Blue Ocean: Directions

The Directions Page

Directions to our office in the Gov. John Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth: Take I-95 to Exit 7 (Market Street). Head toward downtown Portsmouth. Bear right after the railroad tracks (the Portsmouth Sheraton, a red brick building, will be on your left). Turn right onto Deer Street. Turn left onto Maplewood Avenue. Turn left onto State Street. Turn right onto Pleasant Street. Langdon House is one block down on the left. It is a big white house with a gate in front of it. If there is no parking in the driveway, on-street metered parking is available or there is free parking available in the municipal lot across the street (next to Citizens Bank). Click here for a map.

Once you're at the building, walk up the steps in the back of the building. Enter the door in front of you (NOT the one to the left, which is marked Private). Go up the stairs, through the door and turn right. Our office is at the end of the hall.

Click here for more information on the house and Historic New England.

Directions to the touch tank at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company: From I-95, take Exit 7. Head east toward downtown Portsmouth. The Isles of Shoals Steamship Company is about 1/2 mile down on the left. Check with the parking attendant before parking in the lot.

Directions to Jenness Beach: From the North, take I- 95 South to Exit 3B. Go right onto Rte 33 East. Go 1.4 miles to 4th light; right onto Peverly Hill Rd. (becomes Elwyn Rd.) Go 2 miles to Rte 1A; south about 8 miles to Jenness State Beach (after you pass the Rye Harbor State Marina and Saunder's Restaurant, you're getting close). Free parking is available at the lot from October-May. In summer, parking is available at meters for 25 cents/10 minutes, or it's free on the street (a short walk).

Directions to Peirce Island, Portsmouth: Take Exit 7 off I-95 into Portsmouth. Head into downtown Portsmouth (turn right off the exit from I-95 North, left from I-95 South) on Market Street. When the road forks, turn left onto Bow Street. Follow Bow Street past St. John's Church (this puts you onto Chapel Street). Go two blocks and turn left onto State Street. Turn an immediate right onto Marcy Street (Prescott Park is on the left). After Prescott Park, turn left onto Mechanic Street. Follow Mechanic Street over bridge and past Portsmouth Fishermans Co-op onto Peirce Island. We will meet in the parking lot just past the city pool.

Directions to Foss Beach: There is not much signage for this beach, but it is just north of Rye Harbor State Marina and across from Ray's Restaurant (the address for Ray's is 1667 Ocean Blvd, Rye, NH if you want to Mapquest to the beach!).

Coming from the Portsmouth area, Take I-95 exit 5 to the Portsmouth Traffic Circle. Take Route 1 Bypass South. After 1 mile, this road will connect to Route 1 S. Follow Route 1S to the traffic light near Yoken's Restaurant. Turn left at the light onto Elwyn Road. Go about 1.5 miles to a stop sign, go straight through the stop sign onto Route 1A S. Follow Route 1A South past the Seacoast Science Center and Wallis Sands State Beach. Continue south a few miles and you'll see Ray's Seafood Restaurant on the right. The beach is just across from Ray's. There are a couple paths that lead up the dune to the beach - climb up the dune and we usually meet at the top of the path that is just north of Ray's. Parking is available on the side of the road.

Directions to New Castle (Great Island) Common: Great Island Common is located on Route 1B in New Castle, NH just past the US Coast Guard Station & Fort Point Light.

From I-95, From I-95, take NH Exit 7 and head toward downtown Portsmouth. (From the North, you'll turn left at the end of the exit, from the South, you'll turn right. This puts you on Market Street.) Follow Market Street into downtown Portsmouth. Just past the church with the tall steeple (Market Square), turn left onto Church Street (Eagle Photo is on your right). Go two blocks and left onto State Street. Turn right onto Pleasant Street (State Street Saloon is on the corner).

Follow Pleasant Street onto Route 1B (on Pleasant Street, you'll go through a residential area, then pass the Olde Mill Fish Market on the left. Just ahead you'll see a sign for Route 1B/New Castle). Follow Route 1B along the water onto Great Island/New Castle. You'll go through "downtown" New Castle, then past the sign for the US Coast Guard Station on the left. Bear right around the curve, and you'll see a sign for Great Island Common on the left. Go left and straight down the driveway to the parking lot. Beach cleanups meet at the bathhouse next to the parking lot.

Directions to Wallis Sands State Beach: From I-95, Take exit 5 to the Portsmouth Traffic Circle. Take Route 1 Bypass South. After 1 mile, this road will connect to Route 1 S. Follow Route 1S to the traffic light near Yoken's Restaurant. Turn left at the light onto Elwyn Road. Go about 1.5 miles to a stop sign, go straight through the stop sign onto Route 1A S. Follow Route 1A South past the Seacoast Science Center, after a few miles you'll see Wallis Sands State Beach on the left. Plenty of parking is available at this time of year. We'll meet at the seawall by the beach. Parking is available at the beach.