Discover Sandown: Cycling Trails, History and Wine

Sandown combines railroad history and historic buildings with a year-round multi-use cycling trail. Zorvino Vineyards, with its bistro and events, adds another option. This gives you a concrete choice when planning your trip: spend time on the trail, explore the town’s history or visit the winery. Which of these appeals to you most can help determine whether Sandown suits your vacation rental plans.

Cycle through Sandown and beyond

The 18-mile multi-use cycling trail runs through Sandown and is open year-round. It connects in two directions to other named trails: at Windham Junction, it joins the Derry and Windham Rail Trails, which are 8 miles long combined. In Epping, it connects to the 25-mile Rockingham Recreational Trail, Portsmouth Branch. The information distinguishes the trail through Sandown from the trails it connects to, and gives you specific distances for planning.

A depot with several chapters of local history

Sandown’s railroad history began with the Nashua & Rochester Railroad, which was built through the town in 1874. The railroad depot ceased to be used as a station in 1934. The town acquired it in 1977 and had it restored; today, it houses the nonprofit Sandown Historical Society & Museum. The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The sequence of railroad construction, the end of its use as a station, its acquisition and restoration gives the building a history of its own, which you can explore if you’re interested in the local past.

At the Sandown Historical Society & Museum, the “Life in Sandown” exhibits cover topics ranging from early mills to shoemaking at home. Another exhibit in the stationmaster’s office includes an old telegraph machine and original ticket windows. The historical perspective thus ranges from local work and everyday life to artifacts of railroad travel. Anyone looking to explore Sandown’s history will find a variety of specific topics here rather than a single historical focus.

Wine, a bistro and events

Zorvino Vineyards is a family-owned and family-operated business in Sandown, New Hampshire, on an 80-acre property. Guests can experience the award-winning winery on a visit. The bistro serves artisan-made, seasonally inspired food. A visit to Zorvino thus adds wine and food to the cycling trail and local history.

Zorvino Vineyards is also known for its annual dinner pairings, themed events and comedy shows. These different types of events give the winery its own character in addition to the bistro. When planning your time in Sandown, you can therefore consider whether the cycling trails and historical exhibits described here are your main interests, or whether a food-focused visit also suits your trip.

Which side of Sandown suits your trip?

When choosing your vacation rental, consider which of the described highlights matters most to you and how much time you want to devote to it during your vacation. This lets you weigh Sandown against your own interests without turning its various options into a single, set itinerary.

More places in this overview

Other places in this overview include Windham, North Hampton, Seabrook, Greenland, Hampton, Exeter, Atkinson and Rye.

For the broader travel overview: Rockingham.