Birding in New Hampshire
Dover Point Road
Dover, New Hampshire 03820
Hilton Park webpage
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eBird Hotspot
Hilton Park, Dover Point
Coordinates: 43.1207832, -70.8273339
eBird links: Hotspot map – View details – Recent visits
My eBird links: Location life list – Submit data
The two bridges spanning the Piscataqua tend to dominate this riverfront park. Locals, it seems, rarely visit the spot which is among the most scenic in the region. Commuters zip by between Dover and Portsmouth, but Hilton Point is worth stopping by.
It is one of the most historic spots in New Hampshire. While David Thompson was establishing the state’s first European settlement at Rye, two brothers named Hilton received a patent to set up a fishing company here. Since Thompson left and the Hilton’s stayed, this is technically the oldest continually occupied spot in the state.
Hikers need not fear the treacherously swift tides here, but boaters should beware. Cut off by the highway, this spot makes for a short U-shaped walk, but a lovely one. From the Hilton Monument, walk down to the fishing pier, around to the boat launch, under the highway, and along the river into Great Bay by the picnic area and back. We like to expand the walk by parking across the river in Newington and walking across the Sullivan Bridge to the Hilton Park and back.
From Hilton Park webpage