Tiny NH towns brace for eclipse chasers to arrive for 'once-in-a-lifetime event'

The tiny town of Colebrook is bracing for an extreme influx in tourists as eclipse chasers come from far and wide to see the first total solar eclipse in New Hampshire since 1959.

Colebrook is one of the small communities in the northern part of the state that is in the path of totality, meaning the sun will be completely obscured by the moon. This is likely to last for about 3 minutes around 3:29 p.m. Monday, April 8.

Colebrook has a population of just over 2,100, according to Census estimates for 2022. But on the day of the eclipse, it could swell to the tens of thousands.

Totally into totality:Eclipse lovers will travel anywhere to chase shadows on April 8

“It could be, in addition to those lodging, tens of thousands of people coming into the area and that could possibly be the largest influx of personnel that we’ve ever seen in that part of the state,” Colebrook Town Manager Tim Stevens said at a press conference Friday. 

Stevens was joined by Gov. Chris Sununu, Director of Travel and Tourism Lori Harnois, Department of Transportation Commissioner William Cass, and McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery center Executive Director Jeanne Gerulskis, where they discussed solar eclipse plans, from safety plans to traffic concerns.

"This is a rare opportunity to get outside and enjoy,” said Gerulskis. “The next solar eclipse is 2079, and I don’t know about you but I probably won't be here, unless they figure out how to download my brain to a robot's body.”

New Hampshire’s North Country braces for the eclipse

Colebrook is not the only town bracing for a huge inundation of eclipse fanatics. The eclipse’s path of totality will pass through towns in the north country from Lancaster north to the Canadian border. Other towns include Dixville Notch, Pittsburg and Errol. 

The deluge of people may cause some problems in northern New Hampshire, which is prepared for snowmobilers in the winter and hunters in the summer, but not umbraphiles (eclipse chasers).

April is usually a quiet time of year for the region, when snow gives way to mud season. But this year, Harnois said, the 10,000 rooms available in the Great North Woods tourism region are sold out. That number doesn’t include day travelers or people coming up to stay with friends or family in the region.

“The number one question that we've been getting throughout this whole process is, 'How many people are coming in?'" said Harnois. “It's a really difficult question to answer. There's lots of variables that go into that.”

She said officials have encouraged eclipse visitors to come early, but there are still many unknown factors like who will do a day trip and the weather.

Stevens said he’s been getting calls from people in Rhode Island, Eastern Massachusetts, and Eastern Maine. 

“The path of totality is a lot more phenomenal than not being in the path of totality,” he said. “It’s gonna be a lot.”

Traffic, parking, and safety concerns

Another complication is the nor'easter that hit the region this past week.

“We did have about a foot of snow dumped out there over the last day and a half,” Stevens said. “But even with that we’re still not canceling the eclipse!”

However, the snow adds another complication to safe viewing areas, parking, and roads. Stevens said while people might feel inspired to hike out to the middle of a field or walk out on an ice-covered lake, he said neither are safe. 

A foot of snow covers mud in fields, where people and vehicles could get stuck with limited numbers of tow trucks in the area to save them. Ice on the lakes is not thick enough to support people. While Colebrook is setting up aid stations around town and has a hospital nearby, resources will still be limited in a town that has never seen this many visitors.

Maj. David Walsh of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said that people should not try to hike up the mountains to watch the eclipse, describing trail conditions as “brutal” with deep snow.

“If you want to enjoy the mountains, book another trip,” he said.

There is also limited parking in the region and only a few main roads. Officials urged visitors to use designated parking lots, rather than risk getting stuck in mud at the side of the road. Colebrook has a list of authorized parking areas on the town's website. 

Cass said visitors should only use major travel roads, and keep minor roads to local traffic only. He and other officials encouraged the eclipse chasers to come early and stay late to avoid overcrowding the roads, many of which are only one lane each way and not designed to handle this type of unprecedented event. Cass said people can check real-time traffic updates at newengland511.org.

“Pack your patience,” said Sununu.

More:The April total solar eclipse could snarl traffic for hours across thousands of miles

Weather forecast is sunny

New Hampshire is not known for being sunny in April: historical weather data gives Colebrook a 52% chance of clear skies. But Monday’s weather forecast called for sun as of Friday.

This gives visitors a great chance to see the eclipse, but it also means the state is anticipating an even greater amount of visitors.

“There are folks from across the country that want to see totality, right, and they have 13 different states to choose from. One of the issues is that it looks like the weather in the southern half of the United States is not going to be great,” said Sununu. “I got a call from someone in Texas yesterday saying they were flying into Boston, and should they come to New Hampshire or Burlington, Vermont or Maine to see it.”

However, he emphasized, if people give themselves time to get up and back down in the state, New Hampshire has the resources to handle the influx in people.

Despite their warnings, all of the officials encouraged everyone to be excited and to enjoy what Harnois called a “once-in-a-lifetime event.”

“New Hampshire is very lucky. We're only one of 13 states in America that are going to see this total solar eclipse,” said Harnois.

For more information, like where to go to watch the eclipse, parking and medical station maps, and educational resources, Harnois said to go to nhsolareclipse.com.

Tourism opportunity for NH could go beyond eclipse on April 8

Sununu said he expects New Hampshire to be one of the top destinations in the New England region for the rare event. It will bring higher levels of tourism to the state during a time that’s usually a lull, and he plugged New Hampshire’s tax free status.

“You can sit in your car and in traffic, or you can visit a restaurant and one of our tax-free stores and enjoy all the economic opportunity that New Hampshire has to offer,” he said.

Stevens said he has held presentations for local businesses in Colebrook to ensure they’re stocked up and ready for the flood of tourists.

Harnois said it’s a great opportunity for those outside of the state to see New Hampshire and “hopefully book another vacation.”

Sununu said the state has been working with local communities and businesses to make sure “that one moment on Monday afternoon goes as smooth as possible.”

Seacoast eclipse watch parties April 8: Here's where and when

On April 8, the Portsmouth Public Library is hosting a watch party with eclipse activities and trivia prior to the peak of the eclipse around 3:30 p.m.

“You will have the option of watching the eclipse live from the field beside the library or inside the Levenson Community Room where we will show the NASA live stream on the large screen,” the library’s event description notes.

Two hundred pairs of free eclipse glasses will be available at the event, which lasts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Registration for the event is not required. 

The Dover Public Library is offering a similar watch party to view the partial eclipse outdoors on April 8. The Garrison City is expected to see the moon blocking 95% of the sun during the event.

“Snacks, crafts and music will all be part of the fun, as we view this rare phenomena together. Bring a lawn chair, grab a snack and eclipse glasses, or make a viewfinder, and discover and explore with us,” the library says.

The event at 73 Locust St. will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The lawn in front of the picturesque Thompson Hall clock tower at the University of New Hampshire in Durham is expected to be teeming with students, faculty and staff waiting for the peak of the partial eclipse next Monday. 

The school is having its own watch party on the lawn, with certified eclipse glasses designed by a university student available for use during the event. The school’s watch party will also be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the school’s two Wildcat mascots, Wild E. Cat, will pose for photos with guests as the state’s flagship university counts down to the eclipse. 

“There won’t be another chance to view a total eclipse like this over North America for decades,” per the university’s event announcement.

Ian Lenahan contributed to this report.