Stevens Woods

Orchard Drive    l    25 acres

DIRECTIONS: from Durham Town Hall, follow Mill Pond Road 0.3-miles to stop sign. Take right on Faculty Road, go 0.3-miles to Mill Road. Left on Mill Road, 0.5 miles (crossing Oyster River) to left onto Foss Farm Road. Immediate left onto Orchard Drive, 0.4 miles to cul-de-sac. Parking at trailhead.

Stevens Woods and Neighboring Lands Trail Map and Property Summary

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

In 2019, the Town of Durham acquired 25 acres from the Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) for $150,000, with funds raised primarily from private donors and grants. This land, now named Stevens Woods, is located at the end of Orchard Drive off Mill Road. It has frontage on the Oyster River and is connected to UNH's East Foss Farm and MacDonald Lot. Volunteers helped build a 1/4 mile trail that connects the trailhead off Orchard Drive with East Foss Farm. The Town conveyed an easement deed to UNH on 0.36 acres, which provides the University access to their MacDonald Lot for management, research, and education. View the Easement Deed and the Survey Plan. The Town also partnered with UNH and NH Fish and Game to create a network of trails across all three ownerships, extending from Orchard Drive to Bennett Road.

Durham resident Dennis Meadows spearheaded a project to build a pedestrian bridge across the Oyster River from Thompson Lane to Stevens Woods, connecting downtown Durham to miles of trails. Funds for the aluminum bridge and abutments, engineering, permits, and related costs are primarily from private donations and grants, including an $80,000 grant from the the NH State Trails Program. The new bridge was installed in early 2021.

Eversource provided a $5,000 grant to the Town as part of their Seacoast Reliability project, which will be used to build a trail bridge across the LaRoche Brook on NHFG's Beaudette parcel off Bennett Road. The Town of Durham has a Trails Agreement with NH Fish and Game, wherein the Town maintains the trail through the Beaudette property and helps deter and educate people about not building other unauthorized trails.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

• Hiking and running
• Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
• Mountain biking (on some trails - see map)
• Dog-walking (dogs on-leash/under control; pick up dog waste)
• Nature observation

AMENITIES:

• Trail network
• Informational kiosk

RESTRICTIONS:

• Open dawn to dusk
• No hunting on Town land; no fireworks
• No alcohol, smoking, or drugs
• No motorized wheeled vehicles (ATVs, trucks, dirt bikes)
• No horseback riding
• No campfires or camping
• Carry in, Carry out
• Do not disturb plants, animals, historical or cultural features
• Please respect the abutting UNH and NH Fish and Game lands