Great North Woods Region (New Hampshire)

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In this 2018 map by the N.H. Department of Transportation, the Great North Woods region is located at the northern tip of New Hampshire, colored blue-green in this map. Map of New Hampshire Regions.png
In this 2018 map by the N.H. Department of Transportation, the Great North Woods region is located at the northern tip of New Hampshire, colored blue-green in this map.

The Great North Woods Region, also known as the North Country, is located at the northern tip of New Hampshire, United States, north of the White Mountains Region and is part of the larger Great North Woods. The Great North Woods is a tourism region of New Hampshire and is located in Coos County. The dividing line is loosely defined as running from Cushman, a hamlet within Dalton, to south of Berlin and east to the Maine border, roughly following US Route 2.

The region has around 30,000 permanent residents. Berlin is the largest community in the sparsely populated region by a sizable margin with more than one-third of the population of the region. Lancaster, the county seat, is the second largest community. Of the remaining communities in the region, only Milan, Stewartstown, Colebrook, Northumberland have more than 1,000 people.

Great North Woods Great North Woods - New Hampshire.jpg
Great North Woods

Tourism marketing for the region is provided by New Hampshire Grand, the official convention and visitors' bureau for the region, as well as the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Gateway Chamber of Commerce, the Umbagog Area Chamber of Commerce, and the North Country Chamber of Commerce. Unlike the more commercially developed White Mountains Region to the south, most of the tourism in the Great North Woods centers around backcountry hiking and camping, as well as outdoor sports such as fishing and hunting. The central portion of the region is part of the White Mountains National Forest, including the Pilot Range and Mount Cabot, the highest peak of the Great North Woods. North of the Pilot Range is the Nash Stream State Forest. The Connecticut Lakes, headwaters of the Connecticut River, lie at the northern tip of the region.

The main industries aside from tourism are logging and paper manufacture, centered on Berlin.

There are no major freeways; nearly all roads outside of the few population centers are two-lane state highways. US Route 3 in the west along the Connecticut River and, in the east, New Hampshire Route 16 along the border with Maine provide the main north-south routes, while east-west traffic follows US Route 2, New Hampshire Route 110 and New Hampshire Route 26.

See also

Coordinates: 44°41′N71°18′W / 44.69°N 71.3°W / 44.69; -71.3

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New Hampshire U.S. state

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Of the 50 U.S. states, New Hampshire is the fifth smallest by area and the tenth least populous, with slightly more than 1.3 million residents. Concord is the state capital, while Manchester is the largest city. New Hampshire's motto, "Live Free or Die", reflects its role in the American Revolutionary War; its nickname, "The Granite State", refers to its extensive granite formations and quarries. It is best known nationwide for holding the first primary in the U.S. presidential election cycle.

Coös County, New Hampshire County in New Hampshire, United States

Coös County, frequently spelled Coos County, is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,268, making it the least-populated county in the state. The county seat is Lancaster.

Berlin, New Hampshire City in New Hampshire, United States

Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coös County in northern New Hampshire, United States. It is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census.

Carroll, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Carroll is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 820 at the 2020 census. The two largest villages are Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods. Carroll is an important access point for recreational areas in the White Mountains, including many 4,000-footers, the Zealand River area, the Presidential Range, and the Presidential Dry River Wilderness. The town is home to the Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods and to the Highland Center at Crawford Notch, the Appalachian Mountain Club's four-season lodge.

Colebrook, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Colebrook is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,084 at the 2020 census, down from 2,301 at the 2010 census. Situated in the Great North Woods Region, it is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River and home to Beaver Brook Falls Natural Area.

Northumberland, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Northumberland is a town located in western Coös County, New Hampshire, U.S., north of Lancaster. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT micropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 2,126, of whom 1,068 lived in the village of Groveton.

Pittsburg, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Pittsburg is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 800 at the 2020 census. It is the northernmost town in New Hampshire and the largest town by area in New England. U.S. Route 3 is the only major highway in the town, although the northern terminus of New Hampshire Route 145 also lies within Pittsburg.

White Mountains (New Hampshire) Mountain range in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. They are part of the northern Appalachian Mountains and the most rugged mountains in New England. The range is heavily visited due to its proximity to Boston, New York City, and Montreal.

Conway, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Conway is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous community in the county, with a population of 9,822 at the 2020 census, down from 10,115 at the 2010 census. The town is on the southeastern edge of the White Mountain National Forest. There are five villages in the town: Conway, North Conway, Center Conway, Redstone and Kearsarge. Additionally, it shares a portion of the village of Intervale with the neighboring town of Bartlett.

Lancaster, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Lancaster is a town located along the Connecticut River in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The town is named after the city of Lancaster in England. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,218, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region of the state. Lancaster, which includes the villages of Grange and South Lancaster, is home to Weeks State Park and the Lancaster Fair. Part of the White Mountain National Forest is in the eastern portion. The town is part of the Berlin, NH−VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Whitefield, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Whitefield is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. The population was 2,490 at the 2020 census. Situated on the northern edge of the White Mountains, Whitefield is home to the Mount Washington Regional Airport and the White Mountains Regional High School.

The Great North Woods, also known as the Northern Forest, are spread across four northeastern U.S. states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York in the New England area. The area spans from the Down East lakes of Maine to the Adirondack Mountains of New York, generally bordering the Canadian province of Quebec. Collectively, the Great North Woods make up a 26 million acre (105,000 km2) forestland.

White Mountains Region

The White Mountains Region is a tourism region designated by the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism. It is located in northern New Hampshire in the United States and is named for the White Mountains, which cover most of the region. The southern boundary of the region begins at Piermont on the west, and runs east to Campton, then on to Conway and the Maine border. The northern boundary begins at Littleton and runs east to Gorham and the Maine border. The region to the north is known as the Great North Woods Region, which should not be confused with the larger and more general Great North Woods.

White Mountain National Forest National forest in Maine and New Hampshire, U.S.

The White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is a federally managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of 750,852 acres (303,859 ha). Most of the WMNF is in New Hampshire; a small part is in the neighboring state of Maine.

Androscoggin River River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is 178 miles (286 km) long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is 3,530 square miles (9,100 km2) in area. The name "Androscoggin" comes from the Eastern Abenaki term /aləssíkɑntəkw/ or /alsíkɑntəkw/, meaning "river of cliff rock shelters" ; or perhaps from Penobscot /aləsstkɑtəkʷ/, meaning "river of rock shelters". The Anglicization of the Abenaki term is likely an analogical contamination with the colonial governor Edmund Andros.

New Hampshire Route 16

New Hampshire Route 16 is a 154.771-mile (249.080 km), north–south state highway in New Hampshire, United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast region to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a controlled-access toll highway known as the Spaulding Turnpike. Between Milton and Chocorua, and between Conway and Glen, it is known as the White Mountain Highway. It is known as Chocorua Mountain Highway between Chocorua and Conway and various other local names before crossing into Maine about 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canadian border. Portions of NH 16 run concurrent with U.S. Route 4 (US 4), US 202, NH 25, and US 302, and US 2.

New Hampshire Route 110

New Hampshire Route 110 is a 24.856-mile-long (40.002 km) east–west state highway in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States. The road winds through the scenic, mountainous country of New Hampshire north of the White Mountain National Forest. NH 110 is locally named the Berlin-Groveton Highway.

Upper Ammonoosuc River

The Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in the northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire. Despite its name, the river is not an upstream portion of the Ammonoosuc River, but instead a separate tributary of the Connecticut River flowing from 20 to 60 miles north of the Ammonoosuc.

Carter-Moriah Range

The Carter-Moriah Range of mountains is located in the White Mountains, in Coos County, New Hampshire. The range forms the northern east side of Pinkham Notch, opposite the northern Presidential Range. The range is also referred to as the Carter Range.

U.S. Route 2 (US 2) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that is split into two segments, one between Washington state and Michigan and the other between New York state and Maine. In New Hampshire, US 2 runs 35.437 miles (57.030 km) from the Vermont state line at the Connecticut River in Lancaster east to the Maine state line in Shelburne. US 2 is the main highway through the White Mountains across southern Coös County, where it also passes through Jefferson, Randolph, and Gorham. US 2 is the main connection between the Coös county seat of Lancaster, where the highway intersects US 3, and the county's largest city, Berlin, via its connection with New Hampshire Route 16 (NH 16) in Gorham.