Boating
Effective January 1, 2002, no person 16 years of age or older, may operate a powerboat with an engine in excess of 25 horsepower (including electric powered motors) on the public waters of New Hampshire without a valid safe boating education certificate. The law will be phased in over seven years with compliance for all boaters by January 1, 2008.
For more information, visit:
Kayak Launch
The Town of Atkinson has a canoe and kayak launch on Big Island Pond. For details, click here..
Fishing
The State of New Hampshire requires all resident and non-resident fishermen age 16 and above to obtain and carry a fishing license for the current calendar year. Licenses can be obtained for periods of 1-day, 3-days, 7-days, and a full year.
Fishing licenses can also be purchased on-line at:
Fish Species
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| Introduced naturalized species |
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| Annually stocked non-reproducing species |
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Hiking
Local towns offer hiking trails. Within an hours drive of BIP you’ll find the seacoast, the Presidential mountain range and forests in state parks waiting to be explored.
BIP has many species of fish, turtles, birds, flora and fauna. Many of the coves and marshes are best explored in kayaks and canoes. Watch out for rocks!
Hiking in Derry, Hampstead and Atkinson is available, however Governor’s Island is privately owned and is not open to unauthorized activites. Hampstead Police patrols the island regularly. For more information about each town’s hiking trails
Snowmobiles & ATVs
BIP has many open and thin ice areas during the winter months. It is important be aware of these open areas when riding and take precautions.
Be safe and have fun!
The Cold Facts of Snowmobile Ice Safety:
All frozen bodies of water are to be considered potentially dangerous.
Article from NH Snowmobile Association
“Ice does not form uniformly over the entire surface of a water body and ice thickness at one location should not be considered to be indicative of ice thickness over a whole water body or geographic region.
Individuals who are not personally familiar with the ice conditions should systematically and safely check the ice thickness before undertaking any activity on the ice.
There are many factors that can affect ice thickness and strength (i.e. water currents, daily temperatures, snow cover, water depth, size of the water body, springs, wind action).
The Department has not conducted any research concerning ice thickness and its abilities to safely support various types of activities. However, according to information from the Cold Regions Research Laboratory in Hanover NH, new clear ice:
- 4 to 6 inches can support a few well-dispersed people
- 8 to 10 inches can support OHRV and snowmobile activity
Motor vehicles (cars and trucks) should not be driven onto any frozen body of water.”
LANDOWNER PERMISSION
Written landowner permission is required to operate an OHRV on private property. OHRV operators must stop and present identification to a landowner when requested to do so. All of the islands (including Govenor’s Island) are private property and should not be crossed without owners permission.
POSTED LAND AND DUTY OF CARE (215A:34, 212:34)
Landowners are not required to post their property against OHRV use. The absence of signs prohibiting OHRVs does not imply that OHRVs are welcome or allowed. Landowners are not responsible to keep their land safe for use by others who may operate OHRVs.
OPERATION (215-A:6)
OHRVs are not permitted to operate on the traveled portion or within the right-of-way or any public way, including roads, streets, highways, bridges, parking lots, sidewalks or ways that are maintained by any city, town, county, state or federal agency, except when specifically allowed and posted..
For more information about ATVs, OHRVs and Snowmobiling, visit: