General information . . .
Welcome!
• If you have never camped at Storrs Pond before, you’re in for a treat. ALDHA first started using it as an official camping area for Gatherings in 1997, and it proved so popular that when we returned in 1999, we abandoned our original main site off Grasse Road and stuck exclusively to Storrs Pond. We are pleased and grateful to be able to return again this year.
• For a color-coded map showing the layout of the campground and all of its facilities, skip below to the bottom of this page.
• A few interesting facts: The campground is owned and operated by the Hanover Improvement Society for the benefit of the general public. The facility first opened in July 1935 and was originally just a local swimming hole.
• The Society is a not-for-profit entity that also operates the Nugget Theatres in the center of Hanover, and the James W. Campion III Ice Skating Rink. The Society’s mission is to support “good works” and public works to benefit the greater community and all its citizens.
• The Nugget, Hanover’s Main Street cinema, has provided the financial support for the development of Storrs Pond and annually subsidizes its operations.
Facilities
• Storrs Pond offers one of the most beautiful campgrounds in New England. Sites can accommodate everything from one-man pup tents to 35-foot recreational vehicles. There are a few picnic pavilions and one lean-to where trail hikers without tents can find shelter. Some of the sites have electrical outlets in case you want to bring along your own coffee maker, but they might be turned off for the 2005 Gathering because of cutbacks in after-season services at the campground.
• The cutbacks in services will also affect the water. There will no longer be water available at the campground, meaning we will have to make arrangements for port-a-potties to be installed throughout the campground, and for access to showers at the campus gym. We'll keep you posted as the Gathering nears.
• NO CAMPING BEFORE OR AFTER THE GATHERING. Please, at the request of Storrs Pond, do NOT show up at the campground before Friday, Oct. 7, expecting to camp there. You will not be admitted, and if you are found there, you will be told to leave. We have reserved it for all of us on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. If you need additional camping time, make arrangements elsewhere. thanks!
• As you can see from the map below, there are numerous sites spread out around Storrs Pond itself. Please follow the code of the trail when it comes to the use of campsites: In other words, there’s always room for one more. We have reserved the entire campground for use by ALDHA members only and there is plenty of room for everyone, so we must all share the various sites and facilities. It’s all on a first-come, first-served basis, so please do not reserve space for others.
• For the Gathering, the closer you are to the campfire the noisier it will likely be at night, so choose your site accordingly. However, natural berms around the campfire area prevent a lot of the sound from reaching campsites that are relatively close by, while sound will travel across the pond more easily. (See the map.)
• There are tennis courts, horseshoe pits and a half-court basketball court for those so inclined. Bring your own equipment if planning to take advantage of these facilities. You might also want to stow some firewood in the car, since there are fire pits at most of the campsites. The pool closes on Labor Day weekend so it won’t be available, but you can be like ALDHA member Brian Dabkowski in 1997 and take a polar-bear dip in Storrs Pond itself. Just make sure there are people around to watch you in case you freeze up and sink. (No lifeguards will be on duty, so you swim at your own risk.)
• There are also large grills here and there (see map), mainly at the three pavilions, in case you want to plan a barbecue!
ALDHA registration on Friday
• Registration for ALDHA members attending the 24th annual Gathering will begin at noon sharp on Friday, Oct. 7. It will be set up in the small white office building on your immediate left as you first enter the campground. (The location is pinpointed on the map below.)
• We will close up shop at this site promptly at 5 p.m. so we can relocate to campus, where the opening session will take place. Your cooperation with this is greatly appreciated. We will run the registration desk on campus before and immediately following the opening night session.
• During registration, you will receive a packet containing all the information you need for the weekend, including the schedule of events, a map of campus, a name tag, and a few other be-bobs.
• The cost for registering for the Gathering is still just $10 per person, and dues are still just $7 per family. So an individual pays $17, while a couple pays $27. To help us meet expenses, no one will receive a packet unless they have paid their $10 Gathering fee. Pre-registration is encouraged, and you can do so before Sept. 1 by printing out the registration form, filling it in and mailing it back to us with $10 for each person you are registering. (Plus $7 in dues!)
• Registration will continue all weekend long on campus, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to give us your 10 bucks! Plus, you’ll receive a bunch of neat stuff in your packet, so it all works out.
Information for campers
• A 10 mph limit is in force on all roads within the campground.
• Quiet hours are between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Storrs Pond closes each evening at sunset. No one other than registered campers or their registered guests are allowed on the premises after that time.
• Dogs must be kept on a leash and under control of their owners at all times. Pets are not allowed on the beaches, in the pond at the swimming areas, or on the pool deck. Please clean up after your dog.
• Fishing is not allowed in the swimming areas of the pond or from the beach areas.
• Firearms are not permitted.
• Ground fires are not permitted. Fires should be built in fireplaces provided or in any acceptable portable grill. Fires must be tended at all times.
• Cutting or damage to trees is not allowed.
• Motorized trail bikes, mopeds and all-terrain vehicles are prohibited on hiking trails. Mountain bikes may be used on designated trails only.
• Bikes, skateboards, roller blades, etc., are prohibited in the parking areas near the beach and pool between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Otherwise, use them at your own risk.
• Possession of illegal drugs is not permitted. Guests may consume alcohol at their campsites provided all applicable laws are followed.
• Sorry, no drums will be allowed at the campfire area or anywhere else in the campground during the Gathering weekend. We appreciate your cooperation, and your consideration of others, in this matter.
Emergency telephone
• There is a pay phone near the snack bar in the pool area in case of emergency.
• Hopefully there are enough folks with cell phones these days that if you need to leave an emergency number with someone at home, you can find someone willing to let you use their number for the weekend.
How to get to the campsites . . .
From Interstate 91
• Take Exit 13 from Interstate 91 in Norwich, Vt., and head east on Vt. Route 10A toward the Connecticut River and New Hampshire. Cross the river into New Hampshire, where the road becomes Wheelock Street, and head to the center of town. At the Hanover Inn opposite the Dartmouth Green, keep going straight until you hit Route 120 at a traffic light. Turn left (north) at the light onto Route 120.
• At the next light, turn right (north) onto Route 10. Continue for 1 mile, until you come to Reservoir Road (Mobil gas station on the corner). Turn right (east) onto Reservoir Road and proceed 1 mile to the campground. You’ll go up the hill and past an elementary school on your left before coming to the turnoff on your left for Storrs Pond. Continue following the signs downhill to the campground. Friday afternoon registration (Oct. 10) will take place in the campground, in a small white building on your left as you come down the final hill, cross a small bridge and turn right into the parking lot. See map below.
