Seacoast

Isles of Shoals Steamship Company - Portsmouth, NH

Bordering the Atlantic Ocean with a mere 18 miles, the Seacoast region makes up for its shortage of coastline tenfold with its richness of history, culture, art and utter beauty. For those who love the water, the ocean tickles the sands at Hampton Beach and Rye.

Take a ferry ride to the Isles of Shoals, a group of nine small islands a few miles off the coast of New Hampshire; charter a boat for deep-sea fishing or take a whale-watching cruise from several locations along the shore. Bike along paths, take a ride through a countryside populated by historic homes and farmlands, or simply slip your toes in the sand and bask in the sunshine. The New Hampshire seacoast has it all.

The area was home to many native cultures, predominantly Abenaki, who lived and worked the land long before the European settlers arrived in the 1600's. These settlers nearly eradicated the native people with the diseases they brought. A man by the name of David Thompson holds the honor of founder of the state of New Hampshire and he chose the seacoast area as his stomping ground.

Thompson was sent to the coastal area to develop a fishing colony. He settled on the land that is now known as Odiorne Point in Rye. Early on, the primary industry in the seacoast was fishing, but trading would become an anchor to the region and eventually timber and textile mills, and especially shipbuilding, would dominate the area.

The town of Portsmouth is home to an assortment of historic sites, which are showcased along the Portsmouth Harbor Trail. The eating and drinking establishments attract visitors to downtown shops, allowing artists to flourish in the community. And the beauty of Portsmouth, from Prescott Park to the cobblestone sidewalks to the picturesque harbor, is nearly unparalleled.

The town of Dover, New Hampshire's first permanent settlement, is a place seasoned with Colonial and Georgian architecture. Nearby Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire. The town of Seabrook is best known for its Nuclear Power Plant. Much of the surrounding inland area is abundant farmland and charming countryside. As with the rest of the state, many old structures still stand as meetinghouses, covered bridges and town halls that make up a character that is uniquely New England.

Top 10

Explore the top 10 things to do in the Seacoast region!

News & Happenings

Commerical fishing season set for tasty start

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Local fishermen, local chefs and Redhook Brewery will come together this Sunday to celebrate the beginning of the commercial...

Photo courtesy of Ralph Morang

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS: Strawbery Bank Museum, which will welcome visitors throughout the Memorial Day weekend, features 16 buildings and gardens, with role-players and working craftspeople helping to chronicle the evolution of Portsmouth from the early Colonial period of maritime trade through the 1950s neighborhood of Puddle Dock.

Strawbery Banke Museum pays tribute to military past and present

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As the Granite State commemorates those who died in service to the country, Strawbery Banke Museum, a 10-acre campus representing...

Image courtesy of Bushor Photography

LISTEN UP: Andrew Codispoti performs in a previous ShakesBEERience performance, which centered on another royal leader, “King Lear.”

It's a bard-worthy ShakesBEERience

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With the news back in February of the discovery of King Richard III bones under a parking lot in England, Seven Stages...

Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion in Portsmouth is home to what is considered the nation's oldest lilacs. Below, Jessica Sleevi prunes one of the trees on the property, where New Hampshire Gov. Benning Wentworth once resided.

Annual springtime festival blooms as Portsmouth historic site

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Marking the arrival of a new season, the Lilac Festival blooms at Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion on Saturday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to...

UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS: An extremely awkward outing is at the center of the irreverent short film 'First Date Accident.'

LOL Short Film Festival screens on Seacoast

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A traditional film festival screens a diverse slate of movies over the course of several days, but Laugh Out Loud Short Film Fest...

WHO DID IT?: Lizzie Borden, whose name for more than 120 years has been synonymous with a grisly nursery rhyme, was tried for the murder of her parents in Fall River, Mass., but was ultimately acquitted. Still, the case remains shrouded in mystery.

Lizzie borden took an axe ... or did she?

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For more than 120 years, the ghoulish rhyming refrain has cast a pall over the spirit of New England: 'Lizzie Borden took an axe...

'Here comes the sun' – Summer Season at the Casino Ballroom

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Summer's just around the corner and in the grand tradition of Hampton Beach, the Casino Ballroom will be rocking and...

MAKE SURE IT'S ME Opens at West End Studio Theatre

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Artists' Collaborative Theatre Of New England (ACT ONE) presents the world premiere production of Kate Wenner's MAKE SURE IT'S...

Location Change for N.H. Fish and Game Commission Meeting June 12

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CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at...

Help Combat Invasive Plants; Loaner Tools & Statewide Web Resource

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GREENLAND, N.H. -- Groups working to combat invasive plants on the Seacoast can now borrow some tough "Weed Wrenching" tools to...

Waterfalls

Although there is plenty of water, there are no waterfalls in the Seacoast Region!

Attractions by Region

Browse By Region: Click on a region of interest on the map or from the dropdown menu below.

State Parks

Rye Harbor State Park

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Rye Harbor State Park affords scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Rye Harbor, also called Ragged Neck. Favorite activities...

Odiorne Point State Park

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Odiorne Point is open daily year-round. Picnickers can enjoy sweeping views of the ocean and rocky shore, and explorers can...

Kingston State Park

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Kingston State Park is only 14 miles from the New Hampshire seacoast and is close to many attractions such as Canobie Lake Park,...

Covered Bridges

Cochecho River Footbridge

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Built in 1996, this relatively new bridge allows hikers to cross the Cochecho River on their way around the Cochecho River Walk...

Historic Markers

First Public School - Hampton, New Hampshire

First Public School in NH

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Marker Number: 28

Hilton's Point

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Marker Number: 92

Exeter Town House

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Marker Number: 97

NH Historical Markers - William and Mary Raids

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Marker Number: 4

Dr. Jeremy Belknap (1744-1798) - Dover, New Hampshire

NH Historical Markers - Dr. Jeremy Belknap

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Marker Number: 51

NH Historical Markers - Civil War Riot of 1861

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Marker Number: 170

NH Historical Markers - Charles Cogswell Doe

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Marker Number: 88

Brigadier General Enoch Poor - Exeter, New Hampshire

NH Historical Markers - Brigadier General Enoch Poor

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Marker Number: 131

NH Historical Markers - Breakfast Hill

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Marker Number: 62

NH Historical Markers - Bound Rock

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Marker Number: 120

NH Historical Markers - Atlantic Cable Station and Sunken Forest

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Marker Number: 63

NH Historic Sites - Fort Constitution

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Fort Constitution State Historic Site is located on a peninsula on the northeast corner of New Castle Island.

NH Historic Sites - Fort Stark

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Fort Stark State Historic Site is located on a peninsula historically called Jerry's Point on the southeast corner of New Castle...

NH Historical Markers - George Washington's Visit

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Marker Number: 57

NH Historical Markers - John Brown Family - Gunsmiths

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Marker Number: 156

NH Historical Markers - John Langdon

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Marker Number: 127

NH Historical Markers - Josiah Bartlett

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Marker Number: 46

NH Historical Markers - Major General John Sullivan

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Marker Number: 89

NH Historical Markers - Mast Tree Riot of 1734

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Marker Number: 142

NH Historical Markers - Meeting House and Hearse House

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Marker Number: 167

NH Historical Markers - Newington

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Marker Number: 151

NH Historical Markers - North Cemetery

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Marker Number: 114

NH Historical Markers - Odiorne Point

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Marker Number: 78

NH Historical Markers - Old Landing Road

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Marker Number: 119

NH Historical Markers - Old Meeting House

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Marker Number: 26

NH Historical Markers - Oyster River Massacre

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Marker Number: 50

NH Historical Markers - Portsmouth Plains

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Marker Number: 75

NH Historical Markers - Revolutionary Capital

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Marker Number: 32

NH Historical Markers - Shapley Line

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Marker Number: 103

NH Historical Markers - Spaulding & Frost Cooperage

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Marker Number: 157

NH Historical Markers - The Spaulding Brothers

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Marker Number: 42

NH Historical Markers - Weeks House

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Marker Number: 113

Attractions

Forests

Seacoast Region

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These forests are a short drive from several state parks, beaches and the Great Bay estuary, nearby are the University of New...

Multimedia

Hesser Commencement, May 20

Created: May 23, 2013
Education
FPU wins NCAA Div. II Regional Baseball

Created: May 23, 2013
College Sports
NHIAA Sports, May 20

Created: May 23, 2013
High School Sports

New Hampshire Events Calendar

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Seacoast

05/23/2013
Book tells story of wife's battle with cancer

05/23/2013
Lizzie borden took an axe ... or did she?

05/23/2013
Commerical fishing season set for tasty start

05/24/2013
Open House at Owl Brook Hunter Education Center on June 1

04/04/2013
Goffstown police sergeant fights suspension

05/23/2013
From middle school to Middle Ages in Windham

05/23/2013
Many in Salem disappointed by casino vote

05/24/2013
Bach's Lunch Series Concludes in June with Music of Night and Nature

05/23/2013
Grantham man is Geospatial Hall of Famer

05/23/2013
Londonderry Rotary to host classic car show

05/22/2013
Gambling bill scuttled, 'Now it is going to be really tough' for budget

05/22/2013
Ignorance abounds: Obamacare and small businesses

05/23/2013
Senate Finance Committee rejects Medicaid expansion

05/22/2013
Another View: A voter ID compromise with which we all can live

05/23/2013
Updated: NH Senate kills House-passed gas, tobacco tax hikes

05/22/2013
Duo allegedly chased off by Windham neighbor with broom indicted over break-in

05/22/2013
Nashua police seek federal reimbursement for helping capture Boston bombing suspect

05/22/2013
Epping boy wondering 'Where's the beef' after his new steer runs away

05/23/2013
State’s stand-your-ground law intact

05/22/2013
Pease chosen to receive refueling tanker