Leita Monroe Lucas Preserve

Preserve

Public Access
Trails
Trailhead

December 28, 2012

Tucked away in the northeast corner of Conway, this 62-acre piece of land was given to USVLT by Barrett Lucas in honor of his wife, the late Leita Monroe Lucas.  Leita’s family has deep roots in East Conway and Redstone, and her father, Ernest “Red” Monroe, also wanted to see the land preserved.  Adjacent to the Conway Common Lands State Forest, The Nature Conservancy’s Green Hills Preserve, and the White Mountain National Forest, this parcel builds on an existing network of preserved land, and has wonderful opportunities for future trail development and increased public access.  A branch of Weeks Brook also runs through the property, and the property lies within USVLT’s “Green Hills” focus area.  The site is also remarkable as the one-time summer residence of the American Impressionist painter Thomas Wilmer Dewing, and his fellow painter and wife, Maria Oakey Dewing.  Their cottage, built in the late 1800s, fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s.  Now only the chimney remains onsite.

Thanks to support from our conservation partners (NRCS, AMC, and a host of other volunteers), we’ve installed a loop trail and parking area onsite.  Visitors with two legs and four legs are both welcome to view the picturesque cascades, stunning views from the height of land, and the remains of the area’s earliest settlements.

 

Directions

A downloadable trail map of this preserve is available HERE. Additional directions, a trail map and details are available on Trail Finder.

Late April through November: From downtown North Conway, head northwest on US-302 W. After crossing the railroad tracks in Intervale, turn right onto Hurricane Mountain Road. Continue winding up over Hurricane Mountain Road for 6 miles, until you reach Green Hill Road. Turn right onto Green Hill Road, and the parking area is your next immediate right.

December through late March: From downtown North Conway, head southeast on US-302 E. After 2.6 miles, turn left onto US-302 E/Eastman Road. Continue for 1.6 miles, then turn left onto E Conway Road. Follow the road for 6.5 miles, then stay straight onto Green Hill Road, and continue 3.3 miles to the Conway-Chatham town line. Just before the town line, the parking area is on your left.

 

State(s): NH
Town(s): conway
Acres: 63
Town Tax Map: 207, Lot: 5
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