A beautiful wooden playground with port-o-potty's. Not totally enclosed, but closed off enough. My…read morekids (2.5 & 4.5) both love this playground and can use most of the equipment. One of our favorites!

Nice for families of all sizes and ages. Gated so easy to keep an eye on your kiddos (:read more

I have hiked A LOT of mountains in New England but I had never hiked the mountain it seemed like…read moreeveryone I knew had hiked. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to change that and now I can see what all the hubbub is about. What a great mountain with fantastic views. After doing a bit of homework, I realized it was in my best interest to make a park reservation so that I could secure a parking space for the day at the start of the trailheads I was eyeing for the next day. As one of the most hiked mountains (in the world?), this park reports hosting a massive number of visitors each year and from first hand experience, I can attest that it is a busy one. The $15 was worth the peace of mind and my ability to pull right in and hop onto the trail. I had a hard time locating their "opening hours" but I arrived shortly after 8am with about 20 cars there ahead of me. I really appreciated the park ranger that checked me in for my reservation at the Poole Road entrance. Incredibly welcoming, inquisitive about plans, quick to offer advice for the best experience, and even shared a weather update (30 mph+ winds at the summit that day) before I was on my way. Supplied with a paper map and an idea which trails would be least busy and most scenic, I felt well-prepared for an enjoyable morning on the mountain. I opted to start out on the White Dot Trail. For less crowds, I branched off to the Cascade Link, then hooked a left onto the Red Spot Trail which delivered me to the summit. Gaining elevation at a slow and steady pace, I found the whole climb quite enjoyable. I rejoined the crowd at the summit but still with plenty of room for photos of the scenery and some quiet time to enjoy a snack. Wide open, bald summit with views for days. I would have stayed longer if not for the strong winds. After nestling in between the rocks away from the air currents to enjoy a brief snack, I was on my way down the mountain via the White Cross Trail. There were even glimpses of Boston in the distance! Each trail was clearly marked by it namesake (literally white dots, red dots, and white crosses) which made wayfinding a breeze. That said, I still came across a party or two that had gotten turned around. Do your homework, connect to a trail app if you have the means, practice your map reading skills, and heed the recommendations of the rangers and you should have the basic tools you need to keep you on track and still smiling. So many trails and options that can keep you coming back for more. The visitor center at this entrance was a welcome amenity, restrooms, and all. I cannot comment on the park store because it was closed for lunch when I was finishing up. All in all I got in just under 5 miles using the route that I did. Beautiful peak, beautiful day. Highly recommend.

Great day hike and not for those with weak ankles! Took the white dot trail up and used the white…read morecross trail to come down. Forgot the bug spray which would have kept the critters at bay with much of the trail having slow or puddled water. Parking wasn't too crowded, $15 for access to park. Snack and gift shop in the lot and the headquarters building just up the trail. Great restroom facility to use prior to starting the hike as well. Very rocky terrain all the way up, clearly marked with white dots (crosses as well for the return). Enjoyed the fact there were multiple volunteer guides hiking or positioned at locations (one steady at fork for dot/cross) if needed. Had low reception all through the hike for emergencies as well. Beautiful views towards the top and of course 360 once on the summit. Definitely worth the time spent. Pack in pack out, bring water and snacks along with the spray (both bug and sun)! Enjoyed a quick snack on the top with the views and a quick tsp of the marker before heading back down. Time to get up to the peak, what are you waiting for?!

Pros: Lighted…read morebaseball/soccer field (with timed sprinklers) with bleachers, dugouts. Lighted basket ball court that they flood & turn into an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter complete with "warming" center with a snack bar, bathrooms, etc. Extremely basic playground, a few toddler swings, a few big kid swings, a slide, etc, but it is fenced in (there are openings in the fence though, & they're open, not gated), with a bubbler, a picnic table, & a big tree that provides a nice shady spot no matter what the time of the day is or where the sun is. It's kept up really well, they do a nice job keeping the grass & shrubs trimmed. Conveniently located less than 1 mile from all of the schools in Jaffrey & from Jaffrey's town center & main street. Parking on the street & across the street. The grade school uses the area on field days for the higher grades. Cons: No gates on the openings to the playground. Small, so if there are more than a few people there you're kind of "on top" of each other. I've seen it get super crowded on game days. It's Jaffrey, so if you are there at the same time as some "townies" & they're chatty you might get stuck having to make small-talk with people you'd rather not get stuck having to chat with. The parking on the street & across the street can get super crowded on game days & big trucks & XL SUV's frequently park on the street leaving their vehicles sticking out into the street... Overall: I think having the ice skating rink in the winter really "makes" this area. During warmer winters when the lakes don't freeze over for very long it is nice to have somewhere to go to ice skate.

Great hiking trails and easy to reach and lots of nice scenery as you explore…read moreThe trail is not crowded and good for dogs

BEAUTIFUL views of Monadnock and Contooket lake and River. I love taking my dogs on walks on these…read moretrails.

Nice park, came at sunset ... Perfect timing to watch the…read moresun set. Nice park, came at sunset ... Perfect timing to watch the sun set.

Everything is perfect. There are no needs for any concerns. Family oriented. Fun for the whole…read morefamily.

I often stop by to admire the beautiful gardens at Beaver Brook. I'm not a hiker, so I can't speak…read moreto the inside of the property. I am, however, a (home) gardener and nothing gets me happy and smiling more than flowers -- annuals and perennials -- everywhere around me. All was good until a number of years ago when I read in a local newspaper that BBA had released rabbits on their property. I was floored then and wondered why that would be so. Then more recently, last spring to be more precise, I looked out my window at my newly planted and/or emerging plants and (gasp!) there was a rabbit eating away at my new zinnia plants. They were young (and succulent, I surmised while watching them be devoured) and stripped down to their stalks by the time I could get the hose so I could spray away the rabbit. It took 2-3 tries last year, and I hope I don't have to repeat that experience. Why?

This is a large network of trails with woodland and marsh habitat. The access roads are dirt and…read morewatch out for rocks on them. This might be due to heavy rains this year. Some trails were also damaged but passable. Saw a salamander and lots of flora including fall foliage. They have ample parking and a portable toilet.

Close to Colonial Hotel, this is an accessible gem. A new parking payment machine has been set up…read morebut no charges at moment. There are lots of picnic tables and looks like swimming in a Great Lake with s sandy beach. Trails are clean and shady. I wish there was a map that showed distances: I was unsure how long it would take for me to hike around it, so I did not take the trail. Clean bathrooms, but only open until 3 pm at the moment.

The pavilion was rented for a birthday party on, what turned out to be, a very cold and windy day…read more The staff offered indoor warm space and hot chocolate in the visitor center. The building is beautiful. On a warm day, the pavilion would be great...large with 12+ picnic tables. The park has walking trails, a beach and a playground. The staff go out of their way for the visitors. Highly recommend!

It's a nice beach, but a .8 mile walk from the parks and recreation office where non residents have…read moreto park. When you're carrying beach chairs, a beach bag and water bottles on a hot day, it's not a fun walk. When we got to the lake, there were only three cars in the parking lot. There was plenty of room for non-residents.

Before they enforced the "residents only parking" it was a great spot to go swimming! But it has…read moregone downhill. They rake some of the weeds in the designated swimming area, but not all, so it can be very gross to walk on (which i don't really mind, but it can be yucky). They used to have a cute little shack that served food, but that has also closed (i also believe this went to the funding and upkeep which is why it has gone downhill other than the parking). It's unguarded now, but i can understand that as i am a lifeguard and know that we have a shortage of lifeguards right now. I don't know the laws of boating there, but be careful going beyond the designated swimming area because the boaters really like to go close (which can also be annoying when they're coming one after the other). So the closest parking area is basically a mile away, and it has little to no sidewalk the whole time. So it's very unsafe if you have children, especially if they have any type of disorder or handicap. I wish they would solve the parking problem, but it's been 2 years now so i doubt they will. For a town that gets a lot of traffic from tourism, they seem to be trying very hard to keep people out, which is sad.

Very short hike to witness beautiful waterfalls. If you are in the area, it's worth a stop.read more

Beautiful walk into nature and waterfalls. We went in the fall and it was absolutely beautiful.read more

I love Adam's playground. For the last 30-years this has been a place that i have always enjoyed…read moregoing to. They have 3 softball-baseball fields although one is too small to be used for adults. They have a skate park one of the only one within 30-minutes in any direction an outdoor basketball court that is in good condition for how old it is and how much use it gets. There are a lot of good games here and the skate park sees a lot of activity. The fields are packed for almost all of the spring and summer so it is harder to walk on. If you want to walk on for a pick up game go to ConVal or PES. There is a pool that i think opens in late June or early July and there is a playground area for the kids that has been kept in good condition. Ecco field (closest to the road) is doubled for soccer use and because of that there is no fence in right but that adds a neat feature for that. skating for hockey or just skating in the winter, sometimes is hard to keep maintained but they do a good job all things considering. Parking is hard to come by if they have a lot of people playing softball on all the fields. Some scrap construction materials laying around so you need to keep an eye on your kids for that. Tennis courts that have been kept in very good condition. One of the best features of any town in the area.

Definitely the best playground in the area! Huge, fenced in with two entrances, something for…read moreeveryone, including a swing for handicapped kids. Tons of toddler swings, regular swings, a tire swing, a baby/toddler area where everything is scaled down for them with a small climbing "wall", slide, steps, rocking "animals" & fire "truck", etc. On the bigger kids side there are monkey bars, big slides, big "rope" ladder, big climbing wall, & more! There's the biggest sandbox I've ever seen, filled with over 20+ plastic & metal Tonka dump trucks & a kid's size pretend house area with a table & benches. There's a bubbler there which is nice on hot summer days & a few trees provide some shade, although depending on the time of day & where the sun is, there are times when the heat is just unbearable & there's really very little shade. There are benches scattered all over the playground & two picnic tables under the trees, next to the rhododendron bushes. Across the street there are bathrooms in the little building next to the baseball fields. They're usually pretty gross but hey, they service both areas & there's only 1 woman's stall & 1 men's stall so it's not surprising. Next to the playground there's a pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, big gazebos, & a big (mostly) shaded parking lot.