Rattlesnake Hill (Raymond) - 485 Feet

STATE: New Hampshire

Rattlesnake Hill - Raymond

TOWN: Raymond
DESTINATION: Rattlesnake Hill
ELEVATION: 485 Feet
SUMMIT COORDINATES: N43 01.556, W71 12.904
TRAIL: Access road
DISTANCE: 1.0 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 190 feet
HIKING TIME: 30 minutes
SEASON: Winter
DATE: March 18, 2016
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, 55 degrees

PARKING: Don't ask, won't tell - drive time is approximately 15 minutes from Manchester. Take route 101 east to exit 4.

USGS QUAD:  Mount Pawtuckaway Quad

MAP: (Rattlesnake Hill) 

DESCRIPTION: 

Dirt access road

I intended to park at the end of Gile Road and quickly learned that access to this peak wouldn't be as straight-forward as I anticipated.  The access road is gated and posted No Trespassing.  I explored nearby Scribner Road and Gordon Roads for a trail or public access and didn't encounter anything promising.  I determined the best approach was to park on highway 101 and bushwhack 100 feet to the access road.  I pulled off on the westbound lanes just past a guardrail where I could pull well off the highway.

the bushwhack was short however required a chicken wire fence hop at a point where a fallen tree had bent a suitable location to hop over.  The access road was paved asphalt which transitioned to gravel then dirt still wide enough for a vehicle to reach the summit. The summit cone has been excavated and looks more like a crater than a summit.  The left (eastern) bump appeared to be the higher location.  The summit is a obvious prominent point with no views or markings.


TRAIL DISTANCES:

HIKING DISTANCES
DESTINATION	DISTANCE	TOTAL DIST.
Parking - summit	0.5 miles	0.5 miles

HIKING TIMES:

HIKING TIMES
DESTINATION	TIME	TOTAL TIME
parking - summit	15 minutes	15 minutes

NOTES / COMMENTS:

Rattlesnake Hill summit

This is one of many mountains, hills, bumps, ponds or islands with the Rattlesnake moniker.  Legend has it Timber Rattlesnakes populated many of these locations before hunters, collectors or people intimidated by snakes nearly wiped the timber rattlesnake population to extinction.  According to Google there is still one active den containing 15 - 20 Timber Rattlesnakes in NH.  The location of this den is kept under lock and key by the state Fish and Game department for the safety of the Rattlesnake.  As I researched the Timber Rattlesnake population in NH I learned of their sad history and demise and I don't blame the state for attempting to keep the location of the few remaining active snakes hidden. Most Timber Rattlers like south facing rock outcroppings and Rattlesnake Hill contains several potential locations.  According to this WMUR news story in 2012 a Timber Rattlesnake was found in the garage of a Raymond home about 1/2 a mile from this location.  I didn't expect to see any basking in the sun during mid-march but Rattlesnake Hill has potential to be the habitat of the last known population of Timber Rattlers in NH.  I'll start the conspiracy theory by stating maybe a snake population is the reason for the locked gate on the access road.   The location would be worth a return visit in warmer weather (if you dare!).