Picnicking, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing are popular recreation activities on Chocorua Lake.
Public Access
Photo: Alex Moot
Chocorua Lake Conservancy provides public access to Chocorua Lake and the Little Lake at two CLC -owned properties: a three-acre area known as the Grove by the Narrows Bridge at the south end of the lake and a 17-acre area known as the Island between Old Route 16 and the lake on the east side. CLC also maintains a “Tamworth Resident Only" visitor area with a separate entrance and parking area a quarter mile north of the Island on the east side of the lake. CLC receives no town or state funding to maintain these areas.
Most visitors picnic and swim in the Grove, from narrow beaches along the Island, or from the long sandy beach area located between the Island and the Tamworth Resident Only area.
CLC maintains 5,800 feet of publicly accessible shoreline on Chocorua Lake and the Little Lake. About 40% of the Chocorua Lake shoreline is available for use by the public, which is more than any other lake in New Hampshire, excluding state parks. Approximately 30% of donations received by CLC each year is spent on maintaining these public access areas and other CLC-owned properties.
help from friends
Eco-art workshop in the Grove. Photo: Juno Lamb
CLC funds new plantings and annual maintenance projects in the Grove and the Island to maintain each public access area’s natural beauty, reduce erosion, and prevent sediment run off into the lake, with enormous person-power support from volunteers. CLC built and maintains the historic wooden railings on the Narrows Bridge and maintains the dam below the Little Lake. Since 2003, CLC volunteers have been cleaning up trash on Route 16 when CLC adopted the two-mile stretch which starts at Heavenly Hill and runs north the length of the lake.
Facilities
CLC funds a Chocorua Lake Patrol from Memorial Day to Columbus Day to keep all public access areas attractive and free of trash. CLC's Lake Patrol Officer visits the Grove and Island areas twice a day, seven days a week. The Grove, the Island, and the Tamworth Residents beach offer seasonal toilet facilities from Memorial Day through the end of October. No trash receptacles are provided, and we request that visitors "carry in/carry out." Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Lake Paddle on Little Lake. Photo: Lynne Flaccus
Rules and Why we have them
Use of these areas are at your own risk. No lifeguard is on duty. Swim at your own risk.
All public access areas at Chocorua Lake are carry-in, carry out. Please take all of your trash with you. Many forms of trash can decompose or leach into the ground and lake, creating toxicity for aquatic creatures, plants, and humans. Plastic in particular, in various forms, can be deadly for birds, reptiles, and other creatures who can become tangled up or swallow things they cannot digest.
All CLC owned/managed properties, including the Grove and Island, are dog-friendly. Dog owners are expected to keep their dogs on leash. Please take all dog waste with you when you go. Dog feces is one risk factor for toxic cyanobacteria blooms in lakes and ponds, and cyanobacteria in turn is dangerous for dogs as well as people.
Outboard motors of any kind (including electric) are prohibited on Chocorua Lake by New Hampshire state law. Both the Grove and Island are "car top/carry-in access" areas; all boats must be hand-carried to the water. Canoes and kayaks can be launched from the Grove or Island areas. Boat trailers are not permitted to be backed into Chocorua Lake because of the risk of milfoil transmission. Please be certain your boats are dry and free of any plant material before bringing them to the lake.
Grills, fires, and fireworks are not allowed at Chocorua Lake, or at any other CLC-owned property. Fireworks especially create risk for a forest fire, disturb wildlife and neighborhood dogs, and can negatively impact lake water quality. Kindling a fire on land you don’t own is against NH law and carries steep fines. Charcoal and gas grills are not permitted on CLC property.
No amplified music, please. Our mission is to maintain Chocorua Lake and the conservation land that surrounds it as a space for the enjoyment of the sights and sounds of the natural world. It’s hard to hear the thrilling sound of a loon call over a neighbor’s backbeat.
The lake is often busy on hot days, especially on the weekends. Please be sure you are not blocking roadways or access areas with your cars, chairs, etc., and please park only in designated areas—if they are full, please return at a quieter moment. An emergency vehicle must be able to access the parking area at the Island on the east side of the lake and the entire length of the one-way road from the Island back south to Route 16.
Parking at the Tamworth Residents beach requires a Town of Tamworth Facility Permit Sticker, available from the Town Clerk. The same is true for the access road after the public parking area at the Island; signs indicate where the Tamworth-sticker-only area begins. Tamworth police check these areas regularly; vehicles without a sticker will be assessed a $50 fine. No camping or overnight parking is allowed on CLC conservation land or on any road or property owned by the Town of Tamworth.
At the south end of Chocorua Lake, please only park and picnic in the Grove on the east side of the Narrows Bridge. Please do not park or picnic on the far side of the bridge. Chocorua Lake Road is a town road and vehicles parked on the far side of the bridge may prevent the safe passage of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
No commercial use is allowed, and permission is required for group events. If you would like to be married or take wedding or other photographs at Chocorua Lake, please scroll down.
Thank you so much for respecting these rules and the intentions behind them, and for helping us to protect and preserve these spaces for ongoing community enjoyment.
Weddings and Events
If you would like to hold a wedding, a wedding photography session, or other event in the Grove and Narrows Bridge area at Chocorua Lake, please:
Download and read through these three documents: CLC wedding information, Town of Tamworth information, and a Town of Tamworth waiver form.
Then, please send us an email with the preferred date and time of your event, and we’ll let you know if the date is available—we allow only one wedding per day on a first-come basis.
Once a date is confirmed, please fill out the Town of Tamworth waiver form and send it to us and to the email address on the forms, and let the Tamworth Police know the date and time of your event.
Please be aware that:
The Grove area and Narrows Bridge are often busy from late spring through foliage season, particularly on weekends. We encourage you to consider a weekday when the area is less crowded.
The Grove and Narrows Bridge area are public areas and must remain accessible to other members of the public during your wedding. We encourage you to limit the size of your party to 15 members or less, to use the bridge for photography purposes only, and to consider carpooling or shuttling guests so as to leave parking spots open for other visitors.
CLC does not allow the use of caterers, any commercial activities, or fires of any kind, in the Grove or other CLC-owned properties.
Gatherings are not permitted at the Basin View Lot south of the Grove and the lake, at the top of the hill on Route 16.
While CLC does not charge any fees for use of the Grove or other CLC-owned sites, we would be pleased to accept a voluntary donation. Your donation will be used to further our mission: to ensure the natural beauty and protection of the Chocorua Lake Basin, and to continue providing the public with access to Chocorua Lake and surrounding conservation lands.
Banner: A quiet canoe on Chocorua Lake. Photo: Alex Moot