ATTENTION PARK VISITORS
COVID-19 UPDATE
Otter Brook Lake Beach is currently closed. Dispersed recreation at this US Army Corps of Engineers facility remains open to the public, AS ALLOWED WITHIN NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE ORDERS AND ADVISORIES, should individuals and their families wish to get outside for healthy, outdoor recreational activity. For this measure to continue, and for the health and safety of all, visitors must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Stay home if feeling sick.
- Avoid activities where individuals will come in close contact with one another and/or gathering in groups of ten or more.
- Maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet, and wear a cloth face covering.
- Should crowds begin to form at various locations, visitors are asked to leave that area, choose a different location or return at a later date/time.
- Practice healthy personal hygiene.
Planning on recreating at Otter Brook or Surry Mountain Lake? Please be aware of the following information, so we can all PLAY IT SAFE:
1. Otter Brook and Surry Mountain Lake Park is NOT open. Visitors will not be permitted on the beach, in the shelters, or in groups greater than 10.
2. There is a carry in/carry out all trash policy in effect. This includes pet waste. Please take all trash, masks, and pet waste with you when you leave.
3. Public restrooms will NOT be open.
4. Walk in visitors are welcome for dispersed recreation. Do NOT park in front of gates to allow access for EMS if needed.
5. The hiking trails are open. Remember to bring your face masks. You are urged to maintain at least six feet of distance from others. Please wear your face mask if you cannot maintain a safe distance.
6. High touch areas like railings, picnic tables and benches are not being cleaned.
7. We urge all visitors to follow the CDC's guidelines on how to protect yourself and others AND state regulations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recreation Facilities/Activities
Otter Brook Lake offers many recreational opportunities that everyone can enjoy. It offers a picnic area with 90 tables and 55 fireplace grills; swimming on a 400-foot-long beach; a boat ramp; boating for canoes, rowboats, sailboats, and motorboats (no wake); and sanitary facilities. During the winter, visitors enjoy cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
Hunting and fishing are permitted in accordance with applicable state laws and regulations. For more information on hunting or fishing, you can contact the New Hampshire Division of Fish and Game. Otter Brook, both upstream and downstream of the lake, is stocked by the state with brook and rainbow trout, and the lake supports chain pickerel, yellow perch, and bass. There is in-season hunting and/or trapping for deer, beaver, muskrat, fisher, and wild turkey.
If you are planning a family reunion, wedding reception, or business outing, don't forget the shelters at Otter Brook Lake. These shelters may be reserved for a fee, and they make a great place to hold any function. Electricity is available at the shelters and bathrooms with flush toilets are located nearby.
Reservations and Fees
Shelter Reservation Fees:
- Pine Shelter - 30' X 44' large covered shelter which accommodates roughly 100 adults, and includes electricity. $85/day.
- Elm Shelter - 22' X 38' covered shelter which accommodates roughly 60 adults, and includes electricity. $65/day.
- Alder Shelter - 16' X 20' covered shelter which accommodates roughly 16 adults. $30/day.
To make a reservation please go to www.recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777 and search or ask for Otter Brook Lake Beach.
Special Events:
These fees vary, depending on the event. Please call the office at 603-352-4130
Interpretive Programs
Visitors are welcome to walk into the park and utilize the area. Fall and winter are a wonderful time of year to take a walk through the park and when we have enough snow, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as well as snowmobiling are a great way to get out and enjoy the park. Wildlife viewing is also a popular activity enjoyed in the park. If you are interested in interpretive programs and would like a park ranger to present a program, we are available for both on and off site presentations. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a program please call.
Natural Resources
More then half of Otter Brook Lake's 458 acres, are forested with white pine, hemlock, maple, beech, birch, and oak. The open areas are a mix of old fields, wetlands, shrub areas, and the 90 acre lake itself. These varied habitats provide for a diversity of both resident and migratory wildlife. Deer, fox, raccoons, beavers, and turkeys make their home at Otter Brook Lake year round. Waterfowl, such as canada geese, black ducks and mallards use the area to rest and feed along their migratory journey.
Natural resources are an important component to the management of Otter Brook Lake. Park rangers use an assortment of forestry techniques to improve or conserve different habitat types. Woodcock habitat improvements have been conducted as well as managing a deer yard on the property. Apple trees are planted and pruned for food production for deer, turkeys, grouse, and various other bird species. Park rangers have also studied vernal pools and other unique habitat types and have conducted amphibian surveys to ensure biodiversity and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
- Updated: April 8, 2020