Anyone looking to hike New Hampshire‘s Lincoln Woods Trail will need to find an alternate route for much of the coming year.
The U.S. Forest Service has announced it is closing a portion of the Lincoln Woods Trail for several weeks beginning on Monday, February 9 because of construction. It will then reopen for a short time before closing again from June through November.
The section of the popular White Mountains trail to be closed stretches from Route 112 (the Kancamagus Highway) to the junction of the Osseo Trail.
The closure impacts such popular hikes as the Pemi Loop, the Bonds, Owl’s Head, 13 Falls, Guyot, and Camp 16/Black Brook Trestle. Hikers should plan alternate routes.
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.
