Blog: Tower Hill Pond and Wildcat Falls
By: GSA Linda Duquette, Stark Brewing Company Class of 2017
I have gone out 2 times hiking (rather crampon hiking), first to Tower Hill Pond in Auburn, NH. This pond feeds into Lake Massabesic. In the summer months you can wheel your canoe and/or kayak down to the pond and put in. Keep in mind you will need boots, for this is Manchester’s water supply. Also, there is no swimming. But it is a beautiful pond for a lazy summer afternoon.
In Winter, you can ice fish, snowshoe, cross country ski, ice spike if needed……and snowmobile. They have wonderful trails all well marked for snowmobiling. So if you decide to snowshoe and/or cross country ski….in the busy winter months you will encounter snowmobiling vehicles. You can take your dog along…..should be leashed.
The day we went, we needed our crampons…..there were some bare spots, but some very icy spots as well. This is a 4 mile (roundtrip) hike…..with small inclines and flat areas. Off the trails are some paths leading down to the pond. From, where you park your car it is about 1/2 mile into the pond, then the hike begins. It is a beautiful hike and just off RTE 101 in Auburn, take exit 2 off RTE 101, and pass the Auburn Tavern (good place to eat)……take first left, take second left go under tunnel…..and go up to the last entrance to the trail, which will be on your right. 
Saturday March 6th brought us to Wildcat Falls, Merrimack, NH. Just off of RTE 3. The parking lot is at the end of Currier Road, Merrimack, NH. The parking area is very small, so if you decide to go and if more than one or two people, try to carpool. 
This was such a wonderful hike, we had a family day and we had to wear our crampons. The hike (Blue Blaze) is a loop about 1 1/2 mile….this loop takes you to the most beautiful falls, which is part of the Souhegan River. There are rocks to sit and admire the falls. With the sun out it is just so relaxing and beautiful. As you continue on the trail, you come across a small but beautiful beach…..just under the falls….this day the hill down to the beach was pure ice….thank heavens we had our crampons on because we still had to climb back up the ice. There are powerlines along the trail so keep that in mind. Somehow we missed the (Red Blaze loop) which takes you to a bridge which is the upper part of the river just above the falls. This was a good hour and half hike, which is about 2 miles in all, including the red loop. I think with a lot of snow you can cross country ski, but you definitely can snowshoe. 
