This New Hampshire College Town Offers New England Charm Alongside Stunning River Views

Durham sits in New Hampshire's Seacoast region, a stretch often considered one of New England's most underrated and charming coastlines. The town is about 70 miles north of Boston and 20 minutes from Portsmouth. You can reach Durham conveniently via Boston Logan International Airport or the closer Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. As a classic college town, Durham's pace is closely tied to the University of New Hampshire, giving it both a youthful spirit and a welcoming small-town feel.

The University of New Hampshire, the state's flagship public university, brings concerts, lectures, and athletics into town; many events are open to the public. A football game at Wildcat Stadium, an art exhibition at the UNH Museum of Art, or simply walking past the Romanesque-style Thompson Hall gives you a sense of how campus life and town activity connect.

That same student energy also shapes Durham's food scene. You'll find the Tideline Public House, a beer garden and boutique hotel that serves local craft beer and casual bites and has earned outstanding Google reviews for its friendly service and community atmosphere. Just a short walk away, Thai Smile-2 offers classic Thai dishes and holds a four-star rating on TripAdvisor, making it a reliable choice for students and visitors in the heart of town.

Durham's New England heritage is most visible in its historic buildings and cultural landmarks. Along Main Street, you'll see 19th-century brick storefronts and preserved civic buildings that echo the town's colonial roots. The Three Chimneys Inn, built in 1649, offers one of the region's oldest examples of Colonial timber and stone craftsmanship. On the University of New Hampshire campus, the red-brick Thompson Hall clock tower and the collegiate gothic Hamilton Smith Hall stand as enduring examples of New England's traditional styles, anchoring the town's identity as both historic and academic.

The Oyster River adds a natural counterpoint to these built landmarks. It provides opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding in warmer months. Trails along its edges lead you to tidal marshes, quiet birding spots, and picnic areas, giving you a sense of how much the river shapes daily life in Durham.

For sweeping river views, Wagon Hill Farm is a local favorite. The historic farmland slopes gently to the water's edge, offering trails through salt marsh and panoramic views across Great Bay. Winter brings sledding crowds, while spring and fall draw walkers and photographers eager to capture the foliage. By summer, it's the combination of open fields, river views, and shoreline access that makes spending time here feel like an activity that deserves a spot among New England's best and most unique summer vacation activities.

Durham is best known for its outdoor spots. Adams Point is one of the top places to go if you want river views, with short trails leading to salt marshes where you can watch the tide shift in and out. Packers Falls Park, a small conservation area along the Lamprey River, has a quiet, wooded trail with access to the riverbank. It's especially popular for fishing, picnicking, and enjoying the sound of rushing water away from the busier trails.

If you're looking for something family-friendly, Emery Farm has been operating since the 1600s and still runs as a working farm. You can shop for produce, baked goods, and apple cider donuts, or join seasonal hayrides and community events in warmer months. It's one of the best ways to experience local food and farming culture.

That sense of discovery continues in other corners of town. On select Saturday nights, the University of New Hampshire Observatory opens its doors to the public, letting visitors look through telescopes and learn from staff. Just a couple of miles away, Spruce Hole Bog offers a unique trail through a protected wetland with interpretive signs that explain its rare ecosystem. Beyond these local highlights, New Hampshire offers a wide variety of experiences for travelers, and is also the most affordable state in America for 2025.