Salem, New Hampshire: America's Stonehenge

Ponder cryptic rock arrangements and chambers on a numbered, self-guided tour. Built by the Druids, or a bored New Hampshire farmer? It helps if you like walking in the woods and scrambling around rocks.

I'm not sure if it's due to the economy, but America's Stonehenge has seen better days. The Plaza at the center of the site is full of leaves, and it appears not just from last Fall. The chain link fences around the chambers are broken or rusted. The path through the oracle chamber is scary, and not in a spooky way, but in a mud-caked and hazardous way. It was very disappointing. Their brochure touts it as one of Yankee Magazine's 7 Wonders of New England. Maybe in its heyday, but certainly not now.

Alas, when I arrived, the gates were mysteriously closed. It was too damn early in the morning.

I recently visited America's Stonehenge outside of Derry, thanks to leads from Roadside America. It was definitely worth the trip and price of admission for an excuse to get out into the woods and enjoy a glorious autumn walk, following along the tedious site map and scrambling around the rock formations. There was a poster at the exit proclaiming a wonderful way to celebrate the turn of the century there -- apparently the operators have put together a New Year's deal allowing guests a geo-astronomical location in which to view the last sunset of the 20th century and first sunrise of the 21st (millennial purists notwithstanding). Given that the event will occur in the middle of winter in New Hampshire, the place also conveniently rents snowshoes.

America's Stonehenge in North Salem. Although interesting and still being restored, there is a lot of damage that is still being repaired. We very much enjoyed poking around in the "Oracle Chamber" and such, but we all felt that $18 for one adult and two children (ages 12 and 14) was a little steep for what was there. Very easy to find as it marked at the interstate 93 exits and there are brochures for it everywhere!