The Joe English Reservation Loops at the Joe English Reservation is an easy 4.8-mile double loop hike that covers several named trails and features a beautiful beaver pond and stone remains of the Peabody Sawmill dam foundation.
Trail name: Plumb Trail, Highland Trail, Harding Loop, Ledge Trail, Old Brook Road Trail, Bacon Trail
Location: Joe English Reservation and AH Plumb Memorial Forest, 36 Chestnut Hill Road, Amherst NH
Allowed activities: Hiking, Nature study, Geocaching, Birding, Snowshoeing, Cross country skiing and Mountain biking allowed on most, but not all trails.
Forbidden activities: no motor vehicles, no camping, no fires
Warning: This is a multi-use area and hunting is allowed in season. Visitors are encouraged to wear Hunters Orange or other bright colors to avoid being confused with prey.
Hours: There are no posted hours for trail usage at the Chestnut Hill Road Kiosk
Fees and Parking: Limited parking at this trailhead: 5 possibly 6 cars. No fee to park or use the trails.
Pets: Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash and waste carried with the hiker.
Accessibility: The trails are not wheelchair accessible from this trail head and are not stroller friendly.
Sanitation: There are no restrooms or trash bins on these trails. Please carry out all waste.
Length and Trail information: During this hike we did our hike as a modified “loop” that was 4.8 miles long. There are numerous trails at the Joe English Reservation and a seemingly endless amount of combinations to be made within this network of trails. All of the trails were easy to hike with trails having a wide a range of different substrates to navigate.
There are numerous wooden boardwalks and bridges along the trails that assist hikers over wet areas and streams. There are several benches for hikers to take breaks and enjoy the nature surrounding them. All the trails are marked with colored trail blaze markers and trail names signs. There is a numbered trail post with a map at every trail junction. Visitors can “hike by number” making it nearly impossible to get lost in this conservation area.
These are some of the best marked and maintained trails we have had the pleasure to hike. There are lots of highlights at Joe English Reservation including fun geocaches to hunt for, a tranquil pond and along the Old Brook Road Trail, there are several education markers posted for hikers to pause and read about the natural features on the trail. Off of the Old Brook Road trail, hikers will enjoy seeing the incredible stone remains of the Peabody Sawmill dam foundation. There is an impressive wooden bridge with seating built in, beckoning visitor to stop and rest while listening to the waters flowing beneath them. At this spot visitors will be able to enjoy a story book presentation set up for children of all ages to enjoy as they hike along the trail.
There are no maps to take with you at the kiosk, but a link to the trail system at Joe English Reservation can be found at the link below.
https://www.amherstnh.gov/sites/amherstnh/files/uploads/trailsmapbookamh083118_7.pdf
