Tucked away in the Northeastern part of mainland USA, New Hampshire is part of a six-state New England region that also includes Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island.
Known for the spectacular nature of its collective landscapes, nowhere is this natural beauty best showcased in New Hampshire, than in its 93 state parks.
Including everything from stunning mountain ranges, and gorgeous coastlines, to flowing rivers and a verdant woodland, these state parks provide lots of opportunities to get out and explore nature.
For residents of Portsmouth there are several state parks within easy driving distance that allows them to hike through woodland, cycle around a mountain, fish for whitefish, bass or trout, or simply just set up for a night of camping under the stars.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, here are 10 state parks near Portsmouth you should make a point of visiting.
Map of State Parks Near Portsmouth, NH
Here is a map of the state parks in New Hampshire covered by this post:
List of State Parks Near Portsmouth
All 10 of the state parks near Portsmouth outlined below can all be reached within just over a three hour drive from the city. So they are places you can easily visit as a day trip destination.
However, if you would prefer to spend a few nights at them, they all provide opportunities for camping and other types of overnight accommodation.
1. Odiorne Point State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 3 miles southeast of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Odiorne Point State Park is a public recreation area located on the Atlantic seacoast in the town of Rye near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the United States.
Highlights associated with Odiorne Point State Park include waterfall scenery, beach access, and lake recreation.
See our full Odiorne Point State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
2. Wallis Sands State Beach
Distance from Portsmouth: about 4 miles southeast of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Wallis Sands State Beach is a public recreation area located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Rye, New Hampshire.
Highlights associated with Wallis Sands State Beach include waterfall scenery, beach access, and lake recreation.
See our full Wallis Sands State Beach guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
3. Jenness State Beach
Distance from Portsmouth: about 4 miles south of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: Geremia Street, Rye, New Hampshire 03870
Jenness State Beach is a small state park located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Rye, New Hampshire.
Highlights associated with Jenness State Beach include beach access and island scenery.
Visitor facilities listed for the park include a marina.
See our full Jenness State Beach guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
4. Rye Harbor State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 5 miles south of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: Ocean Boulevard, Rye, New Hampshire 03870
Rye Harbor State Park is a public recreation area located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Rye, New Hampshire.
Highlights associated with Rye Harbor State Park include beach access and island scenery.
Visitor facilities listed for the park include a marina.
See our full Rye Harbor State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
5. Rye Beach Recreation Area
Distance from Portsmouth: about 6 miles south of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Rye Beach Recreation Area is a public state park in New Hampshire near Rye. The park offers a peaceful retreat into nature for visitors of all ages.
Highlights associated with Rye Beach Recreation Area include waterfall scenery, beach access, and lake recreation.
See our full Rye Beach Recreation Area guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
6. North Hampton State Beach
Distance from Portsmouth: about 8 miles south of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton State Beach is a one-acre state park located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of North Hampton, New Hampshire.
Highlights associated with North Hampton State Beach include waterfall scenery, beach access, and lake recreation.
See our full North Hampton State Beach guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
7. Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 10 miles north of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: 28 Oldfields Road South Berwick, ME 03908
Vaughan Woods State Park is a public recreation area located along the Salmon Falls River on the western edge of South Berwick, Maine, at the New Hampshire border.
Highlights associated with Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park include waterfall scenery, beach access, and river access.
See our full Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
8. Hampton Beach State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 12 miles south of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton Beach State Park is a 50-acre (20 ha) state park in the community of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, United States.
Highlights associated with Hampton Beach State Park include waterfall scenery, beach access, and lake recreation.
See our full Hampton Beach State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
9. Bear Brook State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 30 miles west of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: 157 Deerfield Rd, Allenstown, NH 03275
Situated about a 50 minute drive east of Portsmouth lies Bear Brook State Park.
At over 10,000 acres this is the biggest state park in New Hampshire and is also one of the most popular. Its located within the southeastern part of the state and offers visitors a plethora of outdoor recreational activities.
This includes the likes of hiking, biking and horse back riding. Which you can do along over forty miles of trails, that guides you through heavily forested parklands to remote marshes, summits, bogs and ponds that are rarely visited.
In addition, there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, biking, fishing, photography and archery. Of which there are two ranges, one being a 15-target range and the other a four-target practice range.
Campers have two decent options at this picturesque park, which include a 101 site campground at Beaver Pond, as well as cabins which are located at Bear Hill Pond.
At the Beaver pond and nearby Catamount Ponds, you will be able to hire boats.
See our full Bear Brook State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
10. Ellacoya State Park
Distance from Portsmouth: about 45 miles northwest of Portsmouth (straight-line).
Location: 280 Scenic Dr, Gilford, NH 03249
About an hour’s drive northwest of Portsmouth in the town of Gilford lies Ellacoya State Park.
Nestled on the southwest shoreline of Lake Winnipesaukee, this park accommodates New Hampshire’s largest lake. It is a terrific spot to spend a day with the family swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing or SUP.
There is also a 600-foot long sandy beach here too, which conveys views from across the lake that look out to the imposing Ossipee and Sandwich mountains. The beach is a lovely place to relax during the summer. While there are also plenty of attractive picnic spots dotted around the area too.
The RV Campground here has 38 sites available by reservation only. Broken down into 22 sites for RV/Trailer, 15 for pull-ins and one pavilion, they all offer three-way hook-ups.
Facilities at the campground include a bathhouse and changing area for swimmers, as well as flush toilets, a playground, laundry, campfire and boat launch ramp.
See our full Ellacoya State Park guide for fees, hours, and what to expect.
