Guided Naturalist Tour Programs at NH’s Purity Springs Help Educate the Public About Nature

This story was provided by Roger Lohr, creator of XCSkiResorts.com

Purity Spring Resort in Madison, NH has partnered with Tin Mountain Conservation Center (TMCC) to bring snowshoe guided naturalist tour programs at the NH Audubon “Gertrude Keith Hoyt & Edward Eaton Hoyt, Jr. Wildlife Sanctuary” and trails located at the resort. These guided tours, led by naturalist and TMCC Outreach Coordinator Heather McKendry, will be offered to guests staying at the resort and others may participate, too. The partnership will also give resort guests free access to TMCC’s programs on their trails and facilities.

Purity Spring’s Marketing Director Thomas Prindle explained, “As a Supporting Partner of the Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Purity Spring Resort aligns many opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreation with their efforts to foster a greater awareness and understanding of the natural environment. In addition to being able to offer custom guided tours of the NH Audubon Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary right here at the resort, we provide our guests additional access to the Tin Mountain Conservation Center and the ability to participate in the programs they offer throughout the year.”

For nature and history aficionados, there are six snowshoe tour dates this season that start at 11 AM (remaining dates include Saturdays on February 4 and March 4, and Wednesday, February 22).

The sanctuary has 135 acres and 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) of trails which is part of the 1,400 acres originally purchased and homesteaded by Edward Hoyt Sr. in the area with family roots dating back to the 1800s. Purity Lake was dammed in the late 1700s by European settlers who also built a mill in East Madison. The homestead succumbed to fire in 1914 and there was a girls camp that was run between 1934 and 1977. The sanctuary land was bequeathed to NH Audubon in 1991.

The naturalist tours feature geological and sanctuary features associated with glacial deposits in the last ice age. The white pine are the dominant tree species with northern hardwoods and diverse wildlife in the sanctuary include winter finches, bobcat, fox, coyote and more. There are a number of short looped trails in the sanctuary that can be snowshoed or cross country skied in the winter.

The guided snowshoe tour is available in a package with Purity Spring accommodations including overnight lodging, breakfast in the Traditions Café and the tour. For the lodging package check with Purity Spring Resort to make a reservation and there are some snowshoe rentals available (www.purityspring.com or 603-367-8896). The cost for the public to participate is $15 per person.

Purity Spring Resort is associated with King Pine Ski Area in Madison, NH with 45 skiable acres, six ski lifts, 17 trails, and a 350-foot vertical. The family-friendly ski area is in a valley in the White Mountains National Forest and it has the longest running recreational and instructional ski camp in the country (since 1939). King Pine has been making memories for family vacations for generations. The resort specialty is for families who want to discover destinations that will engage parents and kids together, and it is celebrating its 60^th anniversary this year.