Rye, New Hampshire was the first settlement in what is now the state of New Hampshire. It was originally called Pannaway and was established by David Thompson in 1623. The town is the only one in New Hampshire to include off-shore islands, four of the Isles of Shoales. The other five islands in the 9-isle grouping belong to the State of Maine.

The beach area on the mainland is 8 miles long, and is a popular east coast beaches place for walking, swimming, beachcombing, and whale watching at Odiorne Point, Wallis Sands, Jenniss and Rye State Parks and State Harbor. In addition, there are marine research facilities with daily boat transportation available to the Shoals Islands.
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