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fatlazyless · 09-29-2010, 12:22 PM

For those not too familiar with the sailboat beach area, directly in front of the rv campground's toilet/shower building. It is a sandy beach, about 600' long by maybe 40' deep that tapers down to zero feet deep up by the brook outlet. At the north end immediately abutting the 5' chain link fence that seperates Ellacoya State Beach from www.lakeshorepark.org, there is a very umimproved, sandy beach boat launch. The sailing beach has no dock, no ramps, no rafts, no swim or boat improvement what-so-ever and no boat facilities. It is a very undeveloped natural beach and has probably been like that for many, many years, like maybe 40 to 100-years, since the concrete retainer wall was built, or something.

There's a few picnic tables out front of the toilet/shower building for use by the rv campers. "Registered Campers Only" is what the sign says for anyone who walks across the Poor Farm Brook to walk from the the swimming beach to the rv area - sailing beach.

With what's happening down at Ames Farm Inn, also in Gilford, with regards to the limited use of its' boat launch and parking, maybe the state is considering Ellacoya for a triple play of rv camping-sailing-boat launch. With Ellacoya's 65.5 acres of land in total, it sure looks like the rv campground side of the property has the space for all three uses. The open field of rv campsites www.nhstateparks.com/ellacoya.html has 37 campsites, all with water-sewer-electricity hook-ups and costs $47/night.

As a side note, one can stay at any one of 23 different Forest Service campgrounds in the White Mt Nat'l Forest, New Hampshire & Maine, for just $16/night, but they do not have any hook-ups.

If I were in the public municipal boat launch business, the very first thing I'd do would be to install one of those green steel fee deposit tubes, similar to what the federal government uses in the White Mt Nat'l Forest. Charge a low price, with honor system payments, taking payments 24-7-365 as the pay tube is concreted into the ground, and everyone becomes a winner; the boat launch, the sailboat school, the fishermen, the trailer-boaters, the rv campground and the Lake Shore residential park abutter neighbors; one great big happy boater family!

Hope this helps!

......

Anyone have a link to a website that explores the history and beginnings of Ellacoya as a NH State Beach & RV Campground? How did the state acquire Ellacoya? Did the state buy it from Chief Ellacoya for 10-cigars and a case of Jenkins rye whiskey, or what? Who was Ellacoya? How did the Ellacoya 65.5 acre waterfront property originally come to be a state facility?

09-29-2010, 12:22 PM	#29
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,527 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 296 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	For those not too familiar with the sailboat beach area, directly in front of the rv campground's toilet/shower building. It is a sandy beach, about 600' long by maybe 40' deep that tapers down to zero feet deep up by the brook outlet. At the north end immediately abutting the 5' chain link fence that seperates Ellacoya State Beach from www.lakeshorepark.org, there is a very umimproved, sandy beach boat launch. The sailing beach has no dock, no ramps, no rafts, no swim or boat improvement what-so-ever and no boat facilities. It is a very undeveloped natural beach and has probably been like that for many, many years, like maybe 40 to 100-years, since the concrete retainer wall was built, or something. There's a few picnic tables out front of the toilet/shower building for use by the rv campers. "Registered Campers Only" is what the sign says for anyone who walks across the Poor Farm Brook to walk from the the swimming beach to the rv area - sailing beach. With what's happening down at Ames Farm Inn, also in Gilford, with regards to the limited use of its' boat launch and parking, maybe the state is considering Ellacoya for a triple play of rv camping-sailing-boat launch. With Ellacoya's 65.5 acres of land in total, it sure looks like the rv campground side of the property has the space for all three uses. The open field of rv campsites www.nhstateparks.com/ellacoya.html has 37 campsites, all with water-sewer-electricity hook-ups and costs $47/night. As a side note, one can stay at any one of 23 different Forest Service campgrounds in the White Mt Nat'l Forest, New Hampshire & Maine, for just $16/night, but they do not have any hook-ups. If I were in the public municipal boat launch business, the very first thing I'd do would be to install one of those green steel fee deposit tubes, similar to what the federal government uses in the White Mt Nat'l Forest. Charge a low price, with honor system payments, taking payments 24-7-365 as the pay tube is concreted into the ground, and everyone becomes a winner; the boat launch, the sailboat school, the fishermen, the trailer-boaters, the rv campground and the Lake Shore residential park abutter neighbors; one great big happy boater family! Hope this helps! ...... Anyone have a link to a website that explores the history and beginnings of Ellacoya as a NH State Beach & RV Campground? How did the state acquire Ellacoya? Did the state buy it from Chief Ellacoya for 10-cigars and a case of Jenkins rye whiskey, or what? Who was Ellacoya? How did the Ellacoya 65.5 acre waterfront property originally come to be a state facility? __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 09-29-2010 at 07:03 PM.