Explore Hampton Falls through three distinct themes: a nature trail with descriptions of plants and birds, historic buildings, and the products of Applecrest Farm Orchards. This lets you tailor the focus of your stay to your own interests. A particularly helpful planning consideration is the difference between fixed local and literary references, on the one hand, and a farm experience that depends on the season and weather, on the other.

Nature at Marsh Lane Conservation Preserve

Marsh Lane Conservation Preserve is located off Route 1 in Hampton Falls. An accessible trail runs through the preserve. Descriptions of plants and birds accompany the trail, giving the nature theme a specific focus. Accessibility and nature come together on the same trail—a helpful point to consider if you’d like to include both when choosing your stay.

Buildings and Local History

On Drinkwater Road, the Hampton Falls Historical Society has restored an old, one-room schoolhouse. Dodge Mill was built in 1765 and still stands at 27 Kensington Road. The schoolhouse and mill illustrate different types of buildings from the town’s history; the mill also has a specific date, 1765.

The white tower of the First Baptist Church, built in 1836, welcomes visitors at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 88. The Hampton Falls Historical Society is based at the Historical Society Museum at 45 Exeter Road. Together, the schoolhouse, mill and church offer different connections to the past, while the museum’s address locates the local historical society.

John Greenleaf Whittier and Whittier Pond

The poet John Greenleaf Whittier is also connected to Hampton Falls: he spent summers in the town and wrote many of his poems while living with a Quaker family at the Gove House. Whittier Pond, named after the poet, lies opposite the Gove House. A biographical connection and a landscape feature named after Whittier are thus located directly across from one another. This literary link adds a person and the story behind a name to the town’s history.

Farm Market and Pick-Your-Own

The farm market at Applecrest Farm Orchards offers a wide selection: hand-pressed apple cider, local honey and jams, milk in glass bottles, locally produced maple syrup and cheddar cheese. There are also homemade pies, crisps, breads, cookies and cider doughnuts, baked fresh daily in the farm’s own oven. The selection includes both provisions and freshly baked goods.

Applecrest Farm Orchards also offers communal pick-your-own fruit right in its fields and orchards. This activity is seasonal and weather-dependent. Pick-your-own is therefore different from visiting the farm market: the focus here is on the harvest and timing. If you’re traveling to Hampton Falls for the harvest, check before your visit whether pick-your-own will be available on your preferred date.

Discover more destinations: Exeter, Atkinson, Portsmouth, Northwood, Seabrook, Greenland, Candia, Hampton

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