Pine Park is Hanover’s first natural area permanently preserved as a park and today functions as the town’s “central park” for the enjoyment of walkers, joggers, skiers and many others.

The Park’s 95 acres, acquired between 1900 and 1912, represent an important ecological resource, where riparian and forest ecosystems intersect. Accessed through the Hanover Country Club, off Rope Ferry and Occom Ridge roads north of the Dartmouth College campus, the park features a significant stand of old white pine, hemlock and hardwoods. The land is home to deer and black bear, among many other woodland animals, as well as to some unusual and endangered plant species.

Historically, the town of Hanover and Dartmouth College have shared responsibility for the management of the park, and both periodically offer labor and expertise in connection with its preservation. However, neither contributes funding directly for park maintenance or capital improvement. The park is owned by the Pine Park Association, a voluntary nonprofit that dates back to 1900, when a group of 17 local residents sought to prevent the Diamond Match Company from harvesting trees along the riverbank just north of the Ledyard Bridge.