The Wentworth Watershed Association owns the McBride Conservation Area, donated by Donald McBride in 2020. The Wolfeboro Conservation Commission holds the conservation easement on this property. The 23 acres parcel extends from Porcupine Cove in Crescent Lake to the Heath. The land is undeveloped. Snowmobile trail 351, which is maintained by the Wolfeboro Snowmobile club, crosses from Pleasant Valley Road through the Brewster Heath Preserve continuing to the edge of the McBride Conservation Area with an outlet on the heath.
About the Area
A map of the McBride Conservation area is shown below.
The forest on this property has thick conifer stands and some patches of open woods. The border along the heath is swampy, transitioning to wetlands and eventually into forest and uplands as you move further from the lake or the heath. There is no easy landing area in Porcupine Cove and the shoreline is steep. On the the other side of the property, along the shore of the Heath, it is ecologically sensitive swamp/ marsh land and is not meant for craft landing. The WWA requests that people do not try to enter the property from the water to protect the land and for safety reasons.
The property line on the south side of Porcupine cover is rocky and steep, really more cliff like, it is very difficult walking. Along the water line, at one point the cliffs are a few dozen feet tall and the rocks at the bottom are covered with moss. In the area closer to the Heath, some nice open woods are seen.
And finally, from the very tip of the property on the north side of Porcupine Cove, there is a nice view of Crescent Lake with the Belknap Mountains in the distance. In the future, more access to the property may be available.
