Best Places: Bogs
Meadows, trails and woodlands are often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a nature “sanctuary,“ but visiting a bog can bring that same peace and tranquility. Bogs, slow-growing areas left by receding glaciers and preserved over time, are more mysterious than you might think. They’re extremely serene places to observe nature, usually from narrow trails made of wooden planks (bogs’ delicate chemistry requires humans to keep off them.) You may see birds; pitcher plants and sundews; super-old trees; and various wildlife, mosses and shrubs. They’re precious snapshots of a world that is often overlooked. Unplug from daily life and discover your new favorite sanctuary.
Photo by Pamela Hunt
Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Amherst
www.nhaudubon.org
“Ponemah” is an Ojibwe word for “land of the hereafter,” and is referenced in Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha.” A natural jewel, Ponemah Bog has 0.75 miles of trails and 72 acres, plenty of room to roam.
Spruce Hole Bog Conservation Area, Durham
www.nps.gov
Along 40 acres on Packer’s Falls Road in Durham, Spruce Hole Bog is a hidden gem on the Seacoast. It contains a 2½-acre kettle hole (similar to a sphagnum heath bog) which the National Park Service deemed a National Natural Landmark in 1972. Surprisingly, Spruce Hole Bog only contains trees like white pine, hemlock and birch. Go mountain biking, hiking and birdwatching here.
Hurlbert Swamp, Stewartstown
www.nature.org
Hurlbert Swamp, with its mature, northern white cedar and fragrant balsam fir, is estimated to be about 10,000 years old. This isolated boreal swamp holds rare wildflowers, orchids and more trees like tamarack and red and black spruce — a sure sign that the area is full of biodiversity. You’ll also see a variety of land features, like a peat bog, an alder-wooded fen and grassy areas.
Philbrick-Cricenti Bog, New London
nhfamilyhikes.com
This is a kettle hole bog, where chunks of glaciers were buried about 18,000 years ago and then melted, leaving deep depressions in the ground. The bog has 21 trails and three loop trails, all graded “easy.” Stroll the boardwalks, some of which gently hover above a thick mat of vegetation, while reading signs describing what’s in front of you.
Quincy Bog Natural Area, Rumney
www.quincybog.org
Quincy Bog offers special nature walks and educational programs for adults and kids. Despite their slow-growing nature, bogs like this contain a wealth of flowers, trees, plants, mosses, ferns, birds, fungi, shrubs, dragonflies and other wildlife. Quincy Bog is also home to an active beaver colony — catch them in action if you can.
