Urban Forestry Center

We’ve been visiting the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth for more than ten years, and it remains one of the most peaceful and enjoyable places to walk and relax. We first discovered it as a quiet spot to walk our first Labrador retrievers, who have since passed, and now our three-year-old Lab enjoys the same experience with us. Located on Elwyn Road, the center spans over 180 acres of managed forest, open fields, and marshland. The trails are well-marked and perfect for an easy, scenic walk through the woods. It’s always clean, quiet, and filled with natural beauty no matter the season. We visited again in late October, and the fall colors made the walk even more beautiful. The Urban Forestry Center is dog friendly, and visitors should always keep pets on a leash and carry in and carry out. We’ve occasionally seen people leave dog waste bags behind, and if that continues, it could eventually lead to dogs no longer being allowed, which would be unfortunate for responsible visitors. I have a service dog who is trained to work both on and off leash. When off leash, he remains close and focused on his tasks. This is one of the few places where he can safely enjoy a bit of freedom to explore and sniff the ground. He’s usually happily exhausted after each visit. We started down the trail toward Sagamore Creek on this visit but turned back once the path became a bit uneven for sneakers. Trail shoes would have been better. Still, the tranquility and natural beauty here make every visit worthwhile. A wonderful place for a peaceful walk, reflection, or just enjoying nature. Highly recommended for locals and visitors alike.

A great resource close to downtown Portsmouth. Nature center with educational programs, hiking trails with labeled trees for identification. The grounds have lots of unique and unusual trees, most of which are labeled as well. Vast salt marsh, one of the largest accessible ones on the seacoast . Dogs on leash are allowed.

Beautiful arboretum and park. Love that it’s dog friendly. It’s a nice place for a picnic. There were plenty of tables, entrance and parking is free. We were lucky to visit when many trees were in bloom.

Checked out this spot on my lunch break today. Really wish I had more time! Didn't get to make it to the water but it's a beautiful area. Lots of picnic tables and lots of trails. Cool little cemetary. Very easy to navigate also.

Great for outdoor and nature walks. Trails will lead you to the Bay. Great during leaf peeping season . Trails kept in good shape. Update: Sunset 🌇 Saturday, January 2021; Even with cold 🥶 temperatures and snow 🌨️ and ice (ice baby!) on the ground, this place is still popular for hiking, cross country skiing and people stopping to view the sunset 🌆. Update: July, 2023; Walked even more trails that I didn't know about. I observed 🐍 snakes, 🐢 turtles and different species of birds.