When we say UNH is in the middle of everywhere, we mean it literally. Draw a 20-mile radius around the heart of campus, and you’ll find options to keep you busy for an entire year. Here are some of our favorite things to do within a short drive or bus ride from campus.
1. Wander
The town of Durham has 800 acres of conservation land, most of which is covered with trails through forests and fields and along rivers, streams and a gigantic bay. Pack your sneaks and follow the blazes.
Don’t miss
Foss Farm
Doe Farm
Adam’s Point
2. Take the plunge
We’ve lost count of all the places you can put your boat, board or body in water — campus is surrounded by H2O in its many forms (river, pond, bay, ocean). Whether sailing’s your thing or you prefer someone else to navigate, there’s no shortage of water sports and activities within a stone’s throw.
Don’t miss
Outdoor pool, Campus
Wiswall Falls, Durham
Mendum’s Pond, Lee
3. Throw Some Balls
Occasionally it rains, and that’s why bowling was invented. Luckily, there are no fewer than four bowling alleys within 20 minutes of campus. (Prefer Skee-Ball? Head to Hampton Beach or to Short Sands Beach in York, Maine.)
Closest to campus
Dover Bowl, Dover
KJs, Newmarket
Bowl-O-Rama, Portsmouth
4. Eat Like a Local
That means lobster rolls, lobster omelets, lobster benedict, lobster nachos 24-7, with a short break for something blueberry.
Our favorite dishes
Lobster Haul at The Friendly Toast, Portsmouth
In the Rough at Chauncey Creek, Kittery Point
Lobster Flatbread at Newicks, Dover Point
5. Go for Birdie
There’s a golf course in almost every town on New Hampshire’s seacoast, and many of them are public. Pack your spikes and practice your drives – it’s going to be a hole-in-one kind of day. (Get your UNH balls and other gear here.)
What we love
Wildlife sightings at Breakfast Hill
Planes landing at Pease
Awesome pizza at the Rock (Rockingham)
6. Chillax
Meditate all morning amid 20-acres of semi-private gardens in nearby Lee. Not to be missed by lovers of beauty, nature and contemplative spaces, Bedrock Gardens is an oasis of peace, with lush vignettes like the Dark Woods, the Shrubaria and Conetown.
Don’t miss
The Garish Garden
The Swaleway
The Allée
7. Straddle Two Great States
Walk across the Memorial Bridge from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Kittery, Maine. It spans the Piscataqua River and some of the strongest tidal currents in North America. Underneath the churning surface waters are UNH-designed turbines that power a suite of UNH-designed sensors that monitor the bridge’s condition. Kittery has a diminutive and delicious smoothie stand, an amazing noodle bar and the best Indian food around. DO NOT leave Kittery without sampling a cruller from Lil’s.
Keep an eye out for
Harbor seals
Tugboats at work
Submarines
8. Ride the Shark
You haven’t lived until you’ve ridden the shark at the Hampton Beach arcade, so stuff some quarters into your shorts and head east until you smell the salt air. New Hampshire’s Atlantic coastline is about 20 minutes from campus and well worth the trip, day or night.
Don’t miss
Pocket beaches at Odiorne State Park
New Castle Common volleyball courts and BBQ pits
“The strip” at Hampton Beach
9. Reach the Peak
Bag a mountain AND be back on campus for your 10 o’clock class. At 1,011 feet, nearby Pawtuckaway Mountain offers beautiful lake views, while the summit of Mount Agamenticus (elev. 692 ft.) in York, Maine, looks out miles over the Atlantic Ocean. Hitting either trail would be a great way to start your day and stay on schedule, but if longer hikes are your thing, head for the Whites.
Don’t miss
The purple finch, New Hampshire’s state bird
Flo’s Hot Dogs (legendary!), Cape Neddick, Maine
Well-dressed alumni (UNH grads are some of the most outdoorsy you’ll ever meet, and they wear the logo loudly and proudly. Look for it and say “Hi” when you spot them!)
10. Lose Your Voice
“I’m bored,” said no UNH student ever. There’s something to watch, listen to or dance to seven days and nights a week around here. From death metal to Shakespeare, comedy to spoken word, the area is bursting with performance, and you'll lose your voice yelling, "Encore!"
Favorites
Live music at The Stone Church, Newmarket
Strawberry shortcake intermission at Hackmatack Playhouse, Berwick, Maine
The Players Ring, Portsmouth
