Coos County

"North of the Notches," the land flattens out. The mountains are more distant, and form a "bowl" around acres of undulating farmland. On Route 3, the Great North Woods, the trees are the stars, both in and out of the White Mountains National Forest. Stately evergreens and colorful hardwoods mingle, speaking of a time when logging was king, and an even earlier time when Native Americans found everything they needed in the cool darkness of these woods.
Coos County (pronounced koh-oss, with two syllables and the accent on the first) includes the whole of the state's northern panhandle. It has the largest area of the New Hampshire counties, but as of 2000, by far the smallest population, at 33,111. The county seat is Lancaster. Major industries are forestry and tourism, with the once-dominant paper-making industry in sharp decline. But tourism is holding its own, with people from the southern tier finding rest and refreshment in the north.
Coos County is still wild and unspoiled. Small towns with white frame houses cling precariously to the riverbanks. Mountain farms wrestle a harvest from the rocky soil. Pristine lakes in Errol and Pittsburg are an angler's paradise. You can settle a few miles from the Vermont border -- or Canada.
And you just might see a moose. The mighty creatures are the mascot of the North Country, appearing on everything from key chains to cocktail napkins, baseball caps to shot glasses. A Lancaster business has two toy moose in the window, in Red Sox and Patriots gear, while a quick stop near Lincoln displays a human-size Bullwinkle near the cooler. A moose in Army fatigues greets visitors to another establishment.
But the one city, Berlin, and the larger towns such as Colebrook and Lancaster have the essential services needed to maintain a Coos County lifestyle. There are banks, stores, Federal offices and Wi-Fi. Route 93 is available to connect you with the "lower nine" counties or the rest of the world.
There's a home or business for you at the tip of New Hampshire. A Prudential Verani Realtor® is available to help you find your own True North.