The Bower Visitor Handbook
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here to enjoy The Bower. We hope you have a wonderful stay in this beautiful part of the Great North Woods.
Looking for camper FAQs? Scroll to the bottom of this page.
Our shared land and mission at The Bower
The Bower’s forests and fields have had many names and many uses over the centuries—recently Pine Knob Farm; previously Camp Jack; before that the Gould family farm; and before that N’dakinna (“Our Land”), the unceded homelands of the Western Abenaki people.
Today, we call this place The Bower, adopting the name of the 19th-century farmhouse whose fieldstone foundation remains at the trailhead of our ecotherapy trail system—right next to where you’re camping. The original Bower was the home given by the local farming community to newlywed couples to start their lives together. In summertime, the old foundation is overgrown by pink roses we like to imagine were planted there by a happy couple long ago.
The original Bower was a gift from one generation to the next. That ethos infuses the history of this place, which exists through the cumulative gifts of many generations who have lived on and cared for the land across the centuries—most recently Dave and Tanya Tellman, dedicated forest stewards and outdoor educators who lived here for over fifty years and who ensured this 900+ acre working forest will remain forest in perpetuity by granting a conservation easement to the New England Forestry Foundation. The Tellmans’ decades of stewardship protected a forest mosaic of diverse wildlife habitats, old-growth stands, wetland ecosystems, and much more.
Today, your Host team at North Country Land Stewards continues the Tellmans’ mission to conserve open land for the benefit of future generations. Through exemplary forest management practices, wildlife habitat management, outdoor education, and guided ecotherapy programs, we aim to promote sustainable uses of The Bower for the benefit of our North Country community and visitors to this beautiful region.
Your responsibilities as a land steward
As a visitor to The Bower, you’re now one of our resident land stewards. Welcome to the team! As a co-steward, please take note of the following essential information:
For your safety and the safety of the forest, our host team must provide approval prior to you starting any campfires. Please review the “Building a campfire?” section of the handbook for complete instructions regarding fires.
New England mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable. No matter what time of year it is, always pack layers of warm clothing, ample water and food, sun protection, a first aid kit, and other backcountry preparedness supplies relevant to your activity before you head out into wild spaces.
Wood ticks (dog ticks) and black-legged ticks (deer ticks) live here, as they do everywhere else in New England. In this area, ticks are most active in the months of May, June, and July, but they may be encountered at any time of year. Ticks can carry diseases that affect humans and our pets, so avoiding tick bites is important for your health and safety. Consider wearing tick repellent lotion or clothing infused with tick repellent during your camping trip, and always remember to thoroughly check yourself, your human companions, and your furry companions for ticks throughout your stay and once you return home. Any time you’ve had a long ramble in the woods, before bed, and after you wake up are good times to check yourself. Note that ticks may travel long distances in packed luggage, so you could encounter a tick at home as a result. If you’re bitten by a tick while you’re here, please review the “In case of emergency” section for local medical services you may wish to contact.
Many species of large wildlife live in these woods with us. During your visit, you may see, hear, or see signs of black bears, moose, bobcats, coyotes, deer, raccoons, porcupines, turkeys, grouse, pine martens, groundhogs, and many other creatures big and small. For your safety and the safety of all our wildlife, please never approach any wild animal, and keep your pets leashed on walks and any time a wildlife encounter might occur.
Wildlife (especially bears!) love human food and pet food. For your safety and the safety of wildlife, please secure all food or other scented items in your locked vehicle before you depart camp or turn in to sleep at night. This will keep your meals safe and minimize the risk of unwanted encounters with wildlife.
Potable water is available at the Host’s residence at the end of the Lane. Please feel free to refill your water using the tap beside the garage door or in the mud room next to the garage. Do not drink water from the dug well near Camp Jack, from springs in the woods, or from any other surface water source on the property. We’re not currently aware of any specific pathogens in our surface water, but you take a risk any time you drink water from untested sources.
In case of emergency
Key phone numbers
EMERGENCY: 911
HOSPITAL: (603) 444-9000
VETERINARY URGENT CARE: (855) 265-5533
Human emergencies
In case of any emergency requiring immediate assistance, dial 911. If you are located at Camp Jack during your emergency, the address you can report to a 911 operator is 122 Tellman Lane, Bethlehem, New Hampshire. The nearest public road intersection with Tellman Lane is on Gould Road in Whitefield, New Hampshire. Tell any emergency responder that you are located at the red hunting cabin on Tellman Lane, approximately 0.8 miles down the Lane, before the barn.
If you need emergency services and are able to travel in your own vehicle, go to the following address:
Littleton Regional Healthcare
600 St. Johnsbury Road
Littleton, NH 03561
Pet emergencies
If you need urgent care for your pet, our nearest veterinary urgent care is open Monday-Friday 2pm-10pm and weekends 10am-10pm. Go to the following address:
Littleton Area Veterinary Urgent Care
59 West Main Street
Littleton, NH 03561
If you need emergency veterinary care outside of Littleton Area Veterinary Urgent Care’s regular hours, call their office at (855) 265-5533 and listen to the pre-recorded message, which includes contact information for a few other 24-hour veterinary emergency rooms in the area.
Host contact info
For anything else that’s not a life-threatening emergency, please contact the host team at (603) 869-7603.
Local points of interest and our Ledges viewpoint
There are so many great places to visit in the beautiful North Country that it’s impossible to list them all. Some popular spots that first-time visitors may enjoy are:
The public lands of Franconia Notch, where you can explore the Basin, Flume Gorge, and Mirror Lake
Main Street Littleton, with its world-famous Chutters candy store, boutique shops, Schilling Beer Company (a brewery and pizza restaurant on the Ammonoosuc riverfront), and more
Main Street Bethlehem, with its delicious Super Secret Ice Cream shop and historic Colonial Theatre
The Kancamagus Highway, noted for gorgeous autumn colors
Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill (Go early to avoid the crowds, or make a plan to explore Sugar Hill while you’re on the waitlist. Wait times at Polly’s often exceed 45 minutes during peak tourist season, so if you can’t wait, you might prefer to try The Coffee Pot in Littleton, or other breakfast options in Littleton.)
You may also wish to explore our private walking trail system that’s accessible right from the Camp Jack campsite. Look for the mowed openings that lead into the woods uphill from the Camp Jack campsite and downhill from the Peaceful Pines campsite.
If you’re looking for the way to our private walking trail to the Ledges, with its epic views of the Presidential Mountain Range, please see the enclosed property map to help you locate the entrance parking location. Before you head out to the Ledges, talk to your camp host for more instructions to make sure you find the view spot.
For all you avid hikers, please protect the privacy of the Ledges trail for our local community by refraining from posting its location or our trail map on social media or hiking apps (e.g. AllTrails). Thanks in advance!
How to find The Ledges trail and viewpoint
The Ledges Trail is a fairly easy and mostly level hiking trail across the Pine Knob section of The Bower. The trail leads to a dramatic panoramic view of the Presidential Mountain Range of the White Mountains.
Before you head out, consider downloading the PeakFinder mobile app or similar app to help you identify each of the peaks on the horizon. These apps use your location and phone camera to overlay the names of the mountains on the image in your camera’s viewfinder as you point it at the horizon. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the White Mountains at 6,288 feet above sea level. In especially clear conditions, the famous observatory on the top of Mount Washington—which captured the highest wind speeds ever recorded on planet Earth—can be seen with the naked eye.
We are currently restoring the Tellman family’s welcome sign that used to appear at the Ledges trailhead. Below please read the Tellmans’ message to visitors to the Ledges:
The Ledges Trail
Laid out in remembrance of loved ones and friends who celebrate the North Country’s woods, fields, and trails as we have. Enjoy your hike and come again.
— The Tellman Family
Starting from the parking pullout, the Ledges trail takes most people about 30 minutes to walk to the viewpoint and 30 minutes to return. Below, you’ll find driving directions to the parking pullout and walking directions to the viewpoint.
Starting from the Camp Jack area, drive north on the Lane until you reach Gould Road.
Turn right on Gould Road.
Drive approximately 0.3 miles on Gould Road to the T intersection with Spencer Road / S Whitefield Road.
Turn right on Spencer Road.
Follow Spencer Road 0.8 miles. You will pass several private driveways before you reach your turn on Eben Road.
Turn right on Eben Road.
Follow Eben Road 0.3 miles south.
When you see the sign for Permanent Vacation Way, bear right and drive about 200 feet until you see a private gate straight ahead of you. You will see a blue “L” trail marker mounted on an orange pole at the gate. Pull into the parking area to the right side of the gate, being sure to avoid blocking any gates.
The gate may be open or closed. You may walk around or over the gate. Walk straight ahead across the small mowed clearing. You will see an opening in the woods straight ahead of you with another blue “L” trail marker at the entrance, as well as trees along the trail painted with yellow and blue blazes.
Follow the yellow and blue blazes to the Ledges viewpoint. This is an out-and-back walk, so you’ll follow the trail markers out to the view and then return the way you came.
The trail begins on a vehicle-width old logging road, but there is a turnoff to a footpath. There are multiple blazes at the footpath turnoff to guide you into the woods.
Follow the footpath to the Ledges viewpoint. The last two trail markers will include orange and black tape to alert you to the sheer drop ahead. Walk carefully when you see the orange and black tape, and be mindful of pets or small children who may slip and fall. The Ledges is a sheer drop of over 100 feet.
Enjoy the view!
Return to the parking area by following the trail markers back out.
After your visit, please refrain from posting this trail on AllTrails or other public hiking sites. Thank you for your help minimizing the traffic on this special trail, which has been a special place for the local community for over a century.
Building a campfire? Read this first!
If you are building a campfire, you must reserve your campfire on the Hipcamp app and complete the fire safety affidavit section of your Camper Registration form to confirm you understand all fire safety rules at The Bower. You will receive a copy of your fire permit via email when you complete your registration.
Thanks for reviewing all fire safety rules on the Camper Registration form to protect yourself, other visitors and creatures on our land, and the beautiful forest we call home. We live in a sensitive woodland environment where wildfire risk is increasing year over year. Please message the host if you have any questions regarding campfire rules, or check out the FAQ section below for common questions about campfires.
Directions to your campsite
Double-check the name of the campsite you have reserved on Hipcamp, then use the following directions to your campsite.
When you choose your parking and tenting location at your campsite, look up to ensure there’s a clear view of the sky with no overhanging branches above you. Avoid parking or camping directly beneath trees, as wind and rain can cause trees to drop branches that could cause injury or damage.
If you are staying at the Apple Orchard Lookout campsite: The red “J” campsite marker is the entrance to your campsite. Drive up the hill, and park anywhere in the mowed space around the cabin and fire ring.
If you are staying at the Peaceful Pines campsite: Drive slowly past the red “J” marker. As the Lane starts to bend left, you’ll see a blue “G” trail marker on your right at the top of a field. Drive carefully onto the field, staying between the trail markers that mark the smoothest entry path, until you reach the circular mowed area around a fire ring. A red “P” campsite marker will confirm you’re at Peaceful Pines.
Items available at check-in station
During your visit, please feel free to borrow and use the following amenities and supplies in the check-in station as needed.
Visitor handbook
Potable water
Sanitation supplies
Water buckets
Chemical fire extinguishers
Kindling, firewood, and firewood carrier buckets, for campers approved for wood-burning campfire
Propane fire pit, for campers approved for propane campfire
Camp shower
Camp toilet
Camper FAQs
For visitors who have booked an overnight stay at Camp Jack on Hipcamp.
I have an approved campfire reservation. Should I bring my firewood with me?
Good news! Your campfire reservation cost includes all your fuel and fire safety supplies. When you arrive, you’ll find a bucket of smaller kindling and your fire safety supplies in the black storage box on the driveway near your campsite. If you’re staying at the Apple Orchard Lookout, you’ll find stacked firewood under the lean-to roof next to your campsite. If you’re staying at Peaceful Pines, you can use the firewood in the black storage box or refill from the firewood stacks near the farmhouse.
If you need matches or a lighter, or if the fire danger increases and you need to use the propane fire ring, you can borrow these items from the check-in station at the farmhouse after you’re settled in.
Please do not bring outside firewood with you to camp. We can’t allow outside firewood because of the risk of insect and pathogen introduction to our conservation forest.
How do I find out what today’s fire danger rating is?
We update the fire danger rating on the whiteboard in the farmhouse check-in station daily with the fire danger risk. If you have cell phone service, you can also call the New Hampshire Department of Forest & Lands fire safety hotline at (866) 643-4737 and listen to the pre-recorded message for the current fire danger in Zones 1 and 2. (The Bower forest spans both zones.) As long as BOTH Zone 1 and Zone 2 ratings are LOW, wood fires are permitted at the campsite fire ring.
I borrowed something from the check-in station. Where do I return it?
Before you depart, please return borrowed items (buckets, fire extinguishers, unused firewood, etc.) to the black storage box on the driveway near your campsite. If you borrowed anything too large to fit in the black storage box, please return it to the check-in station at the farmhouse.
May I walk on the trails I see near my campsite?
Yes. We welcome you to use the forest trails at The Bower.
You may notice the small square trail markers with letters (W, G, N, etc.) on some of our trails near the campground—these designate our ecotherapy trail area. You can learn more about our ecotherapy trails on our website, and request a map of the ecotherapy loop by messaging your host.
For our scenic trail to the Ledges viewpoint, check out the turn-by-turn directions to that trailhead above. If walking to the Ledges with pets or small children, please exercise caution at the viewpoint area—we strongly advise leashing pets or carrying small children to avoid any slips or falls.