Watson Park

About the Park

Watson Park is the generous gift of Harold and Barbara Watson. This park was formally dedicated in 2010 for the purpose of protecting and maintaining open space in a natural atmosphere for the people of Merrimack to enjoy a tranquil outdoor setting in Merrimack’s Town Center. Bounded on the south by the Souhegan River and on the east by Baboosic Brook, Watson Park is the anchor for the planned trail system leading west along the Souhegan and north along Baboosic Brook. A master plan has been developed for the Park with spaces set aside to tell the long history of its industrial past, as well as generous room for informal recreation.

NEW RIVER TRAIL TO WILDCAT FALLS

A trail along the Souhegan River was opened in September 2024 that connects Watson Park to the Wildcat Falls Conservation Area. From the entrance at Watson Park, the trail is 0.4 miles to the Highway. It’s then another 0.2 miles to follow the river trail to the dog beach (this is the trail that is not on any Wildcat maps). From there, you connect to the Falls Loop trail and it’s another 0.2 miles to the Falls. The trail falls under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission who is currently working to update their trail maps. Visit their website here.

PARK AMENITIES:

Picnic Pavilion
Picnic Tables
Charcoal Grills
Seasonal Ice Skating Rink (Winter Only)
3 Beach Volleyball Courts for drop in use only. (Open now) Leagues Prohibited by ordinance.
Gaga Ball Pit
Scenic River Views
Butterfly Garden
2 Children's Hopscotch Courts
Open space for passive recreation areas

The Pavilion at Watson Park was build by the Rotary Club of Merrimack who donated the Pavilion to the Town. The pavilion is a great space to host small weddings, birthday parties, or other seasonal outdoor events.

Watson Park Pavilion is available for reservations from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm each day (subject to time of sunset).

We now offer the ability to submit requests to use the Watson Park Pavilion online. There is no fee associated with renting the Park & Bandstand, however reservations are required to avoid overlapping events. Requests must be submitted at least 7 days in advance. You can either click on the link to the right to submit them online or you can click here to download Watson Park Pavilion Rental Application and submit it to the Parks & Recreation Department for approval.

General Park Rules & Regulations:

Rental of the Pavilion is for the Pavilion Area only and does not allow for exclusive use of the rest of Watson Park.
No glass containers or alcoholic beverages allowed.
Firearms are prohibited.
All animals must be leased or caged while in the Park.
Nails and/or tacks are prohibited inside the bandstand. Any decorations must be tied off and then fully removed at the end of the event.
Additional tents may not be setup inside the Park.
We do not allow bouncy houses to be set up in the Park.
Digging in the dirt is strictly prohibited.
Candles are not allowed inside the Pavilion.
At the the end of the event, renter is responsibility for cleaning up the Pavilion area and returning it to the condition it was when you arrived.
Large scale events may be required, at your expense, to arrange for a police presence at your event. You will be notified of this requirement prior to the permit being issued.
There is one Porta Potty available at Watson Park which is cleaned twice per week.

Parking Rules:

The parking lot is limited to approximately 40 - 45 designated parking spaces (depending on how closely cars park next to each other).
Parking in the lot is on a first come first serve basis. We do not reserve parking spaces for your event.
Cars are prohibited from parking on sidewalks, lawns, blocking other vehicles in or blocking the entrance or maintenance gate at the end of the parking lot.
Cars parked illegally will be ticketed and towed.
If the parking lot is full; patrons may not park in nearby private businesses; on Daniel Webster Highway; on Loop Road or on Woodbury Street. Cars who illegally park in these areas may be ticketed or towed.

Watson Park Master Plan Map

Address

441 Daniel Webster Highway

Merrimack, NH, 03054

Park Hours: All parks in town open half hour before sunrise and close half hour after sunset.

No use is allowed outside of these hours unless a special permit is granted by the Parks & Recreation Department.

Pavilion Reservation Requests:

If you choose to submit your request online, the reservation system (Rec Desk) will require you to create an account if you don't already have one. This is the same system that we use for program registrations and so if you have participated in any program with us; you will have an account established already.

For Questions call us at 603-882-1046

Email Parks & Recreation

Submit Your Pavillion Request Form Online Here

Souhegan River Water Testing

Access to the river is down a steep slope and done so at your own risk. This trail down to the river is not ADA Accessible.

The Souhegan Watershed Association is now conducting Water Quality Tests for E.Coli Bacteria on the river at Watson Park every two weeks during the summer months. The following scale dictates whether it is safe to go into the water based on the test results.

Blue Flag - E.Coli levels below 88: Water Quality Acceptable for Swimming
Yellow Flag - E.Coli levels between 88 to 126: Water Quality Advisory = Swimming not advised for children, elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Do not ingest water and shower after going into the water.
Red Flag - E.Coli levels between 126 - 406: Water Quality Advisory in effect. Swimming not recommended due to risk of increased illness. Do not ingest water, shower after swimming, wash hands before eating. Children, elderly or those with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable.
Black Flag - E.Coli levels over 406: Absolutely no swimming or wading due to risk of illness. Exposure to this water may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever.

The results of the Water Quality Test conducted on 7/8 is 35 and water quality is safe for swimming

Ice Skating Rink @ Watson Park

ICE SKATING RINK - RULES & REGULATIONS

1. This is a Skate at Your Own Risk Facility and is free to use.

2. The outdoor skating areas are maintained for the enjoyment of all users. Be aware of others around you and their abilities

3. Please obey all posted signs.

4. This rink is designed for recreational use only. It is not designed for competitive hockey games as there are no safety barriers. No permits will be issued for any organized program.

5. No person is allowed to kick any other groups off of the ice.

6. There are no ice skate rentals available on site.

7. Lights will be available in the evenings and will turn on automatically at dusk and turn off automatically at 9:00 pm.

8. A Porta Potty will be available in the parking lot which is cleaned and maintained regularly.

WEATHER CLOSURES

Occasionally, the rink will be posted as closed if conditions are not optimal or if usage will damage the ice. If you visit the rink and see a closed sign, please stay off the ice. We will do our best to provide timely updates on this website and also our Facebook Page whenever any closures need to occur.

The Ice Skating Rink is maintained by the Public Works Department. In the event of a snowstorm it may take them a day or so to clear the snow off the ice as their focus is on plowing the Town Roads. In that scenario, they will work to reopen the rink as soon as possible.

HOW THE RINK IS MAINTAINED:

The Ice skating rink is maintained by the Public Works Department and they begin setting up the rink in November each year. The length of the season is determined by the weather. Most years, the rink is able to open in late December or early January and remains open until late February.

Making an ice skating rink isn't as simple as flooding the floor with gallons of water and waiting for cold weather. The Public Works Department must apply the water carefully and slowly, in order to insure ideal thickness. An ice surface that is too thick requires more energy to keep frozen and is prone to getting soft on the top. A surface that is too thin is also dangerous because skaters risk cutting straight through the ice and poking holes in the plastic liner.

It takes between 12,000 and 15,000 gallons to form an ideal rink surface. The Public Works Department forms the ice in several different layers. Each layer is allowed to fully freeze before the next layer can begin. When creating a new ice surface, temperature conditions are very important. Ideally the ice surface should be cared for daily. All snow and shavings should be removed before reapply thin coats of water evenly distributed over the entire rink using the multi layering technique.

Please note: Ice conditions can vary greatly with a temperature change as small as a few degree.

Long story short: we appreciate your understanding and patience when temperatures fluctuate. In order for ice to freeze it must remain below 32 degrees consistently.