Nissitissit Headwaters/Spaulding Brook Conservation Area

This is a shared area with the Piscataquog Land Conservancy (PLC)

owning 274 acres of wooded land with a nice pond between Abbott Hill Road and Mitchell Hill Road in Mason. The Spaulding Brook Conservation Area is owned by the Town of Mason and abuts the PLC property. The Spaulding Pond is believed to be the oldest continuously operating beaver pond in the area. It is believed to have been started by beavers around 1952 or so and perhaps earlier. The beavers simply move from one area to another and have not given up on it.

MAP(inset)

MAP

The PLC property also known as the "Staubble" property, was purchased by a resident of the town of Mason and then donated in part and sold to the PLC organization. The town still maintains executive oversight of the property and the Mason Trail Volunteers monitor the property for PLC on a regular basis. Moose, deer and bear frequent this property. The property consists of three trails.

The DeVore Connector - a very short trail which is named for the donor of the property. This trail connects the parking area at Abbott Hill road at the pond to the Split Rock Loop.
Split Rock Loop - makes a very nice loop around the inside of the property. Often bird watchers hike this trail and observe birds along the route. The trail is named after a split rock with a tree growing out of it. If you hike it, see if you can find the split rock.
Spaulding Brook Trail - named for the headwaters of the Nissittissit River. This trail runs a bit over a mile from the Split Rock Loop to the power lines along Starch Mill Road. The Spaulding Brook Pond can be accessed from this trail. The pond is a beautiful pond created by beavers and often has wood ducks in it. You can also access the Spaulding Brook Preserve from this trail on a yet to be named trail. The trail crosses out of PLC property into Mason Conservation Land at the Spaulding Brook Pond.

The Spaulding Brook Conservation Area consists of 163 acres that abut the PLC property. There are currently three trails on this property:

Spaulding Brook Trail - a continuation of the trail from PLC. This trail goes from the Split Rock Loop on PLC property into the Spaulding Brook Conservation Area, along the Spaulding Brook Pond to the power lines. One can often see ducks on the pond.
Half Dome Trail - This is a short thee tenths of a mile trail that goes from the Spaulding Brook Trail to the Mitchell Hill trail. It passes a giant rock. The trail goes around the rock and a branch of the trail goes up onto the top of the rock. While clearing this trail the volunteers did see a moose or two.
Mitchell Hill Trail - this trail connects Mitchell Hill Road with The Spaulding Brook Trail. It is around a mile long and follows a rock wall which is the boundary with the PLC property. One end of the trail is at the corner of PLC and Mason's Spaulding Brook Conservation Area at the Spaulding Brook Pond. You can access the Half Dome Trail from this trail. Keep your eyes open for the moose.

PARKING:

Access to the PLC trails can be had by parking along Abbott Hill Road at the small Pond along the Road. PLC has a large sign marking the property.

To access the Spaulding Brook Conservation Area, park along Mitchell Hill Road, just past Jones Crossing on your left, almost at the end of the road. Mitchell Hill Road dead ends. The parking is on the right before you get to the dead end. There are several large boulders marking the trail head and parking area.