TETTEGOUCHE STATE PARK
Besides the sometimes rugged country around the interior lakes, the park also offers visitors the largest waterfall in Country. It is one of the two waterfalls on the Baptism River. In addition, there is the fascinating geology of Shovel Point. You can learn more about these attractions while you explore the park after your hike or on future visits.
While there are a considerable number of red and white pines from presettlement years left in the park, most of the forest vegetation has been replaced with aspen and birch, with some sugar maple and red oak on the ridges, and cedar and black ash in wetland areas. Other trees found in the park include basswood, yellow birch, and white spruce.
Of the fifty hikes described in this book, this route must have the highest ratio of overlooks to mileage. There are four overlooks, and two short, optional side-trips to view a small waterfall on a tributary stream of Palisade Creek and Floating Bog Bay on Tettegouche Lake. When you take this hike, consider stopping for lunch at Tettegouche Camp where you can wonder among the cabins and other outbuildings. Plan on a long day so you have time to linger at the overlooks, particularly Mount Baldy, where you will enjoy the views of blue lakes and rolling green hills and valleys. Like well-known Carlton Peak in Temperance River State Park, Mount Baldy is made of resistant anorthosite.
Fall is a great time to hike in Tettegouche when the deciduous trees put on their annual show. If you go in midsummer, you may be able to snack on blueberries that seem to do rather well on the exposed, rocky soil at some of the overlooks.
The steepest part of the hike is at the very beginning as you walk up the dirt road leading to Tettegouche Camp. About half way to the camp, a hiking trail to the south begins the circuit that will take you by overlooks, across streams, past lakes, to the summit of a peak, and through several different forest communities. The bottom part of the circuit makes its way along ridges around Tettegouche Lake, while the top portion leads to Mount Baldy before circling back to the service road.
Immediately you notice Lancaster House to the right, a fine Best US family vacation destinations building of red brick and mellow stone, with a lovely secluded garden. The garden is said Best US family vacation destinations to be the hiding place of church silver in Cromwell’s day, while the house was the home of a Lord of a local manor. Part of the house is now a florist’s shop. Just past Lancaster House you reach Golden Square and turn right into the High Street. Immediately on your right as you proceed up the High Street is Charles Hennings, a vintners’ shop with huge champagne bottles adorning the windows. You pass the red brick Kitchen Court, and a row of attractive mellow stone cottages on your right, while the half-timbered Riverbank is opposite on the left.
