Bear Brook State Park

Bear Brook State Park
Beaver Pond as seen from the Beaver Pond Trail near the campground
Interactive map of Bear Brook State Park
LocationAllenstown and Hooksett in Merrimack County;
Deerfield and Candia in Rockingham County,
New Hampshire
Coordinates43°06′25″N 71°21′07″W / 43.107°N 71.352°W / 43.107; -71.352[1]
Area10,083 acres (4,080 ha)[2]
Elevation617 feet (188 m)[1]
Established1943[3]
Administered byNew Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
DesignationNew Hampshire state park
WebsiteBear Brook State Park

Bear Brook State Park is a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) preserve in Allenstown, New Hampshire, and neighboring towns. It is one of New Hampshire's largest state parks.[4]

Description

The park takes its name from Bear Brook, a stream which runs through the park. Its environment is that of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.[5]

Amenities at Bear Brook include camp sites, a picnic area, over 40 miles (64 km) of hiking trails, swimming and fishing ponds, archery range, camp store, a ball field, playground, bathhouse, shelters, picnic tables, canoe and rowboat rentals, and a physical fitness course. The park is home to the New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum, Old Allenstown Meeting House, and the Richard Diehl Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum, which are in historic buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.[6]

History

The park opened to the public in 1943, with The Boston Globe describing it as New Hampshire's "newest public recreation area."[7] With about 7,000 acres in 1962, it was cited as the state's largest state park, with an estimated 143,230 visitors the previous summer. On 1 July of that year, stables opened at the park for trail riding.[8]

Main article: Bear Brook murders

In 1985 and 2000, the remains of a total of four female bodies, one adult and three children, were found in the park. In January 2017, a suspect in the case was identified as Terry Peder Rasmussen (also known by several aliases)[9][10] who had died in prison in 2010.[11] In June 2019, three of the bodies were identified.[12] In September 2025, the identity of the fourth victim was confirmed.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Bear Brook State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "State Lands" (PDF). New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. July 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Lisa Mausolf, Preservation Consultant (March 2019). "New Hampshire State Parks: Mid-Century Modern (1945-1975): Historic Context Study" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. p. 20. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bear Brook State Park". New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Olson, D.M.; Dinerstein, E.; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2.
  6. ^ "Hard times legacy: New Deal projects employed thousands back then, and remain as historical, and sometimes sentimental, landmarks". Boston.com. May 17, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  7. ^ "Camping Interest in New Hampshire". The Boston Globe. July 25, 1943. p. 25. Retrieved February 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Bear Brook Has New Feature, Horses For Trail Ride Fans". Concord Monitor. August 17, 1962. p. 6. Retrieved February 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "N.H. Authorities identify mysterious serial killer - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  10. ^ "Allenstown Suspect Identified | News Releases | NH Department of Justice".
  11. ^ Connor, Tracy (January 26, 2017). "Drifter Bob Evans Eyed as Serial Killer, Tied to N.H. Murders". NBC News. NBC. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  12. ^ Hershberger, Andy (June 6, 2019). "Woman, 2 children found in barrels in state park identified, officials say". WMUR. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  13. ^ Thompson, Cayle (September 8, 2025). "Final victim of NH's Bear Brook murders identified, closing 40-year search for answers". WFXT. Archived from the original on September 16, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
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