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Activities

Canoeing and Kayaking

Paddling on the Dead Diamond, except in times of high water, is undemanding and enjoyable. It is a good way to see more of the Grant, sneak up on wildlife, and gain access to seldom-fished spots. The Swift Diamond River is generally too shallow and rock-filled for good paddling. The Gorge below the junction of the Swift Diamond and the Dead Diamond is extremely dangerous paddling water and should not be attempted. 

An excellent and leisurely day trip can be had by putting in at the large pool at the foot of Hellgate Gorge and paddling down to the bridge by the Management Center. Quiet paddlers can surprise moose, deer, beaver, otter, mink, muskrat, and perhaps an occasional bear. Wood ducks, goldeneye, black ducks, kingfishers, great blue herons, and other birds can also be encountered. For shorter trips on the Dead Diamond put in or take out at other good access points along the river: the head of Half Mile Falls and Bob Monahan’s Bathtub.

Access to the still water of the Magalloway River is easy from the upper end of the Miller-Quinn landing strip. Just downstream from here the Diamond flows into the Magalloway. The Magalloway is bordered by extensive wetlands, which abound with waterfowl and other wildlife. Downstream below the Route 16 bridge in Maine and particularly in Wentworth’s Location the Magalloway is a somewhat confusing maze of sloughs, old channels, and logans, and it is best to pay attention to your route so you’ll be able to find your way back.

A highly recommended trip for people wanting to paddle outside the Grant is the flatwater paddling to the junction of the Magalloway River and the Androscoggin River at the edge of Lake Umbagog. Birdlife abounds by the junction of these two rivers, including ospreys and the only eagle pair in New Hampshire known to be nesting. Access is either up the Androscoggin from the put-in north of the Errol dam or else down the Magalloway from the point where the river last comes near Route 16. These routes out to Umbagog are each about 2.5 miles. Lake Umbagog itself should always be avoided whenever there is a strong wind.

Canoes/kayaks may be rented at Teepee Campgrounds in Wentworth Location, (603) 482-3475, and L. L. Cote in Errol, (800) 287-7700.

Hunting and Fishing

Hunting, particularly for deer and ruffed grouse, is popular in the Grant. All hunting is subject to the regular New Hampshire seasons, bag limits, and licenses. Deer hunters are advised to wear hunter orange clothing.

The Dead Diamond River is the last non-stocked, native trout stream in New Hampshire. Its strain of brook trout is probably longer-lived than state-stocked hatchery trout elsewhere and capable of reaching greater size. Keeping fewer trout than the New Hampshire daily bag limit allows and catch-and-release fishing are both strongly encouraged so that these natives might grow to their full size.

For filling a frying pan with hatchery trout, try the heavily stocked Androscoggin River between Errol and Pontook Dam, or fish in Long Pond on the west side of Route 16 about two miles north of Errol.

For perch and pickerel, fish in the Androscoggin above Errol Dam or the Magalloway around Wentworth’s Location. Night fishing by lantern light in these same areas sometimes produces huge catches of horned pout. For horned pout fishing right at the Grant try the Magalloway River at the Miller-Quinn Landing Strip. Fishermen are encouraged to keep all the perch and horned pout they catch. Both species are incredibly prolific and tend to overpopulate any body of water they are in.

For more information, download this pamphlet about Hunting and fishing in the Grant

Biking

Mountain biking opportunities on the gravel roads on and adjacent to the Grant are superb. Bikers should be wary of motor vehicle traffic and should be cautious near wildlife. 

Any of the roads in the Grant are fine for biking. E-bikes are restricted to roads and MUST be Class I. 

Cross Country Skiing

In any given winter there are usually many miles of summer roads left unplowed because they are not needed for winter logging access. These roads are invariably wide and without any steep grades. On some of them, the snow will have been packed by snowmobile traffic. In addition, side roads off these main routes frequently offer good skiing.

Try the roads along the Swift Diamond, the Dead Diamond, and the Little Dead Diamond rivers. The Timber Management Road and Dike Site Road are less likely to have had the snow packed by snowmobile traffic. The Sanderson Brook Trail was recently cleared of brush and blowdowns specifically to provide good skiing. The extension of the Swift Diamond Road, now called Four-Mile Brook Road, up along the east branch of Four Mile Brook and up to Mount Tucker is a fine ski trail.

Map and Compass Bushwhacking

The lack of hiking trails through much of the Grant has been a key factor in keeping many of the Grant’s special places wild, remote, and free of off-road recreational vehicle traffic. With no more than a basic knowledge of map and compass use, visitors to the Grant can challenge themselves to find particular spots and then, successful or not, easily find their ways back to the cabins at night.

Members of a group attempting a bushwhack to the swamp less than a mile to the west of Black Mountain, for instance, towards the end of the afternoon might find themselves puzzling over whether a landmark hill is Black Mountain, Chase Mountain, or some unnamed hill and wondering exactly where they might be. They should, however, have no difficulty finding their way back to familiar territory. If they follow a compass course east, they will come out somewhere on the Loomis Valley Road. To the west they will intersect Four-Mile Brook Road that now stretches as far as Mount Tucker. To the south they will run into the Swift Diamond Road.

Bushwhackers should always have a general idea of where they are and should carry extra food and clothing, spare compasses, and flashlights in case they need to complete a route after dark. Use good sense. Don’t bushwhack alone. When you know the way out may take a long time, head for home early.

Last Updated: 1/13/23