New Hampshire meets Maine on the Piscataqua (pronounced “pis-KA-tuh-quah”) River. The Abenaki name was used by Capt. John Smith in 1614 but the spelling wasn’t regularized until 1623, the same year that the very first colonial saw mill was completed on this river’s banks.

The well-marked, deep-water entry to Portsmouth Harbor was designed and is maintained for the passage of large naval ships, making it easy for smaller vessels to navigate under the right conditions. 

The Piscataqua River leaves Portsmouth Harbor west of New Castle Island to start its winding northward course up into rural New Hampshire. Pleasant communities with considerable yachting activity line the banks.