Harrisville Pond

Harrisville, New Hampshire · on Nubanusit Brook Reservoir

Verified · 3 independent sources

WATER: pond
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Yes, see below
SEASON: Best in summer

About Harrisville Pond

Harrisville Pond is a mill-era reservoir on Nubanusit Brook in the historic village of Harrisville, New Hampshire. Its eastern shore hosts Sunset Beach, a small town swimming hole that New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services officially monitors for bacteria each summer as a public bathing beach, though access is restricted to Harrisville residents.

The pond sits within Harrisville's mill village, a National Historic Landmark district of brick mill buildings reflected in the water and canal; Sunset Beach itself is described by local listings as a small, natural, lightly-developed shoreline in the Monadnock Region rather than a developed recreation complex.

Swimming at Harrisville Pond

Swimming happens at Sunset Beach, a resident-access town beach on the pond's shore, in calm, sheltered, flat water with no significant current, conditions that paddling guides also describe as beginner-friendly. NH DES samples the beach for E. coli weekly from Memorial Day through Labor Day, indicating it functions as an actively used, officially recognized swim spot rather than an informal or unofficial one.

How to get to this swimming hole

Sunset Beach is on Harrisville Pond's shore off Silver Road in Harrisville village, roughly a mile from the small town center; a separate public boat-launch access point (with parking, restrooms, and a picnic area per one paddling-recreation site) sits about a quarter mile further along the pond, near 42.9467,-72.0940.

Parking: Beach parking is restricted to Harrisville residents and requires a town recycling-center sticker; described elsewhere only as limited roadside parking.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. No hike is required. Sunset Beach is a roadside/drive-up town beach off Silver Road in Harrisville village; no trail, trailhead, or approach hike to the water was found in any source. The separate boat-launch access point about a quarter mile further along the pond is also directly roadside.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Sunset Beach sits on calm, flat, sheltered pond water with no current (also described by paddling guides as beginner-friendly), which favors young swimmers, but no lifeguard is documented, the shoreline is described as natural/minimally developed rather than a graded sandy entry, and access is residents-only so verified first-hand accounts of entry conditions are scarce.

Parking

Free

No admission fee, but Sunset Beach parking is restricted to Harrisville residents and requires a town recycling-center sticker; described only as limited roadside parking (no dedicated lot at the beach itself). The separate boat-launch access point about a quarter mile away is reported to have its own parking lot open to paddlers.

Restrooms

Yes

At Sunset Beach itself: a portable toilet only, no permanent restroom building (confirmed by Swim Guide and OpenWaterData). A separate public boat-launch access point on the pond, about a quarter mile away near 42.9467,-72.0940, is reported by one paddling-recreation directory to have restrooms and a picnic area, but this is a different access point from the beach and not independently confirmed.

Hours

One aggregator (beacheverywhere.com) states sunrise to sunset; this is not confirmed on an official town page. Bacteria monitoring by NH DES runs weekly/monthly from Memorial Day (or June 1) through Labor Day (or September 1), indicating the beach is treated as an active summer swim season site.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboards

ThePaddlingHub describes Harrisville Pond as calm, flat, sheltered water suitable for beginner paddlers, with a public boat-ramp/bank-access point (~42.9467,-72.0940) listing kayaking, canoeing, kayak fishing, and stand-up paddleboarding as permitted activities. No source was found confirming or denying motorboat use, horsepower limits, no-wake rules, or an electric-motors-only restriction, despite targeted searching; this is left unconfirmed rather than guessed.

What regulars say

No candid visitor reports specifically discussing Harrisville Pond or Sunset Beach could be located despite multiple targeted searches, so no first-hand commentary on clarity, crowding, or access could be sourced this pass.

Backstory

Harrisville Pond is a reservoir tied to the historic Cheshire Mills textile operation (active 1852-1970) at the center of Harrisville's well-preserved 19th-century mill village; the pond and its canal are a defining visual feature of the historic district.

Harrisville Pond: FAQ

Does Harrisville Pond charge a fee?

No admission fee found, but the beach is residents-only (parking sticker required), effectively restricting public/visitor access.

Is Harrisville Pond kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Harrisville Pond?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Harrisville Pond?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Harrisville Pond?

When is the best time to visit Harrisville Pond?

Summer swimming season, monitored by NH DES from Memorial Day through Labor Day; June through September cited generally as the best window.

What are the rules at Harrisville Pond?

Overseen by a volunteer town beach committee; dogs are prohibited on the beach; one aggregator source states hours are sunrise to sunset (not independently confirmed on an official town page).

What water body is Harrisville Pond on?

Harrisville Pond is on Nubanusit Brook Reservoir, a natural pond verified in USGS hydrography data.