Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Clarks Trading Post. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
About Clarks Trading Post
Clark's Bears, Lincoln, NH: Home of Clark's Trained Bears and the White Mountain Central RR Show Menu Ticket Prices/Hours Group Sales Attractions Anaconda Escape Bear Show Blaster Boats Circus Climbing Tower Merlin's Mansion Segway Park Segway Safari Train Ride Tuttle's Shootin'
History
Clark's Trading Post — renamed Clark's Bears in 2019 — traces to 1928, when the property opened along U.S. Route 3 in Lincoln, New Hampshire as a roadside stand called Ed Clark's Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch, selling souvenirs while visitors viewed Florence and Ed Clark's Labrador sled dogs. The family bought its first black bear in 1931 to draw tourists, and sons Edward and Murray began training bears in 1949, creating the bear show the attraction is still known for. In the 1950s the Clark brothers started salvaging old steam locomotives for display, which led them to build the White Mountain Central Railroad, a purpose-built tourist railroad laid to standard gauge; construction began in 1955 and the first train ran on July 30, 1958. The line's signature structure is a 1904 Howe truss covered bridge that once carried Montpelier and Barre Railroad trains over the Winooski River in East Montpelier, Vermont — the brothers bought it, dismantled it in 1964, then moved and reassembled it across the Pemigewasset River. A covered-bridge listing maintained by the State of New Hampshire notes it appears to be the only Howe railroad bridge left in the world.
The Trains
The White Mountain Central Railroad runs a 30-minute, 2.5-mile steam-powered ride on standard-gauge track — a very rare choice among purpose-built tourist railroads, and one of the few places in New England with regular steam locomotive operation. A 1920 Climax steam locomotive powers the train through most of the season, with a 1943 GE 65-ton diesel switcher handling mid-week runs during fall foliage. Trains depart from a station building that came from the Freedomland U.S.A. park after it closed in 1964, cross the Pemigewasset River on the 1904 Howe truss covered bridge, and pass the Wolfman, a costumed wild prospector who harasses passengers while guarding his unobtainium mine.
Nearby
Where to Stay
Bookings made through this map support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
More Railroading Nearby
Train Ride
White Mountain Central Railroad
Lincoln, NH
<1 mi away →
Train Ride
Granite State Scenic Railroad and Rail Bikes
Lincoln, NH
<1 mi away →
Train Ride
Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train
Woodstock, NH
1.2 mi away →
Train Ride
J.E. Henry Railway at Loon Mountain
Lincoln, NH
2.7 mi away →
Train Ride
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Mount Washington, NH
24 mi away →
Museum
Ashland Railroad Station Museum
Ashland, NH
25 mi away →
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
Compare rentals on Discover Cars →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Book tours & activities near Lincoln
Pre-book guided tours and things to do around the area.
Bookings made through these links support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
More in New Hampshire
All train rides in New Hampshire →Train Types in New Hampshire
Reviews
0✍ Write a Review
Get Event Alerts
Never miss an event at Clarks Trading Post.