Madbury

A quiet 16-acre fishing pond straddling the Madbury-Dover border, this is a designated trout pond that locals know for excellent largemouth bass and pickerel fishing. The pond reaches 48 feet deep with a mesotrophic rating, meaning perfectly balanced nutrients for fish habitat. Spring brings stocked rainbow and brook trout, but the real prize is the bass fishing once the trout head to cooler depths.

A sprawling 333-acre reservoir with secluded bays and islands that see surprisingly little use despite excellent paddling. The wooded shoreline offers solitude with two boat launches, and the diverse habitat supports warmwater fishing for bass, pickerel, and crappie. Local paddlers appreciate the lack of powerboats and the peaceful atmosphere surrounded by conservation land.

This 334-acre UNH research farm offers a surprisingly diverse 2.4-mile trail system through fields, forests, and wetlands. The trail features 30 numbered educational posts identifying everything from shagbark hickory to beech bark disease. Local mountain bikers and dog walkers love the unmarked secondary trails, though you'll need AllTrails to navigate since blazing is minimal.

A 195-acre Forest Society reservation with Revolutionary War history, featuring well-maintained trails along the Oyster River and the historic Council Rock where Chief Moharimet met early European settlers. The yellow-blazed perimeter trail leads through wetlands while shorter loops explore the site where Major John Demeritt stored gunpowder for the Continental Army during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

A local mountain biking favorite that climbs through powerline cuts to reach the water tower on Beech Hill, offering glimpses of the seacoast region. The trail connects to the old Beech Hill Ski Area site where remnants of the 1960s-era tow operation can still be found. Popular with locals who know the unmarked network of loops and switchbacks built by the UNH Mountain Bike Team.