Robert Frost-Old Stagecoach Byway

Length: 43 miles total (Old Stagecoach: 22 mi, Robert Frost: 21 mi)
Towns: Atkinson, Hampstead, Chester, Auburn, Derry
Highlights: Absorb views along a 200+ year old stagecoach route that once clip clopped from Boston to Concord. Immerse yourself in the landscapes of Robert Frost, who lived in Derry from 1900-1911. Amble betwixt unspoiled woodlands and tranquil Massabesic Lake, or reverence the reflections of a cool autumn sunset on its placid waters.
Website: www.frost-stagecoach-byway.org

The route is located wholly within Rockingham County, and consists of two contiguous segments with distinct interpretive themes. The Old Stagecoach Byway begins in Atkinson at the state border and travels northwest along NH Route 121 through Hampstead, Chester, and Auburn to Massabesic Lake. The adjoining Robert Frost Byway follows NH Route 28 and local routes south through Derry village to the Robert Frost Farm State Park, and continues along local roads eastward until it reconnects with NH 121 and the Old Stagecoach Byway in Hampstead.

The unifying theme of the joint byway is the history and culture of rural Southern New Hampshire. This includes how it was shaped by the early transportation network of the region - most specifically the stage coach service that connected Boston and Concord. More broadly, the byway celebrates New Hampshire's rural landscape and communities - the villages, farmsteads, orchards, and denizens brought to life in the writing of Poet Laureate and former Derry resident Robert Frost.