March 7, 2016

Mine Falls Park (Nashua, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: March 5, 2016

Cost: Free

Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: 9 Stadium Rd, Nashua, New Hampshire

Parking: There are several different entrances with parking at Mine Falls.  The main parking area that I parked in (The Gate House Entrance) had 15 spots and was full when I left.

DSC_0240

Once a canal and gate system used to power a mill complex that manufactured textiles, Mine Falls Park is now a nature lover’s paradise.  The 325 acre park, which seems bigger, is home to a host wildlife, plant life and spectacular views

During my jaunt along trails, I saw a variety of creatures such as chipmunks, swans, ducks, a blue heron egret and a number of furry friends.

DSC_0584DSC_0285DSC_0531DSC_0471DSC_0466DSC_0579

After a chilly, blustery morning, the temperature rose dramatically by noon time and it seemed spring-like (in other words, it was a typical New England March day) and joggers, cyclists and dogs inundated the park.

I met some beautiful and cute dogs at Mine Falls listed below.

A chocolate lab named Kona (named after the coffee color).

Flower, a pretty greyhound.

DSC_0237

Evie, a 7 year old Yorkshire Terrier, showed off her tricks.

DSC_0622DSC_0623DSC_0621

Four month old puggle Daisy is a natural poser.

DSC_0632

Sampson, a 5 month old Golden Retriever, looked like a teddy bear.

DSC_0678

The trails are Mine Lake are easy with very slight inclines.  They vary from paved in some areas to dirt and gravel.  One interesting thing about the trails is one of the trails passes right under the highway.  There is also an observatory platform to the side of one of the trails.

There is a memorial dedicated to U.S. Marine Staff Sargent and Nashua native Allen Soifert who died after being shot while driving his jeep in Beirut on October 14, 1983 at the age of 25.   The memorial is located near the Soifert Memorial Fields.  The inscription reads:

“These fields are dedicated in memory of Staff Sargeant Allen H. Soifert USMC of Nashua
Killed in Action Oct. 14, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon while serving with the multi-national peace keeping force.
No greater love has a man than this. That he lay down his life for peace.
Dedicated Sep. 28, 1986.”

The stainless steel sculpture Connected by Ana Duncan sits at one of the entrances.

DSC_0663

Mine Falls also has a number of bridges, babbling brook (and I don’t mean the chatty gal or guy you work with), rocks, structures and views that set it apart from most parks

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The most popular feature of the park is the dam and waterfall by the gatehouse.

As I was leaving the park, I heard a lot of dogs barking and whining.  My curiosity peaked, I decided to check it out.  It turned out a sled dog team was getting ready to practice.  I was able to video the team on their last run.

Here are some additional videos of the damn and waterfalls

 

About New England Nomad

Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
This entry was posted on Monday, March 7th, 2016 at 4:06 am and posted in Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

18 responses to “Mine Falls Park (Nashua, NH)”

Leave a comment