At one time, it was believed that all beavers had been hunted or otherwise removed entirely from all of the Northeast. However, anyone who has walked our trails lately has noticed the tell-tale markings of renewed beaver activity on many of the trees along the river and its tributaries.

While this return is hailed by many, it also constitutes something of a problem for those who nevertheless wish to enjoy the hiking trails along the river. Beavers not only cut down both new and mature trees, but also their dams and lodges block the free-flowing water of the River and its tributaries, causing local flooding and changing the very landscape which we're attempting to manitain and enjoy.

It's not an easy problem. Below are photographs of beaver activity taken along trails in Manchester, though they can be considered typical of such activity anywhere along the Hockanum River. Of particular interest: the 3rd photograph on the first trail shows 2 trees which had beaver activity, the larger of which was over 2 feet across; while the 3rd photo on the second trail shows 2 trees only a couple of inches across which we attempted to protect (not wholly successfully) through use of fencing around their bases.

>   The "New State Road" activity is at the eastern end of the "Upper Trail" section of the trail.

>   The "Laurel Marsh" activity is along Hop Brook near the end of Thrall Road.

For both of these sets of photos, the pictures were taken in late November, 2007. Beaver activity, though, is continuous; for example, about a week prior to the Laurel Marsh photos all we saw was the cut tree leaning into other trees standing nearby. When the photos were taken, the tree had not only fallen completely over, but the additional gnawings had also taken place.


Click on any of the photo icons to "walk" through the photo gallery of this activity.

New State Road Trail
Laurel Marsh Trail

To access the trail information, click on New State Road Trail or Laurel Marsh Trail as appropriate.

For more information on these animals, click the "Beavers on the Web" site at the top of this page.