What I dislike the most about the Lakes Region is the lack of remoteness for hikers, campers, and paddlers. I love kayak camping. For that I have to go to Maine despite being surrounded by all this water in the Lakes Region. While I applaud the efforts of organizations to preserve spaces for public use, sometimes the fees to access those spaces are prohibitive, e.g. camping on the Squam islands ($60, even if you're just one person). Another example is the state campground at Ellacoya---not accessible to tent campers, closed most of the year. Paddlers are not allowed to park in the parking lot at the state boat launch in Holderness. The canoe/kayak launch at the state park on Newfound Lake is terrible. In Maine you can wander in a car, canoe, or kayak and camp for free in hundreds of places. Many of those free campsites are maintained by the state and the state goes out of its way to let people know where they are. Granted, Maine is a huge state with a small population so there's plenty of room for everyone, whereas there are a lot of people competing for space in the Lakes Region. New York, Vermont, and Maine put a lot of effort into preserving remote areas and facilitating access to them. (Of course the lumber and paper companies in Maine are a different story.) The philosophy feels different in New Hampshire, more about restrictions than about access. Don't get me wrong, I love our lakes, mountains, and ocean, but I'm selective about when and where I go to have some unfettered peace and quiet.
There were only four other cars in the parking lot at West Rattlesnake (Old Bridle Path) when I hiked there yesterday. I had not hiked that trail since 2019 due to the pandemic. Wow, both sides of the trail were much more worn down by hikers going off the trail than the last time I was there. 30,000 people a year use that trail. I've lived in this area for 37 years. It's hard not to be nostalgic for the days when Newfound was a "hidden gem" and you had certain trails to yourself.
|