Lo Flo and Holbrook Trails
The Lo Flo and Holbrook Trails at Florence M. Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary in Goffstown, New Hampshire is an easy 6.7-mile out-and-back hike that features ponds and mountain laurel amongst a peaceful woodland setting.Trail names: Lo Flo and Holbrook Trails.
Location: Joppa Hill Rd. Goffstown/Bedford NH.
Permitted uses: Walking, Running, Hiking, Bicycling, Horseback riding, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Non-motorized watercraft on water bodies. Leave no trace, please stay on the trails.
Prohibited uses: Hunting, trapping, fishing, target practicing, disturbance of wildlife, dumping, tree cutting, alcoholic beverages, camping structures or fires. No motorized vehicles.
Hours: No posted hours.
Fees and Parking: There is no fee to park or use the trails. Parking is available on the side of the street. There is no off-street parking lot.
Pets: Dogs MUST be on a leash.
Accessibility: The trail is not wheelchair accessible.
Sanitation: There is no restroom or trash bin at the trailhead or on the trails. Please carry out what you carry in.
Length and Trail information: The sanctuary consists of 332+ acres and was created back in 1993. Since 2017 the land has been under the stewardship of the Piscataquog Land Conservancy. The Lo Flo trail has blue trail markers and is approximately 1.8-mile loop trail. The Holbrook Trail is marked with orange blazes and is 2.1 miles long, one way, it is an out and back trail. While the hiking is not difficult on either trail, it is a long hike if you combine the two like we did. It's a good idea to plan for a long day if you like to stop and look at things like mushrooms or stop to listen to birdsong like we do. We have had a very wet summer in NH and thanks to all the rain we are having a lot of fungi activity. Anyone interested in mycology or ornithology will be pleased with the variety of offerings along this lovely trail. Those in search of peaceful solitude will be pleased as well. We only encountered 5 other hikers/cyclists during our time in the woods, so visitors will most likely feel like they have the sanctuary to themselves.
A trail map is posted at the Kiosk at the trailhead, but there are no maps available to take with you during the hike. You can download a trail map by visiting the Piscataquog website or download a trail map here: https://plcnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Florence-TarrTrail-Map-2021.pdf
The trails are well marked and well maintained. The substrate is a typical forest floor, with the usual trip hazards of roots and rocks, but none that were overly treacherous or steep. There were wooden bridges and walkways where needed and several beautiful stone paths created to assist in getting through any soggy areas. The area is surrounded by Mountain Laurel and is no doubt a gorgeous place to hike while it is blooming. The inclines are not difficult to navigate with lots of switchbacks incorporated into the trail whenever an incline is encountered. The highest point of Holbrook Trail is at 840 feet. This is said to be the highest point in Bedford NH. There hikers will find a plaza of sorts. There we found a black mounted mailbox with a logbook to sign. During our hike we were delighted to see evidence of beaver activity and several times we stopped to listen to all the different birds we were hearing. We chose to hike the Holbrook trail in addition to the Lo Flo trail and took the Holbrook trail to where it terminated. There is NO signage if a hiker chose to make this their starting point. Anyone choosing to start a hike from this area will need to be aware of its exact location as there are no markers or indications that a trail exists just off the road. We were not able to see a lot of safe parking here either, we would recommend that hikers start at the trailhead on Joppa Hill Road instead.
