Charted in 1763, the land was considered so inaccessible that the grant was enlarged making Sandwich one of the largest towns in the state. It was named in honor of John Motagu the fourth Earl of Sandwich. The Earl is known as the inventor of the sandwich, requesting from his servant a thin slab of meat placed between two slices of bread. The town of Sandwich is in the Sandwich Range with seventeen listed peaks including the Sandwich Dome.

Chapman Sanctuary and Visny Woods in Sandwich, NH is 160 acres of woodlands and meadow open to the public for recreational use. It abuts the White Mountain National  Forest. The land is home to a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. A program of habitat development will attract large animals such as deer, moose, and bear, and smaller mammals like fox, fishers, mink and hare.

There are 10 miles of trails, Beede Falls hike at Mead Base and a self-guided nature trail developed in conjunction with the UNH extension service. The sanctuary is open to the public year round for hiking, bird watching, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Mead Base Camp has several outbuildings and cabins and three campsites on 11 acres. There is year round parking, Mead serves as a launch pad for several trail heads including the Wentworth Trail up Mt. Israel, the Bear Camp River Trail, and the hike to Cow Cave. Many birding, tracking, nature and historic walks begin here.