Located on the western slope of Moose Mountain off of Three Mile Road, Headwaters Forest—the former Kendall family farm—has been a special part of Hanover’s landscape for generations. Abutting the Appalachian Trail corridor to the east, and our already-protected Mayor-Niles Forest and Britton Forest to the north, this project builds on our work to protect vital natural resources on Moose Mountain along the AT. With its protection, the property joins a network of 3,000 connected acres of conserved land.
The property’s 140 acres of high-quality forest, field, and wetland habitats support a rich web of wildlife, including moose, black bear, bobcat, bobolink, woodcock, ruffed grouse, and wild brook trout. It is also home to the ultimate source of Mink Brook, Hanover’s largest stream. Conserving these headwaters benefits our community’s water quality, flood resilience, trout habitat, and more.
How to get there
Parking is available at the intersection of Wolfeboro and Three Mile Roads (google map link). Please park on the side of Wolfeboro, without blocking the red access gate. A trailhead kiosk is located .15 miles up Wolfeboro Road from the gate.
Enjoy two new trails—Peregrine’s Path and the Tamarack Trail—and explore the longest section of the beloved Harris Trail when you visit the property! Our full-color map and guide to Headwaters Forest gives insights into the natural features of the property including geology, birds, mammals, plants, and habitats, and explains the trails and the property’s history. Printed copies are available at trailhead kiosk.
Headwaters Forest’s trails are open for non-motorized recreational use in all four seasons.
- Leave no trace—please carry out your own trash
- Please pick up after your pet; dogs must be under direct control of their owners at all times
- No fires or camping
- Mountain biking is permitted only on the Harris Trail
- Leave wildflowers, mushrooms, and wildlife undisturbed
- Hunting is permitted in season; please follow all state and local regulations, and be aware of private residences abutting the property
- Please park courteously near private driveways and do not block the red gate on the Wolfeboro Road
A heritage of agriculture
Traces of Hanover’s agricultural past dot the property, including old stone walls and woods roads. The largest section of the popular Harris Trail—the historic route of the Appalachian Trail named after Dartmouth Outing Cub founder Fred Harris—crosses the property’s upper slopes for 3/4 mile.
Headwaters Forest is Hanover Conservancy’s latest land protection project—the largest, most ambitious conservation effort in our 62 year history.
This project reflects a bold, innovative, responsive approach to land protection from the Hanover Conservancy. The property’s prime location and scenic locale made it high risk for fragmentation, threatening its important ecological and recreational values. Needing to act fast, and working with the supportive landowners, the Hanover Conservancy was able to purchase the property outright before it entered the open market. Our partnership with The Conservation Fund made this quick purchase possible.
The effort is part of a long-term, sustained effort at protecting ecologically valuable lands on Moose Mountain that began in 2013 with the donation of the Mayor-Niles Forest, followed by easements on the Mill Pond Forest in 2015 and the Shumway Forest in 2017, and donation of the Britton Forest in 2018.
To partially offset the cost of this major purchase, the house and road frontage along Three Mile Road have found new owners. This compelling conservation opportunity is earning generous private and public support, including a historic $250,000 grant from New Hampshire’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program—LCHIP’s second award in Hanover. Other funds have come from the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation, The Nature Conservancy’s new Resilient and Connected Appalachians Program, NH’s Moose Plate program, and NH Fish and Game. Contributions from neighbors, the Emily Landecker Foundation, and the Byrne Foundation have also helped close the gap. A grant from the Greater Upper Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited has helped us build trail bridges to protect water quality in Mink Brook.
Our fund-raising continues, with $25,000 needed to permanently protect and care for this special place. To allow us to protect another 6 acres of scenic farmland along rural Three Mile Road, with its beautiful views of the mountain, we must raise an additional $325,000. Your support will mean an irreplaceable piece of Moose Mountain will be conserved forever, providing a home for native wildlife, recreational access for the public, and important natural services like flood resilience and carbon storage.
Make a gift to protect this special place today. Donations toward the project are tax-deductible, and count toward the Conservancy’s $2 million Promise to Protect Campaign.
Check our Events Calendar for opportunities to get out onto the land with Conservancy staff and supporters, and experience a new corner of Moose Mountain.
A healthy habitat
Headwaters Forest is made up of a rich tapestry of classic New England landscape types. Fields of wild blueberries, protected wetlands, and forests young and old all contribute to a thriving habitat for many plant and animal species.
The headwaters of Mink Brook offer sheltered and secluded spawning areas for wild brook trout. Mature forests provide cover and sustenance for black bear, deer, fisher, and other mammals. And patches of early successional forest and open field attract a variety of bird species, including grouse, bobolink, and woodcock.
Plants
Coming soon!
Our fund-raising to protect Headwaters Forest continues, with $25,000 needed to permanently conserve and care for this special place. To allow us to protect another 6 acres of scenic farmland along rural Three Mile Road, with its beautiful views of the mountain, we must raise an additional $325,000. Your support will mean an irreplaceable piece of Moose Mountain will be conserved forever, providing a home for native wildlife, recreational access for the public, and important natural services like flood resilience and carbon storage.
Make a gift to protect this special place today. Donations toward the project are tax-deductible, and count toward the Conservancy’s $2 million Promise to Protect Campaign.
We are grateful for the support of the following organizational partners who assisted with the conservation of Headwaters Forest:
Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP)
The Conservation Fund
Moose Plate Program
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
The Nature Conservancy
Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund
Trout Unlimited (Greater Upper Valley chapter)
Upper Valley Trails Alliance
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