SEACOAST GREENWAY:
PORTSMOUTH-NORTH HAMPTON, VERMONT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: September 12, 2024
Length: Seacoast Greenway; 7.9 miles complete. Another 0.3 miles in Portsmouth.
Difficulty: Easy. Flat, crushed gravel rail trail.
Directions:
To Start from the Lafayette Road parking lot in North Hampton [Southern End]; From I-95 take exit 2 to Route 101 east. Take the Route 1 exit to Route 1 north. From the end of the ramp travel 1.8 miles. Just past Route 151, parking lot is on your right.
To Start from the Portsmouth Skate Park parking lot in Portsmouth [Northern End]; From I-95 take exit 3 to Route 33 east. Cross a bridge over the rail trail and turn left into the Portsmouth Skate Park. Trailhead is past the skate park.
The Seacoast Greenway follows the old rail bed of the former Boston & Maine RR; Hampton Branch. It will connect South, to the Eastern Marsh Trail in Salisbury, MA and travel North, through Seabrook, Hampton Falls, Hampton, North Hampton, and Portsmouth. For more information visit; SEACOAST GREENWAY & SEACOAST GREENWAY; PORTSMOUTH .
Starting from the Lafayette Road parking lot in North Hampton [Southern End]; A short trail will bring you to the rail bed.
Note;
Right, South, the trail quickly ends at the
Hampton town line. Phase 1B will continue the trail South,
1.9 miles to Drakeside Rd. Scheduled for
construction in 2026. Phase
2 will continue South, from Drakeside
Rd, 2.4 miles through Hampton
Falls to Seabrook. Scheduled
for construction in 2030.
Phase 3 will extend the trail 2.3 miles
through Hampton Falls Marsh and is
scheduled for 2032.
Travel left, North, along the wide, crushed gravel Seacoast Greenway through a wooded, partially shaded corridor. Pass by the 6.5 Mile Marker [Distance from MA] after 0.1 miles. These Mile Markers are located every 0.1 miles along the trail. Travel past Hampton Airfield and underneath the Cedar Rd bridge, before passing the 6.8 Mile Marker. Travel past the old Hampton B&M RR Depot (now a residence), before traveling underneath Atlantic Ave and passing by an old granite RR Mileage Marker 7 (These old RR Mile Markers were located every Mile along the railbed and began from Portsmouth, where 2 RR lines merged. Mile 0) at Mile Marker 7.5. Pass by Hobbs Martin Field on your left, where they fly model airplanes. This trail is ramrod straight and not a lot of variety. Travel underneath Route 1 at Mile Marker 8.5 and pass by another old granite RR Mileage Marker 6. Pass by the old Coakley Landfill (Superfund site) at Mile Marker 9.3 before a causeway takes you trough a marsh. Cross Breakfast Hill Road at Mile Marker 10. Parking area. You now follow a shaded wooden corridor, as you very briefly pass through Rye and Greenland into Portsmouth. Pass by a small marsh and another old granite RR Mileage Marker 4 at Mile Marker 10.5. Cross Ocean Rd at Mile Marker 11.4 and Bainfield Rd at Mile Marker 12. Follow a causeway through Pickering Brook Marsh, passing by old granite RR Mileage Marker 2 at Mile Marker 12.5. You can barley make out the letter P, on the marker, which stood for Portsmouth. Reenter the woods. Travel underneath Route 33 at Mile Marker 13.5, passing by old granite RR Mileage Marker 1, before coming to a Spur Trail on your right.
Note; This Spur Trail will take you to the Portsmouth Skate Park parking lot .
The trail turns Northeast, traveling above a small pond on your left. Cross Wbbx Rd, as you pass by Mile Marker 14, before traveling through a small cut to Barberry Ln after (7.9 miles from parking lot) [Mile 14.3] and the end of the trail. Just North of here, the old rail bed merges with an active RR line and so can not continue along the rail bed.
Future plans will continue the trail left, West, along Barberry Ln, crossing over an active RR line and traveling through the woods to Borthwick Ave. Here the trail will travel on-road, Northeast along Borthwick Ave-Hodgdon Way-to Route 1 in Portsmouth, where it connects to another completed section of trail. This 0.3 mile paved section travels Northeast, alongside Hodgdon Way & Cate Ln, ending just before Bartlett St. The trail will then continue left along Bartlett St to North Mill Pond on your right. Here, the paved trail will continue Northeast alongside the pond to Maplewood Ave. The trail will then continue on-road, out to Route 1 and take you North, across the Piscataqua River, to Kittery ME. Future connection to the Eastern Trail . See; Map Below.
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CLICK HERE FOR SEACOAST GREENWAY MAP
CLICK HERE FOR HAMPTON to PORTSMOUTH SECTION MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT
