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Doe Farm 

To visit Doe Farm, from Durham Town Hall follow Route 108 south about 1.4 , then right (west) on Bennet Road about 0.8 miles. The property is just past LaRouche  Farm and just before the railroad bridge.  Parking is in a gravel lot on the south side of Bennet Road.

From the parking lot, a woods road leads past a metal gate, to a clearing that also serves as a log landing during forest management operations. Doe Farm is tucked between Bennet Road to the north and the Lamprey River to the south.  It offers beautiful woodland trails that lead to the Lamprey River and it's backwaters.  Popular trails uses include walking with or without dogs and x-country skiing.

The main section of the property is approximately 64 acres with more than 3,000 feet of frontage along the wild & scenic Lamprey River. Moat Island is approximately 15 acres and is completely surrounded by the Lamprey River, and is left as a natural area with no formal trails. An 8-acre triangle of upland lies west of the railroad track.  It has frontage on the Lamprey River, but is otherwise isolated from the rest of Doe Farm by a subdivision to the west and the railroad track to the east.  The property's extensive frontage helps maintain Lamprey River's water quality.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

  • Hiking

  • Running

  • Cross-country skiing

  • Snowshoeing

  • Dog-walking

  • Bird-watching

 

AMENITIES

 

  • Parking area

  • Trails

 

RESTRICTIONS

  • No hunting

  • No motorized wheeled vehicles (ATVs, trucks, dirt bikes)

  • No camping

  • No fires

  • Carry in, Carry out all trash

  • Please pick up dog waste to protect water quality

  • Do not disturb plants, animals, or cultural features

  • The railroad is private property and access is strictly prohibited

Olinthus N. Doe bequeathed the 87-acre Doe farm to the Town upon his death in 1909.  The Doe family cemetery and old cellar hole of the family homestead are located just beyond the forest clearing.

The property consists of mostly upland forest with a mix of red oak, white pine, and red pine and Norway spruce plantations.  Small streams and seepages drain in a southeasterly direction towards the Lamprey River.  Pockets of shrub wetlands and floodplain forest are found along the stream drainages and along the Lamprey River. Periodic timber harvests, guided by a forest management plan, help maintain a healthy forest and provide income to the Doe Farm Trust, which is managed by the Trustees of the Trust Fund.

Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers are a key to helping steward public lands including Doe Farm. In past years, UNH students, Eagle Scouts, and other community members have volunteered to pull invasive plants, clear trails, build bridges, and pick up debris. If you would like to volunteer, contact Durham Land Stewardship Coordinator, Ellen Snyder, at ellensnyder1@gmail.com.

You can find more information about Doe Farm at the Town of Durham website.

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