Beaches, Ocean & Lake Towns in New Hampshire – Something for Summer Time

For those of us who love large bodies of water and who live have not visited New Hampshire, might not know that New Hampshire has a very beautiful ocean shoreline, albeit among the shortest coasts in the US. From many parts of New Hampshire the ocean in Maine and Massachusetts are within an hour or two drive. Further if you like the ocean for the beach and water sports, you may be happy to learn that New Hampshire and its neighbors have a number of large lakes that may quell your ocean longings.

New Hampshire Towns by the Ocean

If you are looking for salt water in NH, you have to head to the southeast portion of the state where you will find a few miles of lovely coastal towns, buttressed between the corners of Maine and Massachussetts, in the corner of Rockingham County, NH, what is known as the Seacoast to natives. This includes from north to south the NH towns of New Castle, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton and Seabrook directly on the coast. Portsmouth and Newington border the Piscataqua River which contains Portsmouth Harbor, which then empties into the Atlantic.

The Hampton area is probably best known for its beaches which come alive in the summer with tourists and sun bathers. Hampton and Hampton beach have some of the most expensive homes and beachfront houses in New Hampshire. Portsmouth is a fun artsy town, the kind reminiscent of Cape Cod, MA or Newport, RI. The harbor there is considered one of the nicest in the US, and still very active. Nearby across the border in Maine are the Kittery Outlets and coastal resort towns. You will also find lots of nice beaches and towns in nearby Massachusetts including the towns of Cape Ann, a nicer, less crowded version of its southern sister-Cape.

 

Hampton, Rye, North Hampton, New Castle and Seabrook all have state beaches; with Hampton Beach being the most popular. Hampton Beach is a bit like a smaller Coney Island without the boardwalk. It is similar to other Northeast US beach towns who saw their heyday many decades ago. The sand is wide and there’s lots of amenities and restaurants and arcades. If you are looking to avoid the crowds and tourists the other nearby beaches are worth checking out.

NH’s Seacoast Liberty Community

You can find a lot of New England charm within these towns. Of course that can be a good thing but also draws lots of non-liberty lovers from neighboring New England locations. For liberty oriented folks the New Hampshire Seacoast Liberty Meetups are a good place to find like-minded friends.

Lakes in New Hampshire

The truth is if you look at a map of NH you will find lots of ponds and lakes dotting the region. If you are looking for an ocean like experience but don’t need the salt water, Lake Winnipesaukee is certainly full of attractions and over 250 natural islands. Covering nearly 70 square miles, the lake is surrounded by eight New Hampshire towns including: Alton (the biggest town), Gilford, Laconia (the Bike Week town), Merideth, Center Harbor, Moltonborough, Tuftonboro (contains Melvin Village) and Wolfeboro. Lake Winnipesaukee offers beaches, hiking, boat tours & jet-skiing, harbor attractions and all you would expect of large water bodies. It has been known as a resort location for vacationing folks from Boston and New York for over a century.

 

 

There are lots of smaller lakes and ponds throughout New Hampshire. Nearby Vermont and Maine have even larger lakes in Lake Champlain and Moosehead respectively.

So again the area can attract a lot of folks who are not necessarily liberty-minded but the good news is, if you decided to live here you are closer to Porcfest than your friends coming from Manchester.

Have you enjoyed the ocean or lakes in NH and if so where do you go?