Welcome to the
Manchester Cedar Swamp – All Persons Trail tour. This remarkable natural area is owned and managed by
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire, an organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. This is just one of more than 30 preserves across the state that are open for visitation. Not only will you enjoy a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy city, but you should also be prepared to be awed by nature.
It is important to note that the All Persons Trail you are about to embark on was designed with community input, to be accessible and welcoming to everyone. Please be courteous and respectful of anyone you may meet on the trail, and also of the nature you will encounter while walking on this trail. We all belong here and have a responsibility to respect each other and our surroundings.
The Manchester Cedar Swamp is within N’dakinna, the unceded, or stolen, ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook, and Wabanaki Peoples who have ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this area. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the lands and waters that support us, and the Aln8bak (people) who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout generations spanning thousands of years.
The interpretive information on this trail speaks to our modern-day understanding of this land and the life it supports. We wish to foster a deeper connection to this place through an understanding of its original people and their relationship to N’dakinna—a relationship that was disrupted through settler colonial practices of land taking and indigenous erasure throughout New Hampshire. We invite you to reflect on your own connection to nature as you enter this outdoor space.
On this tour, you will walk through and learn about an Appalachian oak and pine forest. These forests cover about 10 percent of New Hampshire and play an important role in the state's wildlife. You will also see black gum trees and American chestnut trees as well as experience the Atlantic white cedar swamp, for which this preserve is named!
If you are quiet, you may spot a variety of wildlife on your walk. Many animals, including frogs, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and even black bears, enjoy acorns from the oaks and other plants such as blueberries and huckleberries, which are found on the forest floor.
Depending on when you are visiting the preserve, you may see or hear a variety of birds, including the veery, white-breasted nuthatch, cardinal, pine warbler, scarlet tanager, Eastern towhee and rose-breasted grosbeak.
If you visit in the summertime, you may be lucky enough to experience the giant rhododendrons in bloom. Their large, round clusters of white blossoms are striking against the dark green of the shadowy swamp. Flowering season is typically in early to mid-July and is truly breathtaking!
We thank you for taking the time to enjoy the All Persons Trail. The trail is a part of a much larger preserve that includes many more wetlands than you have seen today. Each of these is home to different wildlife species. Please return at different times in the year so you can fully enjoy every natural element the preserve has to offer. Preserving these ecosystems and the animals who live in them is one of the goals of The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire. You can learn more
here, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
To find more tours in New Hampshire or wherever your travels may take you, visit TravelStorys.com. Every place has a story.Este tour también está disponible en español. Toque el botón para ver ambas versiones del recorrido.
Location: New Hampshire
Travel Type: Walking
Trip Time: 30 minutes
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