| Clark's Bears | |
| Previous Names: | Clark's Trading Post |
| Status: | Operating |
| Season: | mid-May to mid-October |
| Location: | Lincoln, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Coordinates: | 44.0483°N -71.6856°W |
| Owner: | Privately owned |
| Opening Date: | 1928 |
| Rides: | Merlin's Mystical Mansion |
| Shows: | Summer Circus |
| Water Rides: | Anaconda Escape, Blaster Boats |
| Other Rides: | White Mountain Central Railroad |
| Slogan: | "Family Fun and Family Run Since 1928" |
Clark's Bears, named Clark's Trading Post until 2019,[1] [2] is a visitor attraction in Lincoln, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains. It is known for its trained bears and for the White Mountain Central Railroad, a 30-minute, 2.5miles steam-powered train ride. The attraction is located along U.S. Route 3, 1miles north of the village of North Woodstock and 9miles south of Franconia Notch.
The property opened as a roadside stand in 1928 known as "Ed Clark's Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch", selling souvenirs and allowing visitors to view Florence and Ed Clark's Labrador sled dogs.[3] The Clarks purchased their first black bear in 1931 and used it to attract tourists. The Clarks' sons, Edward and Murray, began training the bears in 1949 and created a bear show.[4]
In the 1950s, the Clark brothers began salvaging old steam locomotives and displaying them at the Trading Post. This led to the construction of the White Mountain Central Railroad, a purpose-built tourist railroad with a standard-gauge track. Construction on the railroad began in 1955 and the first train ride was on July 30, 1958.[5]
The railroad includes a 1904 Howe truss covered bridge that was originally located in East Montpelier, Vermont, where it spanned the Winooski River and carried trains for the Montpelier and Barre Railroad.[6] The bridge was purchased by the Clark brothers and dismantled in 1964,[7] then moved and reassembled to span the Pemigewasset River near the Trading Post.[8]
The current train ride is powered during most of the season by a 1920 Climax steam locomotive, and mid-weeks during fall foliage season by a 1943 GE 65-ton switcher (diesel powered). The 30-minute train ride includes an appearance by a character known as the Wolfman, presented as a wild prospector protecting his unobtainium mine by harassing the train passengers.[9]
Clark's Bears includes several museums:
Other locations with historic trains in a non-historic setting: