Trail Changes and Updates
Here is the latest information on what’s happening on the Cohos Trail in 2022. And don’t forget to always check our Trouble Spots page before a hike.
Please remember the North Country is a working forest and is a major part of the economy and life of Coos County. The Cohos Trail runs right through large private and governmental woodland properties that are often harvested.
Respecting property rights is required of our hikers, and our future ability to hike on these lands relies on your actions. Thank you for making the Cohos Trail successful.
A MAJOR TRAIL RE-ROUTE TO COLEMAN STATE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN FALL 2022.
The new route combines dirt roads, snowmobile corridor, a new hiking trail called Nilsen’s Leg, and a small section of ATV trail. The old route is still available as it is all public roads and shared ATV trail.
Southbound Hikers: To find the re-route to Coleman State Park, turn left onto Cedar Stream Road. Hike for .2 miles. Turn right at the fork onto Deadwater Loop Road. Hike 2.3 miles. Turn left onto the snowmobile corridor across from 911 marker #1366. Hike 1.2 miles down the grassy road, turning right into the woods onto the Nilsen’s Leg Trail. You will see a Cohos Trail sign and yellow blazes. At the southern end of Nilsen’s Leg, turn left onto the ATV Trail. Hike for .8 miles then turn right onto snowmobile corridor. You are on snowmobile corridor to Diamond Pond Road, where you turn right for Coleman State Park. Follow the yellow blazes throughout.
Click here for new southbound map: CSP to LFT Reroute CSP to Start of NL South
Northbound Hikers: To find the re-route from Coleman State Park, head north up Diamond Pond Road which is to the right after campground visitor center. Shortly past Little Diamond Pond, turn left into the woods, climbing slightly uphill, onto the marked snowmobile corridor. You will see a Cohos Trail sign and yellow blazes.
Click here for new northbound map: coleman map pic 09.13.22
REROUTE BETWEEN EDMANDS PATH AND THE MT. WASHINGTON HOTEL (please note that all measurements are approximate)
The north end of the B & M trail has been discontinued. To travel NOBO from the Edmands Path parking lot, exit left and walk 500 feet crossing over Assaquam brook, turn right on forest road 6262, stay straight. At .26 avoid left turn – there is a sign “to the nordic center” – this takes you off course do not turn left, staying straight there is an old sign “shelter” with an arrow, at .49 stay straight or left on Porcupine Lane, .77 straight or right on Porcupine Lane, 1.24 Right on B & M, 1.43 B & M shelter is on your right. This shelter is for day use only for Nordic skiers. 2.18 straight -avoid Tim Nash trail on your right-this crosses the river to the Base Road, 2.45 right on Bridle path to Middle Falls, 2.52 Left at Middle Falls, staying on Bridle Path. 3.43 keep straight it is now Perimeter trail, the river is on your right Hotel’s Red Roofs are ahead. At 3.79 there is a small footbridge across the river to the back of the hotel. You may find it helpful to print a copy of the hotel’s nordic trails map.
SOBO – from behind the Mt. Washington Hotel, cross the river on either the bridge close to the country club or the small footbridge behind the hotel. Keep the river on your left and walk along the Perimeter trail which brings you to the bridle path, keep the water on your left. Stay straight on Bridle Path until you reach Middle Falls, take a right on B & M, then Left on Boston & Maine (spelled out on this one sign), straight on B & M, Tim Nash is a trail over the river to the Base Road for the cog railway. Left on Porcupine Lane, stay straight on this until it turns into forest road, do not turn at the sign for the nordic center, stay straight and this will bring you out to Clinton Road, go left, cross over Assaquam brook and the Edmands Path parking lot is on your right.
INTERACTION WITH ATV VEHICLES
Since the inception of the Ride The Wilds ATV system in Coos County, motorized vehicles have impacted a considerable amount of Cohos Trail mileage between Coleman State Park and Cedar Stream Road south of Lake Francis and the Kelsey Notch Road and the wind turbine access lane on Dixville Peak.
Our hiking association is making plans to get off all ATV routes, but it will take some years to do so, as we need formal plans and permission, and we must cut lengthy new woodland trails. So hikers must be cognizant of ATV traffic and get off trails when the vehicles are moving through.
But there are some places where it’s difficult to get away from the traffic or bypass some of the wettest terrain made worse by the vehicles. So we advise caution, and we advise giving the motorized craft a wide berth.
THE SHELTER SITUATION
The Cohos Trail Association maintains five shelters right now and a tent platform site, too.
There are more shelters on the trail than those that our association maintains. In Pittsburg, Ramblewood Cabins and Campground maintains a lean-to. It’s available for a fee. At Deer Mt. Campground there is a four-sided camp that can be reserved for a fee.
On Mt. Cabot in the Kilkenny division of the national forest, the Mt. Cabot watchman’s cabin is available on a first-come first-served basis. It holds up to eight people. In the Whites, on the Dry River Trail about a mile north of the Cohos Trail route reposes the Dry River Shelter.
And lastly, other than shelters, there are tent platforms in various locations, from Percy Loop Camp on North Percy Peak, to a few in Lake Francis State Campground and in Deer Mt. State Campground.
BETTER BLAZING
There are some troublespots that have been remedied a bit by better blazing. The entrance to the Kelsey Notch Trail from the north has been completely reblazed. Trees had been removed in the area and our signs and blazing was missing. No mistaking the 90-degree turn now.
The link from the summit of Mt. Prospect out to Ramblewood in Pittsburg has been reblazed quite a bit and the pathways clipped. More work has to be done, but the way through the woods is now much more distinct.
The entrance to the Sugarloaf Arm Trail and the trail itself have been reblazed a great deal, starting at the gate on the southwest end all the way to the junction with the Sugarloaf Mt. Trail.
The Kelsey Notch Trail received a good deal of new blaze paint, as well, and the route was heavily clipped, too. This was just redone and finished June 18, 2022. The Col. Whipple Trail in Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge sports some fresh blaze paint, as does the Old Summer Club Trail and the north end of the East Side Trail.
WET FOOTING
There are some spots along the route where you should expect some wet footing in wet weather or moist summers, other than at stream crossings.
One or two puncheons on the Col. Whipple Trail can submerge slightly if water is high. The old dogleg pathway from the South Pond Road down to the Route 110 crossing can be quite soggy on the east end.
Behind Bald Mt., on the Bald Mt. Notch Trail, two spots can backup with water. You have to skirt around these small impediments if there has been a lot of rain or snow.
Both the Wilderness Link between Dixville Peak and Mt. Gloriette and the Table Rock Link between the Balsams Ski Resort summit and Table Rock have some soggy ground in places when the heavens don’t cooperate.
The Deadwater Trail south of the junction with the Dead Water Loop Road can be a bear to get through these days. And the low spot just west of Third Connecticut Lake near the border is notoriously wet underfoot for nearly 40 feet.
SIGN KIOSKS SET OUT
As you trek along, you’ll come across a number of two-legged sign kiosks with roofing. We have more in the plans but check out the stunning Cohos Trail graphics that feature the sensational work of local photographers.
Now that you’ve taken the time to read down through all this endless copy, maybe you ought to chuck everything now and get the boots on and the backpack on and get out there on the Cohos Trail.
It’s great to hike the trail. It’s also great to pitch in. We are always encouraging volunteers to spend a few hours, a day or two, or a year out there with us on the trail helping make the Cohos Trail the best darned new hiking trail in the Northeast in three generations.
We don’t call the long pathway the “mighty” Cohos Trail for nothing. Be a part of something big. And, as we like to say, hike ‘til you drop!