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Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary ![]()
This information has been reproduced (with permission) from New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau. Below you'll find trail information as well as detailed natural information. Route Summary This hike will take you along the shore of Bellamy River, past creeks, and through woods.
Estuarine Natural Communities This site is on the western bank of the Bellamy River, near its confluence with Little Bay. The river is tidally flooded twice daily here (5-6 foot tides), and several estuarine marsh natural communities occur along its banks. High and Low Salt Marshes ![]() Low salt marsh occurs seaward of the high salt marsh and is flooded and exposed by the tide twice a day. It is dominated by a much taller species, Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) ("low" refers to the height of the land, not of the vegetation). Salt pannes and pools occur as microhabitats within the salt marshes, and sparsely vegetated saline/brackish intertidal flats (mudflats) are exposed at low tides. Brackish Marshes ![]() |
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Trail Guide
The trail network here is about 1.5 miles long and takes about two hours to complete at a very leisurely pace. The terrain is mostly flat, but the footing can occasionally be rough as the trails pass over tree roots and seasonally-wet areas. A grassy path heads south from the parking area along the edge of a privately-owned field. At a large pine tree, the trail bears left and enters the woods shortly before an old steel fence post. There is a mailbox here containing NH Audubon's trail guides. The trail (blazed in yellow) then curves right beneath a canopy of white pine trees and passes over a small wooden foot bridge. After this you arrive at the first trail junction. ![]() ![]() Taking the trail clockwise, you pass through a mesic Appalachian - oak hickory forest. This natural community covers most of the upland forest habitat in the Sanctuary and is composed of a broad diversity of trees including oaks, American beech, red maple, black birch, and shagbark hickory. It is a somewhat uncommon natural community in the state, generally restricted to coastal and southern NH. At a point overlooking the mouth of the cove on the Bellamy River, a narrow fringe of low salt marsh remains, then tapers down to a muddy bluff along the river, forming the upper edge of the saline/brackish intertidal flat. ![]() ![]() Follow the yellow blazes back along the western property boundary to return to the parking area. Be careful as the trail may not be as distinct along this return leg, and part of it passes through a rather low area where you may get your feet a little wet. Shrub and herb species to look for here include Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry), Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry), Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen), Aralia nudicaulis (wild sarsaparilla), and several species of ferns, fern allies, and graminoids (grasses and sedges), among others. Also be watchful for poison ivy. This property is primarily a wildlife sanctuary. A variety of mammals utilize the diverse mix of natural communities here. Numerous species of birds can be seen in the woodland and wetland habitats. Look out in the mudflats, especially at low tide, for wading birds such as green and great blue herons. Greater yellowlegs often forage in the pools within the salt marsh. Black ducks and other waterfowl are also commonly seen here during migrations, and others, like kingfisher and osprey, hunt along the shores. |
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![]() The Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Dover, New Hampshire. From Durham:
From Spaulding Turnpike:
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Property Use Guidelines
Please, for the protection of the area and its inhabitants, and for everyone's safety and enjoyment:
Credits This property owned and managed by New Hampshire Audubon. ![]() See Audubon's guide to Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary. This brochure was created by the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau as part of a series designed to educate the public about the state's special plants and natural communities. For more brochures, visit: New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau. NH Division of Forests & Lands - DRED 172 Pembroke Road - PO Box 1856 Concord, NH 03301-1856 Tel: (603) 271-2215 Fax: (603) 271-6488 The DFL is an equal opportunity employer and educator. This brochure was paid for with funds from the NH Conservation License Plate www.mooseplate.com More Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary Trail Reports |
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