Edward MacDowell Lake Day Use Facilities

Edward MacDowell Lake is situated in a quiet corner of the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. This day-use area lies just off State Route 101 on the shores of the picturesque lake named after the famous composer and concert pianist Edward Alexander MacDowell. This year-round park offers two day-use picnic shelters, perfect for large parties or family functions. Flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and grills are provided. Summer hours are 8am to 8pm; off-season hours are sunrise to sunset. A swim beach, playground, horseshoe pits, car top boat launch and volleyball court offer additional recreation opportunities. Visitors can spend days kayaking and canoeing on the scenic lake, and a boat ramp is provided for easy lake access. Fishing is also popular, with largemouth bass, pickerel, perch and horned pout all found in abundance. Several hiking trails link up around the lake, including the West Ridge Trail, which runs along the entire western edge of the lake and up through the surrounding wetlands. Younger visitors enjoy the park's Junior Ranger Program: kids ages six through 12 become honorary park rangers upon completion and receive a patch and certificate. The 165-acre lake is surrounded by densely forested rolling hills, shaded by pine, birch, poplar, maple, oak, beech, hemlock and alder. White-tailed deer, moose, beaver, fisher, muskrat, otter and many other mammals make their homes around the lake, and birders may observe osprey, hawks, owls, great blue herons, woodpeckers, waterfowl and songbirds. Park rangers offer educational programs, and the nearby ranger station contains interpretive exhibits.