The Urban Forestry Center is a 182-acre state-owned forest and environmental education center in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There are several buildings, garden demonstration areas, and trails which are used for walking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.
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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...
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I love The Urban Forestry Center. The location is always clean and usually quiet. It is a fantastic place to take a walk. They have tree identification trails where kids may learn which tree is planted by matching the number plaque in front of the tree and answer key. There are chipmunks, butterflies, a myriad of fungi and plants to identify as well as flowers and birds. It is a great place for families to walk, picnic and have a quiet day with family. My daughter and I take folding chairs and our watercolors to paint the landscape. It truly is one of my favorite places. I hesitated before reviewing as I would love to keep this...
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This is one of my very favorite places in Portsmouth! I've been here numerous times over the past 5 yrs. Trails are well marked and there's even some paths that venture off the main trails. It's also dog-friendly and easy for all ages to enjoy. I found myself this trip taking the trails opposite of what I normally walk and took a path off a main trails and came across this gift. To whoever made this, thank you for taking the time to set this up for others! It was perfect timing...
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