Outdoor Winter Adventures in Bethlehem, NH

INTRODUCTION:

The setting for this blog posting is the mountain village of Bethlehem, NH.

In the spring of 2018, the Bethlehem Trails Association (BTA) cleared and refurbished about 4-miles of existing snowmobile trail known as the Trudeau Loop which is located southeast of Bethlehem’s village center.  This loop can be used for mountain biking, hiking, fat-biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing.  And although this particular loop trail can also be used for snowmobiling, this is atypical for the vast majority of BTA’s trails which are designed solely for the human-powered activities mentioned above.

Here are two items that relate specifically to the Trudeau Loop.  First of all, parking can be challenging, particularly on weekends.  Limited space for parking is available at a wide pull-off at the junction of U.S. Route 3 and Trudeau Road.  And secondly, the Trudeau Loop is entirely within the White Mountain National Forest and therefore is available for the general public to enjoy.  However, to assist with trail maintenance, the BTA greatly appreciates donations of time and/or money.  Click HERE for a link to the website for this fine organization.

As of the date this blog posting was written, the BTA has not published a finalized map showing the route of the Trudeau Loop.  However, the pink-highlighting on the map below shows the corridors that I have used for my ski and snowshoe adventures.   Probably most of what is shown here is a fairly accurate representation of the Trudeau Loop that will appear on upcoming maps to be published by BTA.

PHOTOS:

In the winter of 2018/2019, I have enjoyed several cross-country ski outings and snowshoe treks along the Trudeau Loop.  Presented below are a few photos taken during those adventures.

View of the partially frozen Gale River that runs along southern end of Trudeau Loop

A through-the-trees view of Mt. Garfield from the Trudeau Loop

Animal tracks across a frozen wetlands area along the Trudeau Loop

A view of the Twin Mountain range from the Trudeau Loop

Mt. Lafayette in the distance as viewed by going to the northeastern end of the loop and then trekking northward beyond the loop for about 0.3 mile along the Corridor 104 snowmobile trail.

A zoomed view of Mt. Lafayette

Skiing along the Trudeau Loop toward the end of the day

TO SUM IT UP:

It’s fantastic that the Trudeau Loop is less than a 10-minute drive from my home.  I am grateful to the Bethlehem Trails Association for developing this terrific local resource.  Click HERE for a link to the website for this fine organization.