The Calef Highway Trailhead is one of the main access points to the reserve, where visitors can park their vehicles and start exploring the trails. The trailhead is located on the south side of Calef Highway (NH-125), about 0.4 miles east of its intersection with NH-9. The trailhead has a kiosk with a map and information about the reserve, as well as a picnic table and a trash can. From the trailhead, visitors can hike, bike, or horseback ride on the multi-use trails that wind through the forest, wetlands, and fields of the reserve. The trails are marked with blue blazes and signs, and some of them connect to other conservation lands in the area. The reserve is open year-round from dawn to dusk and is free to the public.

In 2001, the Town of Barrington acquired nearly 1,400 acres of land in the southeast corner of town. The acquisition was made possible as a result of a donation from the Tamposi Corporation (the owners) and a grant facilitating the acquisition from the N.H. Department of Environmental Services Water Supply Protection Program. The major purpose of the acquisition was to protect water supplies, as the property contains the headwaters of both the Oyster and Bellamy Rivers. It is officially called the Samuel A. Tamposi Water Supply Reserve (SATWaSR, pronounced SAT’ wasser). It’s permanently protected via a conservation easement held by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and is owned and managed by the Town of Barrington. It is managed for, in order of importance:  
1) the protection of drinking water supplies;
2) the preservation and enhancement of plant and animal habitats;
3) public recreation.
The communities of Dover, Madbury, Durham, Lee, Portsmouth, and the University of New Hampshire obtain a portion of their drinking water from the rivers passing through this land.

Since the acquisition and protection of SATWaSR, the town has purchased and/or protected several other properties to increase the conservation area, and there are now nearly 2000 acres of contiguous protected land. Conserved areas of this size are rare in southeast New Hampshire and provide habitat for myriad plants and animals that can’t survive in smaller areas. In addition, the reserve is home to Atlantic White Cedar swamps, rare in this part of the country.

Some of the trails involve wet crossings, so appropriate footwear is advised.  The land is open to hunting in season, so hikers are advised to avoid the reserve at that time or to be sure to wear hunters' orange.