Moose Watching at Moose Alley Pittsburg, NH

Date: July 27-29, 2007

On this trip, we headed up to Pittsburg, NH to find moose. We stayed at a cabin we rented for the second time this year. The first time was for a snowmobile trip. The cabin sits just a couple miles south of Moose Alley, just off Rt. 3 in Pittsburg, NH, which is the reason why we chose the same cabin. Moose Alley has always been known for it's unusually high Moose population.

We learned quickly that you have to be careful when driving this stretch of Rt. 3 through Moose Alley. Moose tend to be on the roadway, all times of the day and night. Once the Moose make their way onto the road, it is usually hard for them to find their way back into the woods as the woods are so thick in this area that it is almost like a wall of trees.

Later in the day, I walked along the roadside and found that the trees are so close in some places that you can only get your hand and arm through them. I couldn't even get through the dense growth. Moose become trapped on the roadways, rarely remembering the path that provides their exit, they get confused and from what I've seen, tend to run in circles until they find their way back into the woods as shown in the images from this trip to Moose Alley.

Moose Alley has been an attraction for many years for people from all over the world. It has also been the target of illegal hunting. Recently, a Canadian resident passing through Moose Alley was charged with cutting off the head of a bear that was killed by a car. Reports said that he wanted to have the head mounted, unaware of the laws that were being violated here in New Hampshire.

Moose live in many areas of NH, not just Moose Alley. A week after our trip to Moose Alley, we spotted a Moose in Chichester, NH (forgot the camera). We also saw a Moose on the side of the road about 50 miles south of Moose Alley (picture on left). neighbors said the the moose had been recently hit by a car and had a broken hind leg. While her limping was noticeable, residents said that it appeared she was doing much better. This Moose drew quite a crowd as she ran back and forth in a large field on the side of Route 3 It appeared as if she was enjoying the attention.

Directions to Moose Alley in Pittsburg, NH:

Rt. 3 North towards the Canada border. The last 12 miles of Rt. 3 in Pittsburg, NH is Moose Alley. Drive carefully!

Best Times to Find Moose on Moose Alley:

The best times to see moose wandering around Moose Alley is just before dawn. This is when Moose are most active. The owner of the cabin we rented in Pittsburg, NH told us that she saw nearly 20 Moose one morning, at times there were 2 and 3 moose together. We also had good luck moose watching around sunset (in case you're not much of an early bird).

Moose Watching Tours:

There are companies in NH that offer moose watching tours. Some guarantee you'll see a Moose.