Urban Forestry Center
Managed by New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
172 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Portsmouth
Portsmouth has 21 miles of mapped trails, 1.3 for every square mile of land
13% of Portsmouth’s land is conserved, about 1,287 acres. The biggest trail networks: Urban Forestry Center (3.5 mi), Sagamore Creek Headlands (1.5 mi), Community Campus (0.8 mi). 78% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #63 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
1,287 acres · of 15.7 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
245 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
5.3 mi lanes · 4.1 mi paths
Highest peak
82 ft
Peverly Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Portsmouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Portsmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Portsmouth is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #63 of 126 in New Hampshire. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Portsmouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (245 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home78% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 50%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Portsmouth’s 13% is ahead of 26% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% of them.
Water is 7% of Portsmouth’s area (1 of 17 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Urban Forestry Center, with 3.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sagamore Creek Headlands
Managed by City of Portsmouth
66 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Community Campus
Managed by City of Portsmouth
73 acres0.8 mi of trail
Community Campus Walking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Portsmouth Greenbelt
Managed by City of Portsmouth
181 acres0.6 mi of trail
New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Prescott Park
Managed by City of Portsmouth
7 acres0.6 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto Prescott Park Lot
Great Bog Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
260 acres0.5 mi of trail
mud bypass
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Portsmouth (NH 33) Park & Ride
Creek Farm Reservation
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
36 acres0.5 mi of trail
Little Harbor Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Creek Farm Reservation
Wentworth-Coolidge Historic Site
Managed by NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
27 acres0.3 mi of trail
Little Harbor Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Creek Farm Reservation
All 23 parks & preserves
Urban Forestry Center172 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
DirectionsSagamore Creek Headlands66 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · City of Portsmouth
DirectionsCommunity Campus73 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Portsmouth
Portsmouth Greenbelt181 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Portsmouth
DirectionsPrescott Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Portsmouth
DirectionsGreat Bog Wildlife Management Area260 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
DirectionsCreek Farm Reservation36 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsWentworth-Coolidge Historic Site27 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · NH Dept of Resources & Econ Dev
DirectionsAtlantic Height Playground8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGoodwin Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pannaway Park4 acres · City of Portsmouth
Portsmouth Plains4 acres
DirectionsClough Field3 acres
DirectionsBohenko Gateway Park3 acres · Portsmouth Department of Public Works
DirectionsLangdon Park3 acres
DirectionsHaven Park2 acres
DirectionsAlbacore Park2 acres
DirectionsMaple Haven Park2 acres · City of Portsmouth
DirectionsPacker Bog Town Conservation Land1 acres · Town of Greenland
Packer Bog Preserve1 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Lafayette Playground1 acres
DirectionsPine Street Playground1 acres
Rock Street Playground1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,287 conserved acres
13% of Portsmouth’s land. Water is left out: Portsmouth has 15.7 square miles of land and 1.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Portsmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city324 ac
State natural resources275 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits270 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government247 ac
Regional agency42 ac
State fish & wildlife29 ac
Joint9 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 483 acConservation Easement · 440 acUnknown Easement · 304 acState Resource Management Area · 212 acPrivate Conservation · 87 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 375 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 53 of 70 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Forestry Center State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 179 | Open |
| Hospital Corporation of America Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 92 | Unknown |
| Jones Avenue Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| City of Portsmouth Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 77 | Unknown |
| Lang Road Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 38 | Unknown |
| Stauber Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Widen Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 33 | Unknown |
| Grossman Development Properties, Inc. Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Unknown |
| Wentworth Coolidge Historic Site State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 30 | Open |
| Lot C Private Conservation | State fish & wildlife | 29 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
61 places to go in Portsmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Portsmouth
Activity Pool
DirectionsBig Ollie
DirectionsPirate's Lagoon
DirectionsPortsmouth Indoor Pool
DirectionsPortsmouth Outdoor Pool
DirectionsSpinnaker Point Recreation Center
DirectionsTahiti Treehouse
DirectionsThe Whirlpool
Directions1 more public pool
Wave Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Portsmouth
Cater Park
DirectionsJump On In
DirectionsPannaway PlaygroundIn Pannaway Park
DirectionsSouth Playground
DirectionsPlus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Portsmouth
6 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Portsmouth
Pierce Island Boat LaunchFee
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Portsmouth
5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Portsmouth
Peverly Hill82 ft elevation
DirectionsSagamore Hill79 ft elevation · In Sagamore Creek Headlands
DirectionsSagamore Hill39 ft elevation
DirectionsHobbs Hill
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.3 miHorses · 3.5 miUnpaved · 15.6 mi
New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway3.5 mi
Little Harbor Loop Trail1.0 mi
Community Campus Walking Trail0.3 mi
mud bypass0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.1 mi
off-road bike paths
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
New Hampshire Seacoast GreenwayBike route
3.5 miEast Coast Greenway (NH)Bike route
3.2 miCourts & fields
30Tennis
16Pickleball
12Basketball
7Baseball
2Soccer
2Football
2Softball
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →42 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Whidden-Ward HouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itHart-Rice HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itHenry Sherburne HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itJames Neal HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About it30 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Portsmouth: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 36 | 44 | 55 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Portsmouth →
Next door
Portsmouth and its neighbors
Portsmouth has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Kittery24 miPortsmouth21 miRye14 miEliot13 miNewington8.6 miGreenland5.9 miSouth Eliot2.4 miNew Castle0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 13% | 1.3 | 11 | 78% | A− |
| New Castle | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rye | 23% | 1.1 | 117 | 55% | A |
| Greenland | 22% | 0.6 | 1 | 30% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Portsmouth
Where can I hike in Portsmouth?
The longest trail networks: Urban Forestry Center, 3.5 miles; Sagamore Creek Headlands, 1.5 miles; Community Campus, 0.8 miles; Portsmouth Greenbelt, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Portsmouth is conserved land?
13% of its land, against a typical 19% for a New Hampshire town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Portsmouth’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Great Bog Wildlife Management Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Portsmouth?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.3 of painted or protected lanes, 4.1 of off-road paths and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway and East Coast Greenway (NH).
Is there public land near Portsmouth?
7,323 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portsmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 432 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Portsmouth have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #63 of 126 in New Hampshire. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Portsmouth neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →