New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors
Regional Resource & Referral Guide:
Concord Area
Use this document filled with local referrals from Granite State Ambassadors & State Welcome Center attendants as an informational starting point for guest referrals. For business referrals, please reference your local brochures & guides.
Hidden Gems | Covered Bridges | Swimming Holes | Places to Paddle | Hike or Nature Walks | Bike Trails | Picnic Areas | Historical Sites | Other Favorites | Information Resources
Hidden Gems:
NH State House – 3rd floor has the Centennial Document, also referred to as the Document of the Fourth. Commemorated 100 years as the United States, signed by President Ulysses Grant, his cabinet, the US Supreme Court justices, the US Senators, and the entire House of Representatives from 1876! https://gencourt.state.nh.us/nh_visitorcenter/default.htm
NH State Library, Park Street, Concord – historic displays, First in Nation Primary sidewalk display and statue of John Winant, a decorated soldier, three-term Governor, and eventually, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom during World War II. https://www.nh.gov/nhsl/
League of NH Craftsmen Headquarters and Gallery, 49 South Main Street, Concord – https://www.nhcrafts.org/
Permanent Public Art, Downtown Concord – See map of installations at: https://www.visitconcord-nh.com/permanent-public-art
Bement Bridge, Bradford Center Road, Bradford – ¼ mile north of intersection of NH 104 and 114. Bridge is 61’ long, built in 1854, and listed on National Register of Historic Places. The bridge spans a branch of the Warner River.
Dalton Bridge (aka Joppa Road Bridge), Joppa Road, Warner – south of NH 103. Bridge is 77’ long, built in 1853, and listed on National Register of Historic Places. This bridge is one of the oldest standing covered bridges in use.
Henniker Bridge (aka New England College Bridge), Bridge Street, Henniker – south of NH 9 on college campus. Bridge is 137’ long and built in 1972. The footbridge crosses the Contoocook River.
Railroad Bridge, Park Avenue, Contoocook – east of NH 103. Bridge is 140’ long, built in 1849 and rebuilt in 1889, and listed on National Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest covered railroad bridge still standing in the U.S.; rail line is abandoned.
Rowell’s Bridge, Clement Hill Road, W. Hopkinton – on NH 127. Bridge is 165’ long, built in 1853, and listed on National Register of Historic Places. Shortly after it was built, a herd of cattle, driven faster than they should have been, moved the bridge off its foundations. It was put back and securely fastened in place.
Sulphite Bridge (aka Upside Down Covered Bridge), 3 Monroe Street, Franklin – ½ mile east of Franklin Falls and south of US 3, over the Winnipesaukee River. Bridge is 231’ long, built in 1896, and listed on National Register of Historic Places. The bridge was built by the Boston and Maine Railroad and is sometimes called the Upside Down Bridge because the railroad tracks cross over the top of the bridge rather than running through its center. Having the rail bed on top of the roof was to shelter the bridge trusses below. It is believed to be the only surviving “upside down” covered railroad bridge in the United States, and is closed.
Waterloo Bridge, New Market Road, Warner – south of NH 103, 2 miles west of Warner Village. Bridge is 76’ long, built in 1840s, rebuilt in 1857 and 1970, and listed on National Register of Historic Places.
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Merrimack River, access at Everett Arena, Second Street, Sewall’s Falls Road, Concord.
Beach (sandbar in season) at Riverland Conservation Area, 1.5 miles from Exit 17. Beach made open to public by Canterbury Conservation Commission. Get a two-fer by walking out on the Muchyedo Banks Wildlife Management Area and view the Merrimack from atop the cliffs, a rare riverine habitat. Birds galore! https://riverlandonthemerrimack.com/riverland-conservation-area/
Merrimack River, Concord – many swimming spots along the river, boat access at several points including:
- Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Rd.
- Sewall’s Falls Rd., and Second Street. http://www.concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/61
- NH Technical Institute, 31 College Drive (off Ft. Eddy Rd.,) – free parking at NHTI.
Contoocook River, Contoocook to Concord. https://wildernessgirlskayaking.com/kayaking-contoocook-river-concord-nh/
White Water Kayak Park, Franklin millcitypark.com/
Concord Hiking guide book – available at Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce or at: https://www.concordnh.gov/1033/Hiking-Trails
Great list of trails! https://wildlife.state.nh.us/merrimack/riverlandconservation.html
Sewall’s Falls Hiking Trails, Sewall’s Falls Rd., Concord. http://www.concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/61
Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown – largest developed NH State Park with 10,000 acres, admission fees. https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/bear-brook-state-park
Great Brook Trail, Harvey Rd. or Coffeetown Rd., Deerfield – great nature walk, leave a car on each end, experience vernal pools, lots of flora, beautiful woodsy setting much along a beautiful brook. https://www.lampreyriver.org/UploadedFiles/Files/Map_2_GreatBrookTrail_Map.pdf)
Upton-Morgan State Forest Interpretive trail, I-89 exit 2, Silk Farm Road, Concord. https://www.concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/69
Society for the Protection of NH Forests, 30 Portsmouth Street (just off NH 132), Concord – trails leading to some small beaches on the Merrimack River. https://forestsociety.org/property/merrimack-river-outdoor-education-conservation-area
Oak Hill Fire Tower trail, (I-93, exit 16), Shaker Road or Oak Hill Rd., Concord – Multiple trails (with some overlooks/vistas) leading to a Fire Tower just over the town line in Loudon NH. http://www.concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/63
Heads Pond Trail, NH 3, (just north of Green Marine), Hooksett – easy, out and back, flat trail with stone dust surfaces, two ponds and several benches to take a rest. https://www.traillink.com/trail/heads-pond-trail/
NH Audubon McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Rd., Concord – trails, live raptors, exhibits. http://www.nhaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Silk-Farm-Trail-Guide_July-2016.pdf
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NH Audubon McLane Center, 84 Silk Farm Rd., Concord – around Turkey Pond http://www.nhaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Silk-Farm-Trail-Guide_July-2016.pdf
Northern Rail Trail from Boscawen to Lebanon NH. https://fnrt.org/ or https://www.trailfinder.info/trails/trail/northern-rail-trail
Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail (Concord to Newbury) 35 miles — Still in planning phase. Completed segments:
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- Stevens Rail Trail (Warner to Hopkinton) 1.3 miles
- Tilly-Wheeler Rail Trail and Lower Lake Todd segment (Bradford) 1 mile
- Warner Rail Trail (Warner) 1 mile
- Fischerville Rd to Carter Hill Rd segment (Concord) 2.5 miles
Explore more at the NH Rail Trails Coalition
- Merrimack River Greenway (Pembroke to Boscawen) 12.7 miles — Still in planning phase.
- Heads Pond Rail Trail (Hooksett) 1.7 miles
White’s Park, 1 White St., Concord – lovely pond, walk paths, playground, basketball courts http://www.concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/white-park-21
Rollins Park, 116 Broadway or parking at 33 Bow Street, Concord –gazebo, playing fields, playground, and more. https://www.concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Rollins-Park-17
Elm Brook Park, 2097 Maple St, Hopkinton (NH 127), Hopkinton – US Corps of Engineers Flood Control area. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/missions/recreation/hopkinton-everett-lake/
Sewall’s Falls Multi use area, Sewall’s Falls Road, Concord – on the Merrimack River. https://wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/wma/sewalls-falls.html
State House Lawn, 107 North Main St., Concord – no picnic tables, but lots of lawn and people watching.
Kiwanis Waterfront Park, 15 Loudon Rd, Concord – Behind Everett Arena; a small, quiet riverside park on the banks of the Merrimack River, but right in the city; skateboard park nearby. https://www.concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Kiwanis-Waterfront-Park-23
NH State House, 107 North Main Street, Concord – opened in 1819. https://gencourt.state.nh.us/nh_visitorcenter/default.htm
Mary Baker Eddy House, 62 North State Street, Concord – 1850 Greek Revival home, period rooms, information on the founder of Christian Science. http://www.christianscienceconcordnh.org/mary-baker-eddy-in-concord/
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Dr., Concord – on NHTI campus, collection of interactive exhibits, focus on astronomy, aviation space sciences, planetarium. https://www.starhop.com
Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord – only home ever owned and lived in by President Franklin Pierce, a New Hampshire native and the 14th President of the United States. http://www.piercemanse.org/
Pierce Homestead, 301 2nd NH Turnpike, Near the intersection of NH 31 and 9, Hillsboro – Franklin Pierce lived here from infancy until his marriage. https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/historic-sites/franklin-pierce-homestead-historic-site
NH Historical Society and Museum, 30 Park Street, Concord – admission, 1911 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, home to exhibitions about NH history, art, culture. https://www.nhhistory.org/visit
New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway (NH 3), Boscawen – the cemetery conveys peace through natural beauty and is a source of pride to veterans’ families and residents of New Hampshire. http://www.nhsvc.com/
Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury – admission, one of the most intact and authentic surviving Shaker community sites, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. http://www.shakers.org/
Currier and Ives Scenic Byway located in scenic towns of Henniker, Hopkinton, Warner, Webster and Salisbury. Map and brochure on website. http://currierandivesbyway.org/
Visit our GSA Merrimack Valley Museum and Heritage Site List
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Concord’s Main Street downtown – picture perfect Main Street with a huge variety of shops and eateries! https://www.visitconcord-nh.com/ or www.intownconcord.org
Society for the Protection of NH Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street (just off NH 132), Concord – self-guided tours, frequent art exhibits, Gold Certified Conservation Center, combine with hike on the Merrimack floodplain. https://forestsociety.org/property/merrimack-river-outdoor-education-conservation-area
Terrill Park Dog Park, Old Turnpike Road, Concord – Lovely dog park right next to the river, views of the State House. http://concordnh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Terrill-Park-28
Concord Walking Tour of historic downtown Concord. See all the special sites of the capitol city. Booklet may be purchased at the State House or the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce.
Eagle Square Gate, North Main St., Concord – Across from the State House, Tree of Life gate was created in 1983. Try to find the tiny gnome near the base of the tree. https://www.visitconcord-nh.com/permanent-public-art
LOCAL INFORMATION RESOURCES AND WELCOME CENTERS TO SEND GUESTS TO WHEN THEY ARRIVE IN THAT AREA:
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, 49 South Main Street, Concord (603) 224-2508 or www.concordnhchamber.com
NH State House Visitor’s Center, 107 North Main Street, Concord
(603) 271-2154 https://gencourt.state.nh.us/nh_visitorcenter/default.htm
InTown Concord, 49 North Main Street, Suite 202 Concord (603) 226-2150
www.intownconcord.org
Henniker Chamber of Commerce, P. O. Box 885, Henniker
(603) 428-3198 or www.hennikerchamber.org
Tri-town Chamber of Commerce (Goffstown, New Boston, Weare), 7 Central Square, New Boston (603) 486-4852
Kearsarge Area Chamber of Commerce (gap between Sunapee & Concord), Warner NH www.kearsargechamber.org
NH State Welcome Center, Hooksett, Northbound I-93
NH State Welcome Center, Hooksett, Southbound I-93
NH State Welcome Center, Canterbury, Northbound I-93
May 13, 2020
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