New Hampshire’s Diamond in the Rough: Odiorne Point State Park

By far, my favorite place in New Hampshire was Odiorne Point State Park. Our first visit was on a quick reconnoissance mission one evening. It is located in Rye, just north of our stay in North Hampton. Part of the land contained within the park is proported to be the first land inhabited in New Hampshire by the English settlers, and there is even a stone commemorating this, referred to as the “Plymouth Rock of New Hampshire.” The Odiorne Family owned the property for about 300 hundred years, beginning in the mid 1600s and ending at the beginning of World War II. The Odiorne Family sold off some of the land near the ocean so that vacation homes could be built. All but two of these homes were demolished during WWII. During WWII, the US Government commandeered the land and built bunkers on the coast to avoid a German invasion. We sadly missed exploring the bunkers which currently serve as a home to endangered bats. In recent years, the Rockingham County Conservation District has worked with NH State parks to restore the native plants and remove invasive species.

During our first visit, we found that no one mans the visitors‘ booth in the evening, so cars came and went as they pleased (although it was at less than a third capacity). There was a small camper in a parking lot off to the side, but I’m not sure if they were actually camping there or just pulled in to enjoy the views. The Seacoast Science Center is a large building off to one side near the sea, but we didn’t check it out. Dogs are not allowed at this state park, and since Ginny had come along for the drive, I stayed in the car with her while John and the kids got an evening view. Despite being most distressed when separated from me, Ginny acted as though I had just told her the kids were going to live with someone else, crying, whining, and pawing at the window until they came back. She wasn’t remotely interested in the Fritos I tried to share with her because her best friends had gone out into the big world without her to protect them. The kids returned with several smelly treasures and begged to come back for more adventures.

With some scattered showers the following day, we decided the rocks at Odiorne might be too slippery for proper exploration. Instead, we headed to the Urban Forestry Center, a place that caught our eye on our exploratory drive to Odiorne Point the previous evening.

The Urban Forestry Center made my heart smile a little because it felt familiar. There are many similarities between the Agricultural History Farm, where we ran Cross Country for years, and the Urban Forestry Center in New Hampshire. There is a science center which was open for limited occupants/programming; we never entered the center (similar to the learning building at the Agricultural History Farm which was always closed by the time Cross Country practice started or during weekend visits to the Farm). There is a fenced garden maintained by the center, highlighting the local flora and fawna. I have so many fond memories of Riley growing up wandering through the little garden on the side of the Agricultural History Farm. She even showed us her true character early on during one visit, falling in the small koi pond.

On this visit to the Urban Forestry Center, no one fell in the water (I’m not sure there was even a pond) and the trees provided some much needed shade from the baking sun.

Our first stop was a small cemetery. Knowing how these types of things can cause festering anxiety for my kids, we met it head on, checking out the gravestones while I marveled about what we saw. This did the trick and the kids were quickly sucked into the beauty of the aging headstones and the elaborate stories behind the family plot. The headstones dated back to the early 1600s and we hypothesized about why we could read some of the ones dating back the furthest, while some of the ones constructed in the 1800s were crumbling. Riley believes they are made from different types of stone depending on the financial means of the family at the time. Smart cookie. We also talked about how some of the stones might have been refurbished over the years and what that might entail. We quickly digressed into conversations about double cemetery plots and burial that made Kaeli shiver and sparked Riley’s curiosity. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why Scooby Doo gives Riley nightmares while she can discuss death and all sorts of other “scary stuff” with ease.

We stopped next in a neat clearing where the girls climbed over logs and trees. We found a creature house on a post, obviously maintained by the caretakers of the property, and were debating whether it was a bird or bat house. As we leaned to stare inside the seemingly abandoned house, a bird flew out in our faces, startling us and answering our question at the same time.

We started down the trail and the kids went on a dragon hunt, trying to splash in the puddles and climb around trees not quite on the path. There are big, wide trails that again reminded me of the trails cut through the corn field when the girls were running cross country. Instead of corn fields, there is wild vegetation between the sections of the path here. We found a little evergreen and decided to pose with it, incorporating “Christmas in July” in the dragon hunt.

We also found a snake on the path, but I kept calm and only picked up my speed a little to high tail it out of there. I will admit that I did not look back to see if the kids were following until I had at least 10 feet between myself and the snake. I knew there was a possibility that they would stop to check it out (they like to look at all creatures, but don’t try to get too close/touch snakes), and it didn’t look vicious in the split second gaze I had initially given it. So yeah, I left my kids behind in the dust, but at least I didn’t panic and totally run off. They had decided that socially distancing also applied to snakes and continued up the path with me. It was a good way to get a little exercise and explore through the shade on a hot day.

I returned with the kids to Odiorne State Park the following day. There is an online reservation system available for NH state parks right now to minimize contact between park employees and visitors. We paid our parking fee and printed it out (yes, we have a printer under our dining room sofa n the RV), so all I had to do was hold it up while the park employee gave me a thumbs up from behind a plastic sneeze shield (still wearing a mask, I might add; double thumbs up to NH).

There is a short path down to the rocks with grassy areas and benches that would be great for picnics. As you approach, the rocks look mystical. We went at low tide, which is the most magical time to go because extra rows of rocks have been uncovered from their aquatic fortress. There are all sorts of treasures, both creatures and artifacts, caught in the crevices in the rocks and between them. I found a happy perch on a dry rock where I relaxed, read and enjoyed the majestic view of the seascape as the water slowly lapped against the rocks, lulling me into a quiet, relaxed state. It was amazing to read, look up, get lost in the view for a few minutes, and simply enjoy life. The girls had a safety boundary (they couldn’t go out on the last few rows of rocks), so it was fun to watch their heads as they bobbed in and out of view climbing through the rocks. True artifacts circa World War II and beyond have been found in this area, such as soldier’s buttons or remnants of the vacation homes. The kids felt everything they picked up was a treasure, including crab shells, seaweed, and “artifacts.” Their artifacts were worn down pottery, metal fishing gear, etc. from much more modern times. They were electrified by the search and I relished the time soaking in the healing powers of the ocean.

Eventually, Riley became hungry and the snacks in my well-stocked backpack did nothing to pacify her limitless hunger, so we left for lunch. We considered coming back that evening, but the call of the ocean was stronger for the girls, and I was outvoted.

I wish we had more days to frequent Odiorne State Park and soak in all of the historical treasures and natural salve. While just a brief stopping point to rest before we travelled on to our destination, New Hampshire proved to dazzle us with its incredible sea coast.