The oldest forest in the area can be found at 135-acre Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery (the nation’s oldest public Atlantic salmon hatchery), where towering 150-year-old pines, hemlocks and oaks attract blackburnian and pine warblers, barred owls, pileated woodpeckers and Eastern wood-pewees. You can hike from Alamoosook Lake to Craig Pond on the Hatchery’s network of nature trails. Maps are available at the Visitor Center. In contrast, the 4,500-acre Great Pond Mountain Wildlands was logged heavily by a previous owner in the late 1990s, and habitats in the Wildlands are growing and changing rapidly. Early successional species of old fields and young forests—such as indigo buntings and chestnut-sided warblers—are still found in the Wildlands, but are slowly moving out as some fields are allowed to grow in, and forest canopy closes. Beavers move up and down Hothole Brook and tributaries, creating habitat for swallows, ducks, woodpeckers, and northern waterthrush and leaving wet meadows in their wakes. Wildlands managers also create and enhance habitat, from brushpiles for winter wrens, to birdhouses for swallows, bluebirds and chickadees, to standing dead snags that will house owls and woodpeckers. More than 20 miles of trails and paths in the Wildlands allow for birding on foot, by bike, or on skis or snowshoes in all seasons. Lakes and ponds in the area are easily accessible. Bring a kayak or canoe to Craig Brook Hatchery and paddle the shores of Alamoosook Lake and the Dead River to watch loons, osprey and eagles, or put in on peaceful Craig Pond to spot kingfishers and common mergansers. A trip down Moosehorn Stream to Hothole Pond (put in at the bridge on Bald Mountain Road) is a bit more adventurous, but you’ll see and hear a plethora of wetland species, from herons to rails and warblers to waterfowl.

The 5000-acre Great Pond Mountains Wildlands encompasses several small mountain peaks, numerous streams, and frontage on the Dead River and Hothole Pond. A network of gravel roads provides vehicle access and is open to walking, running, biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling.  A variety of trails, easy to strenuous, will guide you to special views and other places off the beaten path.

The greater Wildlands area (including Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, Alamoosook Lake and Dead River, Craig Pond, Hothole Pond and wetlands along Moosehorn Stream) hosts a wonderful variety of habitats, from blueberry-covered ledges atop Great Pond Mountain or Flag Hill to the mature mixed forests of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, from beaver ponds along Hothole Pond Trail in the Wildlands to the quiet shores of Dead River. There are more than 20 miles of trails and very accessible waters. Take a hike, bike or ski, or bring a kayak but don’t forget your binoculars!

Access is free. In the Wildlife Protection Zone, wildlife habitat is the priority. People are welcome, but please walk your dog on one of the many other trails in the Wildlands.