MacDowell Reservoir
Peterborough, New Hampshire · on Edward MacDowell Reservoir · Edward MacDowell Lake
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $60
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About MacDowell Reservoir
MacDowell Reservoir (officially Edward MacDowell Lake) is a 165-acre flood-control lake in Peterborough, New Hampshire, created by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam on Nubanusit Brook. The Corps operates a day-use recreation area on the lake's shore that includes a designated swim beach alongside picnic shelters, a boat launch, and hiking trails.
The reservoir sits in NH's Monadnock Region, described by the managing agencies as a 165-acre lake surrounded by densely forested, rolling hills, with a shoreline recreation area exceeding 1,000 acres that mixes forest and wetland/shoreland habitat.
Swimming at MacDowell Reservoir
A designated swim beach is maintained at the day-use area, but there is no lifeguard on duty and swimming is at one's own risk; beach advisories can be posted at any time for water-quality issues. This is an official, developed swim beach rather than a backcountry or informal swimming hole, suiting families and casual day visitors.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Route 101 in Peterborough, turn right onto Union Street and go about half a mile, then turn left onto Wilder Street and continue to its end, where the day-use area (75 Wilder Street) and swim beach are located.
Parking: On-site parking at the Wilder Street day-use facility serves the swim beach; additional trailhead parking for the surrounding trail network is available at Spring Road and Richardson Road to the north.
The hike in
The swim beach is reached directly from the Wilder Street day-use parking lot with no hike required. A separate trail network (including the West Ridge Trail, which runs the lake's western edge through surrounding wetlands) has its own trailhead parking at Spring Road and Richardson Road to the north, but no source confirms these trails connect to or pass by the swim beach, so they appear to be a distinct recreational feature rather than an access route.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official USACE swim beach has no lifeguard on duty (swim at your own risk) and beach-quality advisories can be posted at any time, but the day-use area also has a playground and a Junior Ranger program (ages 6-12), indicating it is set up for family use. No source found describes the beach's actual entry slope, depth, or bottom composition, so shallow-entry/steepness could not be confirmed.
Parking
Free
On-site parking lot at the 75 Wilder Street day-use facility serves the swim beach. Recreation.gov's facility listing describes no entrance or parking fee for general day-use access; the only fees mentioned are for reserving the two picnic shelters. Additional trailhead parking (not confirmed to be beach-adjacent) exists at Spring Road and Richardson Road.
Restrooms
Yes
Flush toilets and drinking water are provided at the 75 Wilder Street day-use area adjacent to the swim beach (recreation.gov). No restroom facilities were confirmed at the separate Spring Road or Richardson Road trailhead parking areas.
Hours
Summer: 8am-8pm; off-season: sunrise to sunset (Edward MacDowell Lake day-use area, per recreation.gov)
On the water
Recreation.gov's facility description states visitors 'can spend days kayaking and canoeing on the scenic lake' and that a boat ramp is provided; the facility's own amenity list separately describes this as a car-top boat launch, consistent with hand-carried small craft rather than a trailer launch for larger motorboats. No explicit written rule on motors, horsepower, or no-wake zones was located in any source checked, so that restriction is left null rather than assumed.
Backstory
The lake and dam are named for composer and concert pianist Edward Alexander MacDowell; the nearby MacDowell Colony artist retreat (about 1.4 miles away per contextual data) shares the namesake. The reservoir was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a flood-control impoundment on Nubanusit Brook.
MacDowell Reservoir: FAQ
Does MacDowell Reservoir charge a fee?
General access to the day-use area and swim beach is not described as charging an entry fee; the two on-site picnic shelters are reservable in advance through Recreation.gov for an estimated $60-$100 per day (shelter rental, not confirmed as a swim beach fee).
Is MacDowell Reservoir kid friendly?
Official USACE swim beach has no lifeguard on duty (swim at your own risk) and beach-quality advisories can be posted at any time, but the day-use area also has a playground and a Junior Ranger program (ages 6-12), indicating it is set up for family use. No source found describes the beach's actual entry slope, depth, or bottom composition, so shallow-entry/steepness could not be confirmed.
Do I need to hike to reach MacDowell Reservoir?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for MacDowell Reservoir?
On-site parking lot at the 75 Wilder Street day-use facility serves the swim beach. Recreation.gov's facility listing describes no entrance or parking fee for general day-use access; the only fees mentioned are for reserving the two picnic shelters. Additional trailhead parking (not confirmed to be beach-adjacent) exists at Spring Road and Richardson Road.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to MacDowell Reservoir?
Recreation.gov's facility description states visitors 'can spend days kayaking and canoeing on the scenic lake' and that a boat ramp is provided; the facility's own amenity list separately describes this as a car-top boat launch, consistent with hand-carried small craft rather than a trailer launch for larger motorboats. No explicit written rule on motors, horsepower, or no-wake zones was located in any source checked, so that restriction is left null rather than assumed.
When is the best time to visit MacDowell Reservoir?
Summer, when the beach and day-use area operate extended hours (8am-8pm); off-season hours are sunrise to sunset.
What are the rules at MacDowell Reservoir?
Day-use only, with occupancy prohibited between 8pm and 8am; charcoal-only grills (no wood ground fires); carry-in/carry-out trash; pets must be leashed and are not allowed on the swim beach; no glass permitted on the beach; the site is a flood-control facility and may flood during severe storms.
What water body is MacDowell Reservoir on?
MacDowell Reservoir is on Edward MacDowell Reservoir, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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