Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail
US Route 3 at the Canadian border
Pittsburg, NH
A short but rugged hike along the actual United States-Canada boundary swath to a tiny mountain bog pond, the trickling source of the great Connecticut River.
Great rivers usually have humble beginnings, and few are humbler than the Connecticut. The river that forms the border between New Hampshire and Vermont and flows all the way to Long Island Sound begins as a small, boggy pond high in the hills of Pittsburg, right on the Canadian line. The Fourth Connecticut Lake is that source, and reaching it means a short, steep hike to one of the most evocative spots in New England.
The trail starts at the international border crossing at the top of US Route 3 and climbs along the cleared boundary swath, the mowed strip that marks the actual line between the United States and Canada, before turning off to the little pond itself. The Nature Conservancy protects the site, a fragile mountain bog cradling the first waters of a river that will grow to shape the whole region downstream.
What Guests Love
- Standing at the literal source of the Connecticut River, a quiet bog pond high in the hills
- Walking a stretch of the cleared boundary swath between the US and Canada
- The wild, remote feel of the very top of New Hampshire
- A sense of pilgrimage in reaching the headwaters of a river that shapes New England
Worth Knowing
- The trail is short but steep, rough, and often muddy; sturdy footwear is essential
- It starts at an international border crossing, so be mindful of customs rules and parking
- The preserve is managed by The Nature Conservancy; stay on the marked route
- This is deep north country, so carry water, bug protection, and let someone know your plans
Details
Pittsburg, NH
Learn about Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail
The source of a great river
The Connecticut is New England's longest river, running more than 400 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, forming the entire boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont along the way and passing through Massachusetts and Connecticut before reaching the sea. All of that begins here, at the Fourth Connecticut Lake.
The lake is really a small bog pond, a few acres of dark water and floating vegetation held in a hollow near the height of land. Water seeps from it and gathers into a trickle, then a brook, then the chain of larger Connecticut Lakes downstream, and finally the broad river itself. Standing at the source, you can straddle the very beginning of something vast.
The trail and the border
The hike is short, roughly a mile and a half round trip, but it is genuinely rugged, climbing steeply over roots and rock and often through mud. Much of the route follows the boundary swath, the cleared strip that runs along the US-Canada line, so that for part of the walk you are quite literally hiking the edge of the country.
Because the trailhead is at the customs station, the hike carries an unusual sense of occasion, beginning where the nation ends. The Nature Conservancy maintains the preserve and asks hikers to stay on the marked path to protect the delicate bog and boundary environment.
The wild top of New Hampshire
Pittsburg is by far the largest town by area in New Hampshire, an enormous, thinly settled expanse of forest, lakes, and rivers that fills the state's northern tip. This is the deep Great North Woods, moose country, prized by anglers, paddlers, hunters, and snowmobilers, and dark enough at night for brilliant stars.
The chain of Connecticut Lakes strung along Route 3 leads travelers north toward this final pond, each lake more remote than the last. Reaching the Fourth Lake caps a journey into some of the wildest and least visited country in the Northeast, a fitting place to find the quiet birth of a mighty river.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Pittsburg
The Connecticut Lakes
Along Route 3 south, a short drive
A chain of remote lakes stretching down through Pittsburg, prized for fishing, paddling, and moose watching.
Colebrook
About 35 miles, a 50 minute drive
The commercial center of the far North Country, with the last reliable fuel and food before the border.