The Big River is a 14.9 miles (24 km) river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 located in central New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Suncook River

Suncook River

The Suncook River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine....

, part of the Merrimack River

Merrimack River

The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...

 (and therefore Gulf of Maine

Gulf of Maine

The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...

) watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

.

The Big River rises in high ground in the southern corner of Alton, New Hampshire

Alton, New Hampshire

Alton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2010 census. It is home to Alton Bay State Forest and Mount Major State Forest. Alton includes the village of Alton Bay, a long-time resort located beside Lake Winnipesaukee.The primary settlement in...

 and flows southeast through corners of New Durham

New Durham, New Hampshire

New Durham is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,638 at the 2010 census. It is drained by the Merrymeeting and Ela rivers, and is known for Merrymeeting Lake. New Durham is home to the Powder Mill Fish Hatchery...

 and Farmington

Farmington, New Hampshire

Farmington is a town located in Strafford County, New Hampshire, USA. The 2010 census reported that the town had a total population of 6,786. Farmington is home to Blue Job State Forest....

 into Strafford

Strafford, New Hampshire

Strafford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,991 at the 2010 census. The two main settlements in town are the villages of Center Strafford and Bow Lake Village.- History :...

. Running up against the Blue Hills Range, the river reverses course, turning west into Barnstead

Barnstead, New Hampshire

Barnstead is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,593 at the 2010 census. Home to the Suncook Lakes, Barnstead includes the villages of Center Barnstead, Barnstead Parade and South Barnstead.-History:The town was granted by Governor William Dummer in 1727 to...

, where it meets the Suncook River in the village of Center Barnstead

Center Barnstead, New Hampshire

Center Barnstead is an unincorporated village in the town of Barnstead in Belknap County, New Hampshire. It is the largest of several villages in the town....

.