Adams Point, Durham, NH
Adams Point is an 80–acre peninsula in the upper estuary, where Furber Straight connects Little Bay to the north and Great Bay to the south. There are lovely walks across meadows, through woods, and along rocky shorelines. At the end of the road to the point, a row of parking spaces and a boat launch faces Little Bay. A tidal marsh on the other side of the roadway has ducks feeding and loafing, an occasional great blue heron stalking fish, or red-winged black birds flying about, during the warmer months.
Up the hill, at the end of the road, there is a little dirt parking area for walking trails. Across the paved lot is the University of New Hampshire's Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. Trail maps, when available, are stored in a box attached to the display board. The trail behind the display board heads into the woods to a fork. A right turn leads to the boat ramp at the first parking area described above, along the shoreline, and then up through more woods to the road ending at the display board. Take time to sit and enjoy the view of Little Bay from a bench in the woods above the bluff. A left turn at the fork is a longer trail (one mile) beside the shale-covered shoreline surrounding Adams Point. This will take you by Great Bay. Look for shorebirds feeding in the water draining from Crommet Creek, toward the end of high tide.
The entrance to the trail across the meadows starts at a road-block rail south of the dirt parking spaces. There are lots of pleasant views from the bluff overlooking Great Bay.
Located at the end of Adams Point Road in Durham. From Newmarket, take Bay Road for several miles. Look for the sign for UNH’s Jackson Estuarine Lab on the right.
From Durham, take Durham Point Road for several miles. Look for the Jackson Estuarine Lab sign on your left. Trail Map courtesy of the Town of Durham.