I have been hearing about Benson’s Park for many years, but have never visited it. Located in Hudson, New Hampshire, Benson’s was an Animal Park up until the late 1980’s. Since the animal park closed its doors the town of Hudson and many volunteers has been transforming this park.
The entrance to Benson’s is located on Kimball Hill Road. There is a good size parking lot. Off the parking lot is a dog park, access to the playground and walking paths. I recommended looking at the map to get an idea of the area.
Since we had never been there before we just explored some of the trails without a plan or destination. There were people picnicking, biking, hiking, lots of photographer’s and dogs being walked on leashes. Even though there was a lot of people around once we got on the trails we only saw a couple other people hiking.
The trails were easy to follow and well marked. There are maps at some intersections which was nice.
My favorite part of the Benson’s was the different water features such as a variety of ponds, streams and marshes.
There is also evidence of the animal park around the grounds with old buildings and attractions. They have restored some of it and are working on restoring other area’s. There are a couple monuments, some garden areas and overall beautiful landscapes. There was a restored old shoe, which was cool to see.
We were limited on time and only saw a small section of the park including a two mile hike. I cannot wait to go back and explore more of this beautiful park.
