Gnarly News – Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Skate Park Now Open

It's the gnarly news Seacoast skateboarders have been waiting for: the Portsmouth Skate Park is finally open.

The Greenleaf Skate Park on Route 33 is "substantially open" with the public invited to use the park, according to the city. It is open from dawn til dusk on Friday and Saturday and from 2 p.m. until dusk on Sunday. Late afternoon hours will also be available as the days become longer.

"This has been an amazing ride and many people were needed to make this possible. I hope you all feel as proud as we do right now," read a message on the Skatepark of Portsmouth NH Facebook page, the group that led the efforts to get the park built.

Visitors are asked to stay on the park's hard surfaces while the landscaping settles. A few items remain to be completed in the next 30 days. A formal grand opening will be held in spring.

For the most hearty skaters who head to the park early Saturday morning, cold free hot cocoa and munchkins will be available to warm skateboarders, according to a message on the Skatepark of Portsmouth NH Facebook page.

Skateboarders lead effort to build the park

The park is a labor of love for a group of skateboarders who first brought the idea to the city council in 2021. Boarders made their support known in parades and fundraisers.

The formal group, Skatepark of Portsmouth, raised $26,000 towards the cost of the park. Members who served on a city blue ribbon panel developed a formal plan that convinced the city council to provide $1 million in funding.

Jesse Court, a Portsmouth High School student who served on the blue ribbon panel, assured members before the funding vote that the skateboard community would take care of the park.

Ground was broken on the park located on the former Stump Dump landfill in May.

The park will also serve as a key access point for the New Hampshire Greenway Route, aka the Rail Trail.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via X (Twitter) @DanAlexanderNH