Walk with kids - Valley Lane Forest Kingston NH

Today my children and I had some errands to run in Plaistow NH. When we were done we decided to take a detour and take a walk in the woods. We decided on Valley Lane Forest in Kingston, NH. There are quite a few acres set apart for conservation. We plan on revisiting these trails and next time I will remember my camera so I can post some pictures for you.

The trails are located at the end of Valley Lane off of Hunt Road. There are a few parking spaces at the end of Valley Lane for the trails. The grass seems kind of tall but you’ll know you are in the right place when you see the covered kiosk with a large map. Sometimes they have paper maps in the box, but if you need a map, I would suggest you print your own. The town of Kingston has finally upload a map here. There are two trails. One is red which is 1.45 miles long, and the other is blue which is 1.05 miles long. I should also add that the trail starts at the upper right hand corner on the map where the blue and red run together.

In 2010, Timberland actually lent a helping hand to build bridges along some of the wetter parts and they are very helpful. Here is the write up that was in the Carriage Towne News. The article talks about places to have a picnic. We have done the red trail and there are a few good spots with large rocks to sit on and have lunch.

When you are on the trails, it is very important to follow the red or blue markers. There are offshoot trails that are not on the map, but as long as you are looking for markers, you will be all set.

The trails closer to the trail head are well vegetated, while the trails to the back tend to be more open with pine. The trail was nice and shady. A great walk for a hot summer day. We saw lots of mushrooms that were white, yellow, red, purplish, and orange. We also saw a baby Gardner snake that didn’t budge as we walked by.

There is also a memorial bridge along the way with a trickling waterfall which is much prettier in the spring when the water is actually running. The bugs don’t seem to be too bad except for around the really wet areas.

There are some spots that could use rock crossings but they are not impassible. We didn’t even get our sneakers dirty. These trails could use some TLC to trim back some branches along the trail too, but overall it is ok.

The terrain has some rise and falls and it’s a good trail for beginners. I think mountain bikers would enjoy these trails too. The paths do have some rocks, but generally speaking, aren’t too cumbersome.

This property is owned by the Town of Kingston with a conservation easement held by the Southeast Landtrust of New Hampshire. You may contact SELTNH.org with questions about the use of this property.

Here is a link to the Conservation Commission's Facebook page where they have some pictures from October 2, 2012 - Facebook.com/KingstonCoservationCommission

Until next time, have fun out there!