First impressions: White Lake State Park

When we move into a new space, we’re inclined to make our impression on it. We like to decorate— tack photos to the walls, arrange tchotchkes on the bookshelves. Once we’re comfortable, once it’s home, the new place then makes an impression on us.

My first day at White Lake State Park was a scramble to unpack, scrub the house, and get things in order. Finally satisfied, I eagerly set out to meet the park that will be my home for the summer. I swam in evening’s golden hour. Loons wailed. I circumambulated the lake and became acquainted with a great many critters—mallard ducks dabbling for lunch in the creek, a bizarre chorus of frogs, a shy garter snake, dragonflies skimming the water, some of the biggest tadpoles I’ve seen in my life, and –of course—the loons, ever diving for fish.

The trail around the lake is lined with towering pitch pines, dark hemlocks, wild blueberries, and flowering sheep-laurel.  Clearings provide views of the lake and a horizon dominated by the rocky peak of Mount Chocorua.

Once able to slow down, I was taken with the quiet of the woods. The business of the wildlife. The haziness of the summer sky. A sense of the impending, true adventure.

This week I’ll also begin offering my Interpretive Programs here at White Lake State Park! Starting on June 22, I’ll be offering programs about loons, wilderness ethics, native wildlife, and doing activities like nature crafts, ponding and guided history hikes with our Park guests. Check out our Discover the Power of Parks Program Schedule for times and programs descriptions.