Gordon Barker Town Forest
Managed by Stratham Conservation Commission
125 acres2.9 mi of trail
Kitty Rock TrailSouth Eagle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Stratham
20% of Stratham’s land is conserved: 1,933 acres
18 miles of mapped trail cross Stratham, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Gordon Barker Town Forest (2.9 mi), Stratham Hill Park (2.8 mi). 19% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #102 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
1,933 acres · of 15.1 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
116 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
19%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.5 mi
0.4 mi lanes
Highest peak
266 ft
Jewell Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Stratham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Stratham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Stratham is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #102 of 126 in New Hampshire. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Stratham’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (116 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13BParks close to home19% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 19%
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Stratham’s 20% is ahead of 58% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 48% of them.
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 Gordon Barker Town Forest, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stratham Hill Park
Managed by Town of Stratham
86 acres2.8 mi of trail
Lovell Road TrailRivendellNorth Eagle TrailSouth Eagle Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
Great Bay Discovery Center
Managed by NH Fish & Game
48 acres0.4 mi of trail
Woodland Walk
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Squamscott River Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
139 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 6 parks & preserves
Gordon Barker Town Forest125 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Stratham Conservation Commission
DirectionsStratham Hill Park86 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Town of Stratham
DirectionsGreat Bay Discovery Center48 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
DirectionsSquamscott River Wildlife Management Area139 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
DirectionsScammon Forest86 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
DirectionsStevens Park21 acres · Town of Stratham
DirectionsWho protects it
1,933 conserved acres
20% of Stratham’s land. Who manages Stratham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits937 ac
Town or city478 ac
Regional agency471 ac
Other state land349 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)274 ac
Joint234 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government86 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,438 acUnknown Easement · 507 acAgricultural Easement · 507 acLocal Other or Unknown · 285 acPrivate Agricultural · 175 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,057 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 76 of 107 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart - Agricultural Preservation Restriction Private Agricultural | Other state land | 175 | Unknown |
| Gifford Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 127 | Unknown |
| Stratham Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 93 | Open |
| Squamscott River Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 89 | Closed |
| High Street Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 58 | Unknown |
| Sandy Point/Parson Hill Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 56 | Unknown |
| Sandy Point - Conway State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 43 | Restricted |
| Rollins Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 37 | Unknown |
| 42 Union Road Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 32 | Unknown |
| Zarnowski Tract Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 29 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Stratham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Stratham
10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Stratham
Chapmans LandingIn Squamscott River Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsFishing spots in Stratham
Chapmans LandingIn Squamscott River Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsScenic views in Stratham
Stratham HillIn Stratham Hill Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Stratham
Jewell Hill266 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsRollins Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsBarkers Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsStratham Heights171 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsBunker Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Stratham
4H PavilionIn Stratham Hill Park
DirectionsFront PavilionIn Stratham Hill Park
DirectionsScamman PavilionIn Stratham Hill Park
DirectionsStratham Town Landing
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.2 mi
Lovell Road Trail0.8 mi
Long Hill Trail0.6 mi
USA Today0.5 mi
Fire Pit Trail0.5 mi
Rivendell0.4 mi
Kitty Rock Trail0.4 mi
North Eagle Trail0.3 mi
South Eagle Trail0.3 mi
Ruptured lung0.2 mi
Lincoln Trail0.2 mi
2 more trails
Woodland Walk
0.1 miTuck Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
7Equestrian
5Multi-sport
5Baseball
3Softball
2Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cornet Thomas Wiggin HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itJohn Crockett HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itDeacon Samuel and Jabez Lane HomesteadBuilding · listed 1983
About itWiggin Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1993
About itBartlett-Cushman HouseBuilding · listed 2014
About itEmery FarmBuilding · listed 2017
About itScamman FarmBuilding · listed 2019
About itScammon Farm Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2023
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Stratham: 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 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Stratham →
Next door
Stratham and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stratham | 20% | 1.2 | 15 | 19% | B+ |
| Exeter | 32% | 3.2 | 58 | 88% | A+ |
| Newfields | 28% | 2.6 | 47 | 95% | A+ |
| Greenland | 22% | 0.6 | 1 | 30% | B− |
| Newmarket | 29% | 1.0 | 7 | 68% | A− |
| North Hampton | 23% | 0.7 | 90 | 67% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Stratham
Where can I hike in Stratham?
The longest trail networks: Gordon Barker Town Forest, 2.9 miles; Stratham Hill Park, 2.8 miles; Great Bay Discovery Center, 0.4 miles; Squamscott River Wildlife Management Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Stratham is conserved land?
20% 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 Stratham’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Stratham Hill Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Stratham?
0.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of painted or protected lanes and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Stratham?
10,360 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stratham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 290 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Stratham have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #102 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 Stratham 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 →