After being closed since February, New Hampshire’s Lincoln Woods Trail has reopened. But it will only remain open for a few months before being closed again.
U.S. Forest Service officials announced the reopening today, March 11. A portion of the Lincoln Woods Trail has been closed since February 9 because of construction.
Officials said the trail will be reopened for a short time before closing again from June through November.
The section of the popular White Mountains trail that has been closed stretches from Route 112 (the Kancamagus Highway) to the junction of the Osseo Trail. The closure impacted such popular hikes as the Pemi Loop, the Bonds, Owl’s Head, 13 Falls, Guyot, and Camp 16/Black Brook Trestle.
Officials said the section of trail will close again in June when construction resumes.
Forest Service officials said anyone who violates the closure can be fined up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or face imprisonment for up to six months.
Officials said the construction project is needed to make repairs to the trail, which has been damaged by several flooding events during the past decade, beginning with Hurricane Irene. They said without the repairs, unchecked erosion will put the trail at risk for complete loss.
Any hike that is typically accessed from the Lincoln Woods Trail will require a crossing of the Pemigewasset River. Hikers should remember river levels can fluctuate and crossings can be challenging.
Parking and trail access to the East Side Trail will continue to be available at Lincoln Woods Trailhead.
Starting and ending the Pemi Loop from Lincoln Woods Trail won’t be possible during construction. Forest Service officials recommend hikers access the loop from alternate locations, such as the Greenleaf Trail parking area at Cannon and the Skookumchuck Trail parking area off Route 3.
Other possible access points with limited parking include the trailheads for Garfield Trail, Gale River Trail, and North Twin.
