Rhododendron State Park

Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, United States, is a 2,723-acre (11.02 km2) state park located on and around Little Monadnock Mountain, containing a 16-acre (65,000 m2) stand of native Rhododendron maximum, the largest of nineteen similar stands in central and northern New England, the northern limit of their growing range.

Rhododendron State Park
Location of Rhododendron State Park in New Hampshire
LocationCheshire, New Hampshire, United States
Coordinates42°47′05″N 72°11′30″W
Area2,723 acres (11.02 km2)
Elevation1,191 ft (363 m)[1]
Governing bodyNew Hampshire Parks and Recreation
WebsiteRhododendron State Park

Description

The rhododendrons bloom in mid-July, and were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1982. The park also includes wild blueberries, cranberries, mountain laurel, heathers, mayflower, and wintergreen.

The park is open to hiking and picnicking from May to October. The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail passes through the state park on the way to the summit of Little Monadnock Mountain, which is outside the park limits. Pets must be leashed at all times on this trail, as it is publicly owned land (State of N.H. Department of Forest and Lands). No pets are allowed on the Rhododendron Loop Trail or the Laurel Trail as per N.H. State Law.

History
Old Patch Place cottage

In 1901-1902 Mary Lee Ware played a pivotal role in the creation of the park. In 1901, landowner Levi Fuller planned to "lumber off" the property and would have if not for Mary, who bought it in 1902. Giving it to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) a year later, she signed the deal on the condition that the woodland "...be held as a reservation properly protected and open to the public..."[2][3] The contract barred cutting down any trees or picking any rhododendron, a promise that has been broken only once due to the 1938 hurricane.[4]

The donated land is called "Old Patch Place," remodeled by the AMC as a hostel/clubhouse but has since 1946 come under the protection of the N.H. Division of Parks and Recreation — the system's only designated botanical park. The "Old Patch Place" cottage near the park entrance was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Rhododendron State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. May 8, 2001. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  2. "Rhododendron State Park". NewHampshire.com. NewHampshire.com. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  3. "Rhododendron State Park Park History" (PDF). www.nhstateparks.org/.
  4. "RHODODENDRON STATE PARK - OLD PATCH PLACE". www.beqbooks.com.
  5. "NRHP nomination for Old Patch Place". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  • Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide. The Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, 1999.
  • The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide. 9th Edition. The Appalachian Mountain Club. Amherst, Massachusetts, 1999
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