Rye

This ancient forest of pine, hemlock, and Atlantic White Cedar stumps from 3,500-4,000 years ago emerges from the sea floor during very low tides at Periwinkle Cove. The weathered stumps, ground down by centuries of wave action, provide a haunting glimpse into New Hampshire's prehistoric past when the coastline was miles inland. Walk the rocky shore and wade into the shallows to spot these ghostly remnants - some with root systems still visible, camouflaged among snails and seaweed.

New Hampshire's only surviving World War II observation tower stands 73 feet tall as a concrete sentinel from 1943. Built to spot enemy ships and coordinate artillery fire, this eight-story watchtower offers stunning panoramic views from its observation windows. The Friends of Pulpit Rock opens it for rare public tours a few times per year, typically around Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Even when closed, its imposing presence in a quiet residential neighborhood makes for compelling photography.

Hidden behind the 1880 Odiorne farmhouse, this weathered burial ground may be New Hampshire's oldest cemetery, dating to the early 1600s. Rough headstones mark graves of the first English settlers who didn't survive their brutal first winter, while some stones bear no markings at all, their occupants lost to time. Ancient walnut trees grow directly from the graves, and the Colonial Dames maintain this sacred spot where history whispers through lichen-covered stones.

Local photographers know this rugged jetty as the perfect spot for dawn shoots, when long exposures blur crashing waves into ethereal mist. The stone breakwater protects the harbor's calm waters while creating dramatic wave action on the ocean side. Jerry Monkman, a renowned New Hampshire photographer, considers this his go-to location for capturing the raw power of the Atlantic just half an hour before sunrise, despite being within smelling distance of Hampton Beach's tourist bustle.