If you are looking for a place to bird not far from Concord, New Hampshire, check out Elm Brook Park in Hopkinton. The park is only 15 minutes away and has a wide variety of habitats that birds visit year-round. These habitats include hardwood and softwood forests, early successional habitats, a sandy beach, water, and grasslands. As each season approaches, I look forward with anticipation to the bird species migrating through in the spring and fall and those that will stay for summer or winter. Occasionally, a rare bird shows up to enjoy. Several species of birds reside year-round at the park. The park is beautiful during peak foliage, and there are still many birds around.

Elm Brook Park Recreation Area is part of the Hopkinton-Everett Lakes multiple-use area. It is open seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day for swimming, fishing, boating, and barbecuing. However, you can walk or bike in Elm Brook Park any time of year. The park is popular with walkers and bikers. When the park is officially open for the summer, accessible restrooms are available. There are no lifeguards on duty, but life jackets are available. Most years the park opens seven days a week. In summer 2025, they were unable to hire their usual staff, so the park was open only Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Check their Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/HopkintonEverettLake/> or website <https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234090> for up-to-date information on park hours and closures due to flood control.

There is parking for about 12 cars before the entrance at the gate near the ticket booth. When the recreational area is open in summer, there is a fee to enter. In 2025, the fee was $5.00 per car and $2.00 per adult walk-in or bike-in. The park accepts the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Dogs are not allowed in the park from Memorial Day until Labor Day. There is a dog trail outside the park you can use any time. Leash your dogs and follow signs to clean up after your pet. Some parts of the park are multi-use, which includes hunting. There are Safety Zone signs around the main park where hunting is not allowed, but hunting is permitted on some of the trails that lead away from the main park. Wear hunter orange if you venture into those areas in the fall.

Map of Elm Brook Park