Winter at Bear Brook

Bear Brook State Park stays open in winter for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and dog mushing, all of which NH State Parks lists for the park. Off-season, the park is usually unstaffed, restrooms are closed and some gates are shut, and NH State Parks says visitors assume all risk. New Hampshire's Corridor Trail 15 for snowmobiles runs through the park, and the state's winter map shows numbered cross-country ski trails and separate lots for skiers and snowmobilers off Deerfield Road.

The Winter Map

NH State Parks posts a winter trails map for Bear Brook. It is old, dated January 1992, but it is still the state's winter map for the park. It shows cross-country ski trails numbered X-C 1 to X-C 14, the snowmobile trails including New Hampshire Corridor Trail 15, ungroomed trails, a wildlife refuge, and a skiers' parking lot and a snowmobile parking lot with toilets off the Allenstown–Deerfield Road. Compare it with the current summer trail map, since trails and closures have changed since 1992.

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing is one of the park's listed activities. On the winter map, the ski trails start from the skiers' lot near the archery range and loop through the woods around the Smith Pond Shelter, between Hayes Marsh and Beaver Pond. Snowmobiles use a separate lot at the west end of the park, near Route 28 and the Suncook River. The map does not say which ski trails are groomed today, and NH State Parks does not post grooming reports for Bear Brook, so expect to break your own track after fresh snow.

Snowshoeing and Winter Hiking

Snowshoers can use the park's trail network, which is open for recreation all year unless posted. The wide One Mile Trail and the old roads are the easiest to follow in snow; see hiking. The trail map's safety notes ask for warmer gear in late fall, winter and early spring, and remind hikers that darkness comes early.

Snowmobiling

New Hampshire Corridor Trail 15 runs through Bear Brook, and the winter map shows a network of snowmobile trails across the park. The 2021 summer map still marks a Snowmobile trail beside Catamount Pond. The New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum Association gives the GPS address of the snowmobile lot as 481-429 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, and points riders to the local club, the Southern NH Snow Slickers, for Corridor 15 conditions. The association's museum has lost its building but still holds outdoor events; see museums.

Fat Biking and Mushing

NH State Parks lists dog mushing as a Bear Brook activity, and NEMBA's Southern NH chapter tags the park for fat bikes and groomed fat biking. Neither publishes rules or a schedule for these online, so check posted signs at the trailheads and keep to the trails that are open. See mountain biking.

Winter Safety

• The park is usually unstaffed in winter. Tell someone your route and when you'll be back.
• Restrooms are generally closed off-season. Plan around that.
• Gates may be closed. Don't block a gate when you park.
• Share trails: skiers, snowshoers, mushers and snowmobiles may all be out.
• Dogs stay on a leash, winter too.
• Carry a light, extra layers, water and food. Call 911 in an emergency.

Fees in Winter

NH State Parks says all trail use requires the day-use fee, but the park is usually unstaffed in the off-season. Season passes and the State Parks license plate cover day use; see hours and fees.