Hike - Musquash Conservation Area

The Musquash Conservation Area was established in 1979 by the Londonderry Conservation Commission to meet the goals of preserving wildlife habitat, developing recreational opportunities, and establishing an active forest management program. The area includes over 1,100 acres of land with a marked trail system. There are several major trail sections, for a total of 10.5 miles of managed trails. The conservation area is open to hunters so you may want to dress yourselves in orange.

The term Musquash comes from the Algonquin word for muskrat. Today it describes a large forest block in the western part of Londonderry. The area is made up of forested, rolling hills dotted with wetland areas that provide natural habitat for moose, deer, beaver, and painted and Blanding’s turtles, to name just a few species found here. Look for a variety of songbirds including common yellowthroats, veeries, hermit thrush, solitary and red-eyed vireos and scarlet tanagers in the summertime. During spring and fall migration, watch for a variety of warblers. In the spring and summer, don’t forget to listen for a variety of amphibians like spring peepers, wood frogs, gray tree toads, green frogs and others. The area also hosts a wide seasonal range of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees.

Trail Maps: Maps are available online (http://londonderrytrails.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/musquashtrails_2010-final-final-draft.pdf).

Site Access: Parking at street end at three locations – Hickory Hill Road, Sara Beth Lane, and Faucher Road.

GPS – N 42°[masked] W 071°[masked]

Directions to Hickory Hill Road Parking: From I-93 take exit 4 toward Nashua Road/Route-102. Turn left at Nashua Road/Route-102 and go 0.6 miles. Turn right at Gilcreast Road and go 0.8 miles. Continue on Hardy Road and go 0.1 miles. Make slight left at Pillsbury Road and go 2.4 miles. Turn right at High Range Road and go 1.3 miles. Turn left at Hickory Hill Drive and go to end of street.

Depending on the weather conditions that day and how we do exploring and navigating, we will shoot for at least 2 hours but no more than 3.