Doe Farm Mountain Biking Trails

ABOUT THE PROPERTY:

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 Bennett Road to the north and the Lamprey River to the south. It offers a network of beautiful 3+ mile network of woodland trails that lead to the Lamprey River and its backwaters. The property’s 3,000 feet of shoreline helps protect the water quality of the Wild & Scenic Lamprey River.

Doe Farm is an upland forest with a mix of red oak, white pine, red pine and Norway spruce plantations. Small streams and seepages drain in a southeasterly direction toward the Lamprey River. Pockets of shrub wetlands and floodplain forest are found along the stream drainages and along the Lamprey River. Periodic timber harvests and invasive plant control help maintain a healthy forest.

Olinthus N. Doe bequeathed Doe Farm to the Town upon his death in 1909. The Doe family burial ground and cellar hole of the family homestead are located just beyond the forest clearing.

In 2019, an information kiosk, new trail bridges, and other trail improvements were completed at Doe Farm. This was accomplished with the help of volunteers, interns, Student Conservation Association NH AmeriCorps, and Public Works staff, with funding from Durham conservation funds and the generous contributions of local citizens to the Patron’s Trust. In addition to more than 25 smaller donations, the Town of Durham received major gifts from the following people: Malin and Will Clyde, Jim and Amy Lawson, Tracy Schroeder and Kenny Rotner, Ann and Carden Welsh, and two anonymous donors. Special thanks to Durham resident John Nachilly for his extraordinary volunteer time working on the Doe Farm trails and bridges.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:

Hiking and running
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
Mountain biking
Dog-walking (dogs on-leash/under control; pick up dog waste)
Fishing
Bird-watching
AMENITIES:

Parking area
Trails
Picnic areas
RESTRICTIONS:

Open dawn to dusk
No hunting or fireworks
No motorized wheeled vehicles (ATVs, trucks, dirt bikes)
No Horseback Riding
No campfires or camping without written permission
No camping or fires on Moat Island
Carry in, Carry out
Do not disturb plants, animals, historical or cultural features
The railroad is private property and access is strictly prohibited