The Sand Hill Reservoir Advisory Committee (SHRAC) devoted many hours of deliberation and planning and the Select Board offered valuable recommendations to the Conservation Commission and the Department of Public Works, who then moved forward to implement the plan. After many months, numerous public hearings, site walks and town board meetings, the reservoir area will now be open for hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, and more.
Volunteers spent the October 15th “Day of Service” (sponsored by the 2nd Congregational Church with support from the Wilton Community Center), cleaning up the site. Let’s keep it in pristine condition by taking only pictures and leaving only footprints. Many thanks are due to all who worked so hard to bring the project to fruition.
All visitors are welcome, year-round, to the site and the reservoir. However, the parking lot is restricted to Wilton residents with registered vehicle stickers. The Wilton resident-only parking area can be accessed off Isaac Frye Hwy. Car stickers are available, free of charge, at the Town Hall for any Wilton resident or tax payer, with proof of vehicle registration. The parking area is open from dawn to dusk, year-round.
New trails have been opened along logging roads and will be maintained for hikers. A new kiosk displays information about the site and lists town regulations to keep it safe for people and wildlife. A trail bridge off Sand Hill Road provides additional access along the new Hunter and Fish Trails, and links to the new parking area and the peninsula.
This sensitive area will be managed as a natural site, with carry-in/carry-out rules in effect. Town recreation-area property regulations apply and are posted at the site. They prohibit fires, camping, littering, and alcoholic beverages. Dogs are allowed on leash and within their owner’s control at all times. Hours of operation are from dawn to dusk year-round.
A flyer about the area and parking stickers can be obtained at the Clerk’s office at Town Hall during regular posted hours beginning November 10, 2022.
Since the reservoir is a state public water body that falls under the jurisdiction of the NH Dept of Safety and Marine Patrol, a petition has been submitted to the Commissioner of Safety to request a hearing next summer to restrict petroleum-based motors from the reservoir.
The site’s management plan calls for seasonal monitoring by Wilton Police, protection and access from Emergency Management and the Wilton Fire Department, and plowing, as time permits, by the Wilton Highway Department, and trail maintenance by the Wilton Conservation Commission.