A visit to New Hampshire’s White Mountains promises a panorama of scenic mountaintops, a collection of picturesque winding roads and trails, wonderfully wild landscapes, and a long list of attractions that will keep you endlessly busy. Take some deep breaths of the fresh mountain air and be prepared to explore and discover all that this beautiful region has to offer – no matter what time of year you visit.
Four seasons of fun
The fall foliage season in the White Mountains is world-renowned for its stunning annual display. Whether it is from a mountain top trail or one of the stops along the scenic byways of the 100-mile White Mountains Trail, the palette of colors is breathtaking.
Winter fun is plentiful, as the area boasts ten major ski resorts and miles and miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Or enjoy a sleigh ride or even a dog-sled ride.
As the temperatures warm in the spring and summer, outdoor activities abound. The White Mountains region offers a vast array of sports and recreation. Choose from hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, boating, bike riding, mountain biking, golfing, ATV adventures, mountain coasters, zip-lines, and more. Wonderful scenic drives such as the Kancamagus Highway, a 34.5 mile National Scenic Byway, offer numerous places to stop for stunning views, invigorating hikes, and refreshing natural swimming holes. A great source for planning your trip is the White Mountains Attractions Association website.
Top attractions
These are some highlight attractions we feel should not be missed. The Flume Gorge in Franconia State Park is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. The Flume Trail is a self-guided 2-mile loop with lots of stairs and boardwalks, which afford close views of the 70-90 foot sheer rock walls of the gorge, spectacular waterfalls, and even some historical covered bridges.
Another wonderful gorge experience is the Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves in North Woodstock. The mile-long boardwalk trail, which includes many stairs, winds its way along the Lost River through a maze of jagged rock walls, gigantic boulders, glacial boulder caves and cascading waterfalls. Explore the eleven boulder caves of Lost River, some of which have pretty tight squeezes – not for the claustrophobic. Both of these gorges are open May-October.
For some fabulous views of the Franconia Ridge, Echo Lake, and the White Mountains, ride North America’s first aerial tram – The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway. Whisk to the 4,080-foot summit of Cannon Mountain in under ten minutes. On a clear day take in the views of the mountains of four states and Canada. At the summit there are scenic walking paths, a 360 degree observation deck, and a café.
Take in more breathtaking scenic views from the top of the Northeast’s highest peak at 6,288 feet – Mount Washington. There are two ways to reach the summit – the Mt. Washington Cog Railway and the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The 7.6 mile Auto Road can be driven with your own vehicle or on a guided tour if you feel a little unsure about driving the winding mountain road. During the winter months the only available tour is the four-track Snow Coach, which takes visitors to the tree line at 4,200 feet.
The Cog Railway, the world’s first mountain climbing cog railway, ascends the summit of Mt. Washington in a little less than an hour. After riding through three different climate zones, visitors arrive at the summit to experience totally different weather conditions. The sub-arctic tundra at the top sees hurricane-force wind gusts an average of 110 days a year. No wonder Mt. Washington’s summit has earned the reputation as having “the world’s worst weather.”
Railroad buffs will get their fill riding the various scenic and historic railways of the White Mountains. Enjoy an old-fashioned railroading experience on the Conway Scenic Railroad departing from the 1874 vintage train station in North Conway Village. The Mountaineer consists of 1950s-era streamlined passenger cars to recreate the experience of a post-World War II Transcontinental streamlined train. The Conway and Sawyer River Valley Train are classic heritage train rides that feature vintage railroad passenger cars from the 1920s.
Granite State Scenic Railway offers a variety of scenic train rides throughout the White Mountains and New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Specialty train rides like the Santa’s Express, the Pumpkin Express, and Fall Foliage Rides, as well as Rail Bike Excursions are also available.
New Hampshire’s White Mountains offer many more natural wonders and exciting attractions for the whole family. Visit the White Mountains website for all the info.
Great accommodations
A great choice for accommodations, particularly for families, is the North Conway Grand Hotel. Located directly at the Settlers’ Green Outlets (New England’s largest tax free outlet mall), the North Conway Grand has 200 rooms and suites with modern, comfortable Mountain-style décor. All rooms have refrigerators/freezers, microwaves, travertine marbled bathrooms, and some with two-person jetted tubs.
With three pools, a fitness center, saunas, a video arcade, pickleball court, widescreen movie room with nightly showings, and outdoor playground for children, the North Conway Grand will keep you busy. Whether summer or winter, it’s a great time to stay, as there are indoor and outdoor pools and a zero-entry kids’ pool. The outdoor pool, hot tub, and firepit are open year round. After all this activity you may want to unwind at the Grand’s Salt Micro Spa. With a full menu of spa treatments, Salt has just the right remedy to unwind and relax.
The Mountainside Restaurant and Tavern serves breakfast and dinner daily and complimentary fresh coffee is available to all guests during breakfast hours. Breakfast is a bountiful buffet. Dinner is classic American and New England fare served in a comfortable, lodge-like setting.
The North Conway Grand Hotel is one of the Newport Hotel Group’s eight boutique hotels located in beautiful coastal and mountain New England locations.
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