In the News

LRCT to Commemorate 150^th Anniversary of Thoreau’s Red Hill Climb

The Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) invites its members and community residents and visitors to join a hike up Red Hill on Saturday, July 5, to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau’s climb of the mountain on July 5, 1858.  LRCT owns over 2,500 acres on Red Hill, including its highest elevations and key trails.

In July 1858, the noted author, philosopher, and naturalist made his second trip through New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and White Mountains.  Traveling by horse and carriage, Thoreau and his party left Concord, Massachusetts on July 2.  On the night of the Fourth of July, they camped near Lake Winnipesaukee south of Center Harbor, and on the 5^th climbed Red Hill.  The climb and Thoreau’s New Hampshire journey are described in detail in his Journal.

One hundred and fifty years after Thoreau’s ascent, Red Hill is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Lakes Region.  For many families, the first climb up Red Hill is a milestone of childhood, and the annual Red Hill excursion is an event without which the summer would not be complete.

LRCT’s July 5 climb will follow the Red Hill Trail, believed to be Thoreau’s route up the mountain and today the main trail to the Red Hill Fire Tower.  From 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, a Thoreau scholar with particular expertise in conveying a sense of Thoreau’s life will be on the trail to meet with hikers, and at 1:00 pm he will present a short program at the top of the mountain.

Hikers should park at or near LRCT’s Red Hill Trailhead on Red Hill Road in Moultonborough.  The trail to the summit is approximately 1.7 miles in length, with moderate grades, and the hike takes an average of an hour and a half.

LRCT President Don Berry noted that while the Red Hill climber of 2008 is greeted by a fire tower at the summit (and, if fortunate, by the dedicated fire warden who staffs the tower), in many key respects today’s Red Hill experience isn’t so different from that of 1858.

The panoramic views of Squam, Winnipesaukee, and points beyond remain spectacular.  Red Hill itself remains a largely unchanged natural landmark visible from many points in the Lakes Region.  And, Red Hill remains accessible for people from near and far to walk the trails, study the vegetation, look for wildlife, climb to the summit, and savor the views, much as Thoreau did 150 years ago.

The Lakes Region Conservation Trust is an independent, non-profit, member-supported organization that protects key wildlife habitat, preserves freshwater and wilderness resources, and provides for public access to conservation lands for thoughtful recreation in the Lakes Region.

LRCT has protected more than 20,000 acres of conservation land, including some of the Region’s most cherished landscapes and recreational resources. 
In addition to lands on Red Hill, these include the Castle in the Clouds property overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and other lands in the Ossipee Mountains, parts of the Squam Mountain Range overlooking Squam Lake, Copple Crown, and pristine shorelines on Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, and elsewhere.

For further information about the Red Hill climb or becoming a member of LRCT and supporting LRCT’s land conservation and stewardship work, please call 603-253-3301 or email lrct@lrct.org or visit LRCT’s website at www.lrct.org.

Directions to the Red Hill Trailhead

From the lights on Route 25 in Center Harbor:

-        Turn north onto Bean Road toward Center Sandwich.

-        After 1.4 miles, turn right onto Sibley Rd.

-        After 1.1 miles, bear left onto Red Hill Rd.

-        Continue for 0.1 mile to the Red Hill Trailhead on the right.