New Hampshire Guide
New Hampshire's White Mountains boast the highest peak east of the Mississippi—Mount Washington; the world's third-most climbed mountain—Monadnock—as well as one of New England's largest lakes—Winnipesaukee—but also some fine art museums, and even its own short seacoast.
Mount Washington, with some of America's most extreme weather.
Outdoor Adventures
—Hike up Mount Washington, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, or Mount Monadnock, the third most-climbed mountain on earth
—Lake Winnipesaukee offers many possibilities for swimming, boating and fishing
—Go cross-country skiing on 90 miles (150 km) of trails starting from Jackson
—Hike and camp along the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest
—Travel the scenic Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln to Conway
—Go canoeing or kayaking from North Conway on the Saco River
—Ski at one of the state's many excellent ski resorts
For Kids
—Take a cruise on the m/s Mount Washington on Lake Winnipesaukee from Weirs Beach
—Ride right up a mountainside on the historic Mount Washington Cog Railway in Bretton Woods
Mount Washington Cog Railway, Bretton Woods NH.
—Take a nostalgic train ride through the mountains on the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway
—Hike the trails of Franconia Notch State Park
Glide through the air in a gondola of
the Cannon
Mountain Aerial Tramway,
near North
Woodstock in Franconia Notch
Museums
—Strawbery Banke, in Portsmouth, is ten acres of 18th-century buildings brought back to life and filled with working artisans
—Manchester's Currier Museum of Art has a surprisingly good collection, beautifully displayed
Don't miss the superb Currier Museum in Manchester NH.
—Visit the Shaker village at Canterbury to learn how this religious sect produced such beautiful and functional handicrafts
White Mountains
Much of the White Mountains range is protected in the White Mountain National Forest, with rustic campgrounds, good hiking trails, enough beautiful scenery to fill days, and the drama of Mount Washington.
Franconia Notch
Franconia Notch, near Lincoln and North Woodstock to the west, has wonderful dramatic scenery and excellent hiking, camping and skiing. It's a base for climbds up Mount Washington.
Hikers at Lonesome Lake in Franconia Notch State Park.
Waterville Valley, just south of Franconia Notch, is an integrated-design, environmentally-friendly ski resort filling a whole beautiful valley.
North Conway
North Conway, on the eastern side of the range, is the state's skiing and hiking center, and a base for climbing Mount Washington.
Bretton Woods
Bretton Woods, to the north, is famous for its stately Mount Washington Hotel & Resort, and for the Mount Washington Cog Railway running to the summit of the mountain.
The Mount Washington Hotel, with the mountain behind.
Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire may be the third-most-climbed mountain in the world.
Climbers enjoy the view at the summit of Mount Monadnock.
Northern New Hampshire
Northern New Hampshire, up past Mount Washington, has dramatic mountain and lake scenery, especially at Dixville Notch.
New Hampshire Lakes
Not to be outdone by its mountains, New Hampshire's 118 lakes cover 207 square miles (537 square kilometers). Here are the first ones to visit:
Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee, a veritable inland sea (at least on a New England scale), is a mecca for summer vacationers (including motorcycle clubs), many of whom own or rent cottages on its shores.
Lake Sunapee
Lake Sunapee is among southern New Hampshire's most popular getaway destinations, with swimming, boating and hiking in summer, skiing in winter.
New Hampshire Seacoast
Surprise! New Hampshire has a seacoast! The charming colonial town of Portsmouth, on the border with Maine, is among New England's best towns for dining. Hampton Beach is a honky-tonk beach town straight out of the last century, with a fine, long sea beach.
Hampton Beach
Manchester & Concord
New Hampshire's two largest cities belie its reputation as an outdoors-only state. You'll find reasons to stop in them.
Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, once produced more cotton cloth than any other city in the world. Its historic buildings have been restored, its Currier Museum of Art is a gem, and its Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is a growing transportation hub.
Currier Museum of Art, Manchester NH.
Concord
Concord, New Hampshire's capital, is a nice little city with a handsome granite capitol building, several museums, President Franklin Pierce's house and, nearby, Canterbury Shaker Village.
New Hampshire State House, Concord NH
Upper Connecticut River Valley
Hanover & Dartmouth College
Hanover, near Lebanon, is famous for Dartmouth College and for being part of the lively Upper Connecticut River Valley community.
Lebanon
Lebanon is a pretty, small city with its own airport.
Where to Stay
Country inns, B&Bs, hotels and motels—they're all here:
NH Transportation
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) serves Manchester, southern New Hampshire, and Greater Boston. More...
Several bus companies operate routes between a few New Hampshire towns and Boston and New York City. More...
New Hampshire's only scheduled train service is the Amtrak Downeaster from Boston MA to Brunswick ME, which stops at Exeter, Durham-UNH, and Dover NH; and a stop by Amtrak's Vermonter in Claremont NH.
