Snowshoeing at Bear Brook State Park, NH Courtesy of the CCC
Winter’s cold temperatures and abundant snow give Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire, a remote feel. At 10,000 acres, Bear Brook is the state’s largest developed state park. Plus, it’s located near the state’s biggest cities and just over an hour from Boston.
The proximity to major population centers is intentional Bear Brook was part of the Recreational Demonstration Area program, a 1930s New Deal initiative to provide urban people an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and escape city life.
With so much of the park’s construction done by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), enjoy the fruits of their labor this winter by snowshoeing some of the park’s 40 miles (64 km) of rolling trails in an outing that combines winter recreation with a dose of history.