Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire. (New Hampshire Parks and Recreation Photo)
New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park recently grew by 400 acres and added a world-class alpine training and racing venue.
According to an article on NewHampshire.com, the state Division of Parks and Recreation received permission in December from the Executive Council to spend $575,000 from the Parks Fund and to accept an additional $578,395 from the Department of the Interior’s Land and Water Conservation Fund for the purchase of a 396.4-acre parcel abutting the park.
The acquisition increases the size of the park by about 6 percent, to roughly 7,200 acres.
Officials say the land might be used for non-motorized activities such as snowshoeing, hiking, mountain biking and possibly even an equestrian facility. A series of public hearings are expected to be scheduled in the coming 18 to 24 months.