The Lamprey River is one of only two New Hampshire rivers designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Its alternating stretches of whitewater and quiet water have been loved by Seacoast paddlers and fishing enthusiasts for generations. The Lamprey is a major tributary of the Great Bay Estuary and its river corridor and uplands provide important habitat for plants and animals.

The 232-acre tract comprising the Lamprey River Preserve in Durham is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land along the river and includes more than two miles of meandering frontage on the main stem. The preserve contains floodplain forests, vernal pools, forested wetlands, and open fields, which support a diversity of wildlife including waterfowl, turtles, amphibians, and foxes. Forty acres of grassland and former agricultural fields are actively managed to provide breeding habitat for bobolinks, Eastern meadowlarks, savannah, and other field sparrows.

There are no formal trails on the preserve, but there is an unmaintained farm road that leads from the parking area on Packers Falls Road to the Lamprey River. The farm road passes through a large open field where visitors can enjoy watching for bobolinks and other grassland birds. The best way to enjoy the shoreline is by canoe or another non-motorized boat, which can be launched at one of several town-maintained boat launches on the Lamprey River. Due to nesting grassland birds, visitors are asked not to walk through the fields during spring and summer.