Posted in New Hampshire Trips August 21, 2020 by Michelle

The 40-Mile Scenic Drive In New Hampshire You Will Want To Take As Soon As You Can

There are a lot of ways to enjoy the seacoast of New Hampshire. One of the most obvious is hitting the beach. But during the summer that can mean fighting for parking, lugging a cooler and any number of other hassles that come with setting up at one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. Instead, consider seeing it from the car on this beautiful drive. Click here for directions.

You'll start your trip in one of the most well-known cities in New Hampshire. Portsmouth was a bustling port city in the 18th and early 19th century. And today the working waterfront and downtown area are a fun place to visit.

And this starts your trip along Route 1B! From the Portsmouth historic district you'll make your way over the causeway to Newcastle.

The narrow portion of this road takes you around the island and gives you a great view of the famous Wentworth-by-the-Sea.

This is also where you'll pass Fort Stark and Fort Constitution. You might remember from history class that Fort Constitution was the sight of the first aggressive act of the American Revolution.

From here Route 1B connects to Route 1A and heads south into Rye. Then it's on to North Hampton to Hampton.

This portion of the drive includes a number of oceanfront state parks. That includes the fun Odiorne State Park.

From Hampton Beach you'll pick up Route 101 and hop onto Rt. 1 where you'll make your way through Hampton Falls. This is where you'll find Route 84, which is one of the state's first roads.

This road heads through Kensington towards Route 150 and then on to Exeter. The state's capitol during the Revolutionary War, Exeter is one of the four first towns in the state.

Then hop onto Route 27 back to Hampton to complete a beautiful day and even grab yourself something to eat in town.

Have you taken the Colonial New Hampshire Seacoast drive? Tell us about your favorite part of any must-sees along the way! And, looking for other road trip ideas? These 7 beautiful byways in New Hampshire are perfect for a scenic drive.

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Address: Portsmouth, NH 03801, USA

Address: New Castle, NH, USA

Address: Wentworth by the Sea, A Marriott Hotel & Spa, 588 Wentworth Rd, New Castle, NH 03854, USA

Address: Rye, NH, USA

Address: North Hampton, NH, USA

Address: Hampton, NH, USA

Address: Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH 03842, USA

Address: Hampton Falls, NH, USA

Address: Kensington, NH, USA

Address: Exeter, NH 03833, USA