Getting Oriented
Jericho Mountain State Park covers 7,493 acres in Berlin, in New Hampshire's North Country, about three miles west of downtown via Route 110. The state created the park in 2005, combining a small city park around Jericho Lake with a roughly 7,200-acre parcel formerly held by a paper company. It's the only major state-owned ATV riding area in New Hampshire, and it sits at the southeastern edge of Ride the Wilds, the roughly 1,000-mile network of interconnected OHRV trails across Coos County that also reaches Gorham, Success, Milan, and Errol, and the Connecticut River towns to the north and west.
Trail Overview
The park's own trail system runs about 75 miles, built for ATVs, UTVs, trail bikes, and snowmobiles (other sources cite figures from 50 to 85 miles; the count has grown over time, including a 2009 connector through downtown Berlin to the Success Pond area and Presidential OHRV Club links to Gorham added in 2012 and 2013). None of that OHRV mileage is open to full-size trucks.
Full-size access runs through one trail only: a 2.5-mile technical route built by the North Woods Off Road Club with state approval, the first 4x4 Jeep/truck trail on public land in the Northeast and the only Jeep Badge of Honor route in New England. NH State Parks lists a $20 per-vehicle fee (up to two occupants, $4 for each additional rider) and requires a winch, modified tires, and other trail-rated modifications; check-in happens at the Visitor Center on Jericho Lake Road, and the gate closes around 5 p.m. in summer. Third-party trail guides split the route into graded lines, from an easier line that a lifted Rubicon or 4Runner on 33 to 35-inch tires can run, up to an extreme line built for 40-inch tires, dual lockers, and dual winches that most vehicles can't clear. Expect granite and schist ledges, tight tree lines, embedded boulders, and stream crossings, and plan on 3.5 to 5 hours to cover the 2.5 miles.
Points of Interest
- Jericho Lake, a flood-control reservoir built to regulate the Dead River through downtown Berlin, with a swimming beach, boat launch, and picnic pavilion.
- The Visitor Center on Jericho Lake Road, the check-in point for the 4x4 trail and the trailhead for the park's ATV network.
- Jericho Falls, about a half mile from the campground.
- Jericho Mountain itself, 2,454 feet and known locally as Black Mountain, east of the park boundary; the summit reportedly has views toward the Kilkenny Range and Mount Washington.
Where to Camp
The park runs a 20-site ride-in/ride-out campground open full-time from May 22 through October 24, with five cabins, four tent sites, nine RV sites, and two Adirondack shelters, plus a bathhouse with showers and coin-op laundry. Reservations run through ReserveAmerica; walk-in sites are available first-come, first-served.
Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip
- Register any ATV, UTV, or trail bike with New Hampshire Fish and Game before riding. Non-residents can also buy a 10-day temporary registration for wheeled OHRVs, available May through October.
- The general OHRV trail system closes for mud season each spring and typically reopens around May 23; check current advisories before a trip.
- Cell service runs spotty to none across most of the trail network, on both the ATV trails and the 4x4 trail.
- The 4x4 trail has few built-in recovery points. A vehicle stuck without a working winch may need another rig to pull it free.
- The park is unstaffed outside its posted hours and in the off-season, when comfort stations close and gates may be shut.
Fuel and Water
The park doesn't sell fuel. Berlin, three miles east on Route 110, has the last gas stations and grocery store before the Visitor Center, and before heading north on the Ride the Wilds network toward Success, Milan, or Gorham, where services thin out. Water is available at the campground and bathhouse during the May 22 to October 24 season; outside that window, or out on the trail, riders should carry their own.
Nearby
Berlin, three miles east, has the nearest fuel, groceries, and lodging. The Ride the Wilds network runs north from Jericho Mountain into Success, Milan, and Errol, and connects south to Gorham via the Presidential OHRV Club's trail. Inside the park, Jericho Lake has a swimming beach, boat launch, and picnic pavilion for non-riding stops, and Jericho Falls sits about a half mile from the campground.
