Tucker and Duke.
Video from the fire tower at Pawtuckaway. As you can tell by the audio it was quite a windy day.
Video from the rocky ledge it was less windy there)
New England Nomad 
December 21st, 2015 at 12:37 am
Beautiful
LikeLike
December 21st, 2015 at 2:35 am
Yes, it is beautiful there. Thank you for reading and commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 2:37 am
My pleasure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 4:07 am
Another gorgeous place!
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 10:58 pm
It was so serene there, especially sitting on the rocks by the ledge. We had spell of warm weather and there wasn’t anyone there when I first got there. So, I had the area to myself.
LikeLike
December 22nd, 2015 at 4:33 am
Sounds like a little bit of heaven
LikeLike
December 21st, 2015 at 4:28 am
It looks gorgeous! Thanks for the tour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 10:57 pm
Thank you for stopping by and commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 8:00 pm
Another wonderful post. thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
December 21st, 2015 at 10:55 pm
Thank you very much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 31st, 2016 at 10:30 pm
Right next to the top of the world – the fire lookouts are great. Can you camp in them in the off season? We have quite a few on our coast as well. (Pacific Northwest) Great photos. I love seeing other parts of the country – especially the ones I may not see right away. Helps me plan ahead. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 31st, 2016 at 10:37 pm
Hi Larry, thank you! They actually have cabins you can rent and places to park your RV. But, after speaking to regular visitors there I found out they are very hard to reserve and if you can get a space your RV or a cabin it can be booked for years. I do not think they allow people to camp out overnight and if you did try to the bears might want to pay you a visit ( :
LikeLike
September 4th, 2016 at 11:14 pm
[…] Pawtuckaway State Park (Nottingham, NH) […]
LikeLiked by 1 person