Romano's Favorite Hiking Haunts No. 4

Great Bay National Estuarine Reserve

New Hampshire

The largest estuary in northern New England and one of the largest preserved ecosystems in rapidly growing southern New Hampshire, Great Bay is a great place to visit anytime of year. And I do. I try to visit the 10,000-plus acre preserve at least once a year. Wonderful trails grace its shores and the bay is a fantastic place to kayak too. Part of the national estuarine preserve system, Great Bay consists of lands managed by the federal government, state of New Hampshire, several municipalities and various conservation organizations like the New Hampshire Nature Conservancy and the Forest Society. One of the many aspects I find appealing to this region is its hickory forests-the northern limit to this attractive hardwood.

(photo-boardwalk at Sandy Point- may 2008)