Trailer parking

[peterk97]

Just wondering if any one knows about were I can park my truck and trailer when boating on winni. I know all the public ramps but what about parking?

[fatlazyless]

Center Harbor public ten dollar boat ramp-owned by the Town of Center Harbor on the NORTHERN side of Lake Winnipesaukee: Price to launch; ten dollars when attendant at the hot dog & soda cart is present, otherwise it appears to be a freebie unless a lifeguard runs over from the town beach to collect the ten bucks.

Toilets nearby at town beach.

Parking for car & trailer about 1/8 mile up the hill beyond the Coe House restaurant in the dirt parking lot up back that belongs to Heath's supermarket. Check out the day old sandwiches at Heath's for 1.99, reg 4.49, and the day old baked goods rack in the back of the store which usually has four big homemade muffins for 2.00, reg 4.00.

Since 2009 when Ames Farm Inn in Gilford became closed to day use trailer-boaters, the Center Harbor boat launch has been used a few times as a starting place for bass tournaments and they seem to like it because they continue to come back and use it.

Directions from Route 93: To avoid the NASTY MEREDITH traffic backups, take Rt 93-Exit 24 onto Route 25-3 EAST through Ashland-Holderness-Center Harbor for about ten miles, take a LEFT onto Rt 25-B and proceed for about four miles up and down some steep hills until you arrive at the intersection of Rt 25-B and Rt 25 in Center Harbor which is close to the bright red entrance of Heath's Hardware store and the town boat launch which is down the hill behind Heath's Hardware. Heath's has a lot of boat items plus freebie hardware store cup-of-coffee.
..........

Paid with your boat registration money over the last ten years, the State of NH has constructed free-to-use state boat launches complete with double ramps, loading docks, toilets, and trailer parking lots at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest NH lakes: Lakes Squam, Winnisquam and Newfound. Lake Winnipesaukee has no similar State of NH boat launch facility YET and trailer-boaters depend on about 25 different town and private marina boat launches.

For example, the City of Laconia has no city owned Lake Winnipesaukee boat launch even though "City of the Lakes" is printed onto every city vehicle and Laconia paper letterhead. Laconia has maybe five different private marina boats launches but no City of Laconia public boat ramp. Ditto this for the State of New Hampshire and access to 72-square mile Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's biggest lake, which legally belongs to the people of New Hampshire. So, while the waters on Lake Winnipesaukee belongs to the people, getting a state owned boat launch constructed with boat registration money is somewhere off in the future?

[ironhorsetim]

For example, the City of Laconia has no city owned Lake Winnipesaukee boat launch even though "City of the Lakes" is printed onto every city vehicle and Laconia paper letterhead. Laconia has maybe five different private marina boats launches but no City of Laconia public boat ramp.

I might be mistaken,but I believe there is a ramp on Messer St. IN LACONIA that can get you on the BIG lake via Paugus bay,and it's free with a small parking lot.

[fatlazyless]

I might be mistaken,but I believe there is a ramp on Messer St. IN LACONIA that can get you on the BIG lake via Paugus bay,and it's free with a small parking lot.

Believe the Lakeport Dam, which is Winnispesaukee's single and only outflow dam with a height of about 17' would be a strong block to boating Lake Winnipesaukee from the Messer St boat launch. The Messer St boat launch, close to Irwin Ford-Toyota, is directly close to an electric utility power transformer station and was a courtesy land donation from the electric utility according to the sign that is there, either NH Electric or Public Service, for use as a boat launch onto Lake Opeechee and the Winnipesaukee River between the Lakeport dam and the Avery Dam, close to downtown Laconia and Laconia City Hall, as it flows (sometimes extremely fast) over the Avery Dam toward Lake Winnisquam..

[ironhorsetim]

Well dam...my mistake,been gone too long :eek:

[peterk97]

Is there any trailer parking in Alton or Meredith?

[Bear Island South]

Shep Brown's has a public launch and trailer parking for 72 hours.
The trailer parking is located a few hundred yards up the road from the launch

[ghfromaltonbay]

Is there any trailer parking in Alton or Meredith?

There is town parking for trailers in Alton located on the Letter S road, which branches off Rt. 11 eastbound about 1/4 mile past Parker Marine. It's not within walking distance of the boat ramp, probably more like 1 mile away.

[XCR-700]

Any One know what the status is of the Ames Farm boat ramp issue. :confused:

Is it still shut down to the public or has there been any progress correcting this injustice,,, (you can see what side I'm on!) :fire:

That has always been one of my top choices for a day boating launch ramp on Winnipesaukee, and for more years than I care to admit to.

[BroadHopper]

Is there any trailer parking in Alton or Meredith?

Trailer parking is available on a first come first serve basis at the town parking lot next to the hardware store near the corner of Rte 3 and 25. Very limited parking so get there early or around 8 AM when the fishing crafts are being hauled.

There is a state launch ramp at Harilla's landing on Long Island. There really are no parking unless you consider the side of the access road parking.

[Slickcraft]

Any One know what the status is of the Ames Farm boat ramp issue. :confused:

Is it still shut down to the public or has there been any progress correcting this injustice,,, (you can see what side I'm on!) :fire:

That has always been one of my top choices for a day boating launch ramp on Winnipesaukee, and for more years than I care to admit to.

Sad to say, no progress on Ames Farm that I know of. Looks like it will require a zoning change. Now if I lived one mile further down 11A I would be a Gilford resident and would try to get a petition zoning article going. Any Gilford residents with a mind for restoring justice out there??

[jr616]

The Center Harbor Ramp is $10.00 the money goes to the Center Harbor Parks and Rec for maintaining the ramp, beach and park. It's the least we can do.

I actually saw someone from "South of NH" trying to weasel out of paying the 10 bucks last year saying she has a house in CH - - (MA reg on Boat and tow vehicle) - Just pay the 10 - it maintains the ramp. Ugh! :fire:

There IS usually someone there on weekends collecting. The Hot Dog guy does NOT collect the money nor do the life guards.

I launch there every weekend. It is a breeze as long as some Cptn' Bonehead isn't still uncovering his boat and making his sandwiches on the ramp. LOL :look:

[MikeF-NH]

Lees Mills in Moultonboro has ample parking and is free but a long ride out to the main lake with lots of hazards on the way for the uninitiated.

19 Mile Bay has a free ramp but you have to park about 3/4 of a mile up the road and walk back.

Winter harbor has a free ramp but parking is road side across the street from the ramp and limited.

You can launch from the Melvin Village town docks for free...just can't park anywhere around there without a town sticker.

Just across the Long Island bridge is a free dirt ramp with dock owned by town of Moultonboro but you have to haul your trailer back to the fire station a few miles back then come back to the small parking lot. A sign says town parking only but I think they are only concerned with keeping trailers out of there.

My favorite launches are Shep Browns (due to ease of use) and West Alton Marina due to it's close location compared to other launches for me but both are $20 launch fee.

The bass tourneys can absolutely lock up some of these ramps. I wouldn't be upset of only a limited number of tourney trailer/truck combos could park at any given ramp. They could do the tourney start from a single location as well as weigh in but after that, it would be nice if the larger tourneys dispersed to different launches to take out. That said, I've had only positive interactions with the tourny guys when I politely asked if I could drop my boat in or pull out when they were lined up.