An Outdoor Playground In New Hampshire Is A Living Museum Of Rare Flora And Wetland Wildlife

When you look out at the wild natural landscape of Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, it's easy to believe that this place has been here forever. While it has, of course, changed over time, the water in this wetland has ancient roots. 12,000 years ago, when woolly mammoths still roamed the land that would one day be New Hampshire, a piece of a glacier broke off from the rest and melted here, leaving what was known as a kettle hole pond. Over thousands of years, a large moss mat grew in this hole, making it a bog, rather than a pond.

This fascinating place has supported countless plants over the millennia, and it continues to be a fantastic place for nature lovers of all kinds to visit and reconnect with the wild — without getting their feet wet. The name Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary may conjure up images of slogging through wetlands, but you won't need to put on your waders to appreciate this remarkable place. If you long to walk along boardwalks, surrounded by the sound of birdsong and spotting the blooms of rare plants, visit the sanctuary and enjoy a stress-free trip to New Hampshire.

While you can't (and probably wouldn't want to) walk straight through the bog, you can explore it from the comfort of a narrow boardwalk path running through the bog, with viewing platforms along the way. It only takes about 40 minutes to stroll around Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, but this is one of the best birdwatching destinations you could hope for and has plenty of plants to appreciate, so you might end up staying far longer to take it all in. Best of all, it's a very easy loop trail, making it the perfect place to explore for your first solo hike or to visit with friends and family who may not be up for a more rigorous trek. Just be aware that the boardwalk trail [pictured] is only two boards winding through the bog, so it's not very wide. You should also be prepared to walk up a couple of stairs if you want to visit the viewing platforms to see it all from above.

If you come at the right time, you might see flowering arrow arum, grass pink, pitcher plants, sundew, and swamp candles. While you're there, you may be able to spot vibrant blue jays, hear the songs of warblers, and if you're lucky, a hawk perched at the top of a tall white pine. Keep your eyes peeled for frogs and turtles floating in the water, too. This place is teeming with life, and the longer you quietly wait and watch, the more you'll see and hear.

While you would never guess it from the inside, the incredible natural wonderland of Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary is located in suburban Amherst, New Hampshire. Fortunately, there is a designated gravel parking area for the sanctuary off Rhodora Drive, so you won't have to worry about finding a place to park in the residential area. There's no visitor center here, but you will pass an information kiosk on your way in, which can help you identify plants and birds that you might see along the way. The sanctuary is open every day, but only during daylight hours, so don't plan to stargaze here. There are also no bicycles or dogs allowed on the narrow boardwalk.

While there is plenty to look at in the sanctuary, you might want to pair this trip with a visit to the Dacquino Forest and Bicentennial Trail, which is only 15 minutes away. This four-mile route is a bit more difficult than the boardwalk through the bog, but it's a completely different landscape, also formed by the movement of glaciers, to explore. This gorgeous walk through the forest takes you by another kettle hole, across a stream, and by the rim of a steep ravine.