Things to do in New Hampshire
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Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing
Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing offers fishing trips, lasting from two to 12 hours (full-day trips go from 8:30am to 4:30pm, July to August). Whale watches and other cruise packages are also available.
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Libby Museum
At the age of 40, Dr Henry Forrest Libby, a local dentist, began collecting things. In 1912 he built a home for his collections, which later became the eccentric little Libby Museum. Starting with butterflies and moths, the amateur naturalist built up a private natural history collection. Other collections followed, including Abenaki relics and early-American farm and home implements. It lies 3 miles north of Wolfeboro.
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Poco’s Bow Street Cantina
Southwestern dishes arrive with New England flair at this lively waterfront spot. Blackened red snapper, fish tacos and jerk chicken quesadillas are among the mouthwatering favorites.
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Chiang Mai
For a break from seafood and New England fare, head to this simply furnished but locally popular Thai restaurant, which serves satisfying curries and noodle dishes.
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Mt Washington Cog Railway
Purists walk, the lazy drive, but certainly the quaintest way to reach the summit of Mt Washington is to take this cog railway. Since 1869 coal-fired, steam-powered locomotives have followed a 3.5-mile track up a steep mountainside trestle for a three-hour round-trip scenic ride, with two daily departures (weekend departures only from late April to late May). Reservations are highly recommended. On weekends from late November through March the train runs a shorter, one-hour round-trip up to Kroflite Kamp at 4100ft (adult/child $31/26). Instead of having drive wheels, a cog locomotive applies power to a cogwheel (gear wheel) on its undercarriage. The gears engage pins…
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Enfield Shaker Museum
Set in a valley overlooking Mascoma Lake, the Enfield Shaker site dates back to the late 18th century and grew into a small but prosperous community of Shaker farmers and craftspeople in the early 1800s. At its peak, some 300 members (divided into several ‘families’) lived in Enfield, farming 3000 acres of land. They built a handful of impressive wood and brick buildings in the area, took in converts, orphans and children of the poor – who were essential for the Shaker future, since sex was not allowed in the pacifist rule-abiding community. By the early 1900s the community had gone into decline, with the last remaining family moving out in 1917. The Enfield…
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Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
In the summer of 1885, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens rented an old inn near the town of Cornish and came to this beautiful spot in the Connecticut River Valley to work. He returned summer after summer, and eventually bought the place in 1892. The estate, where he lived until his death in 1907, is now open to the public as the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Saint-Gaudens is best known for his public monuments, such as the Sherman Monument in New York’s Central Park and the Adams Memorial in Rock Creek Park in Washington DC. Perhaps his greatest achievement was the Robert Gold Shaw Memorial across from the State House in Boston. Recasts of all of these…
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Crawford Notch State Park Visitor Center
In 1826 torrential rains in this steep valley caused massive mud slides that descended on the home of the Willey family. The house was spared, but the family was not – they were outside at the fatal moment and were swept away by the mud. The dramatic incident made the newspapers and fired the imaginations of painter Thomas Cole and author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both men used the incident for inspiration, thus unwittingly putting Crawford Notch on the tourist maps. Soon visitors arrived to visit the tragic spot – and they stayed for the bracing mountain air and healthy exercise. From the Willey House site, now used as a state park visitor center, you can walk the easy…
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Wildcat Mountain
With a vertical drop of 2112ft, Wildcat Mountain tops out at 4415ft. Just north of Jackson, Wildcat’s 225 acres include 47 downhill ski trails (25% beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% expert), four lifts and 90% snowmaking capacity. The longest run is 2.75 miles. The cirque at Tuckerman Ravine has several ski trails for purists. What’s pure about it? No lifts. You climb up the mountain then ski down. Purists posit that, if you climb up, you will have strong legs that won’t break easily in a fall on the way down. Tuckerman is perhaps best in spring, when most ski resorts are struggling to keep their snow cover, since nature conspires to keep the ravine in shadow much of the…
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American Independence Museum
Exeter’s early history is still widely celebrated, thanks in part to the American Independence Museum, which maintains the town’s collections inside the historic Ladd-Gilman House. Among the highlights of this National Landmark Property are the furnishings and possessions of the Gilman family, who lived here from 1720 to 1820, along with a document archive, including two original drafts of the US Constitution and personal correspondence of George Washington, Pierre L’Enfant and other notables. The museum also maintains Folsom Tavern, which was once an important meeting place for George Washington and his revolutionary officers.
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
To get up close and personal with the wildlife that lives in the Lakes Region, visit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Four different nature paths weave through the woods and around the marsh. The highlight is the Gephart Trail, leading past trailside enclosures that are home to various creatures including bobcat, fisher (a kind of marten), mountain lion, a great horned owl and a bald eagle. The nearby Kirkwood Gardens, featuring many species of New England native shrubs and flowers, are specially designed to attract birds and butterflies. The center also organizes nature cruises around Squam Lake.
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Mt Sunapee Resort
Lake Sunapee is a worthwhile detour any time of year. In winter, alpine skiing is the attraction at Mt Sunapee Resort. Mt Sunapee boasts a vertical drop of 1510ft – the biggest in southern New Hampshire. It’s not much to compete with Cannon or Loon Mountain, but offers some challenging skiing all the same. Other facilities including rental, lessons and childcare are available. Coming from Hanover or Concord, take exit 12A off I-89 and turn right on Rte 11. In the town of Sunapee, turn left onto Route 103B. Coming from the south, take exit 9 and follow NH 103 through Bradford and Newbury to Mt Sunapee.
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Gunstock
When the snow covers the ground, Belknap Mountain becomes Gunstock, a ski area with 45 downhill runs on a vertical drop of 1400ft. There are seven lifts, as well as a ski school, day-care facilities and night skiing between 4pm and 9pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 4pm and 10pm Friday and Saturday. Most mountain trails are intermediate, with more advanced than beginner trails. A few hills are dedicated to tubing (two/four hours $15/20) – no equipment and no skill required! Over 30 miles of cross-country trails follow the wooded paths around Gilford. Rental skis are available, as are snowboards and snowshoes.
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Adventure Center
In summer, Snow’s Mountain offers cross-country and downhill mountain biking trails (for hiking too). You can take a chairlift to the mountaintop from the Adventure Center, which also rents bikes. There are 30 miles of other trails in the valley, but you’ll need to buy a trail pass ($6 per day). Mountain bikes cost $32 per day ($57 for a full suspension bike). Waterville’s Ice Arena is a good place to practice your triple axles. It’s open most of the year. Hours change frequently; check www.watervillevalley.org/wvnh_icearenas.html for current schedules.
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Hampton Seashell
North of the state park, where NH 1A becomes Ocean Blvd, the town of Hampton is both beach and honky-tonk playground. In summer this vast main beach is crowded with all of humanity. At the center of the strip the Hampton Seashell is a band shell with an amphitheater, as well as public toilets, a first-aid station and the chamber of commerce information center. Across the boulevard, the Hampton Beach casino has live entertainment, video games, fast-food stands and souvenir shops. Beach admission is free, but you’ll have to feed quarters to the parking meters ($1.50 per hour).
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Cannon Mountain Ski Area
The slopes at Cannon Mountain Ski Area enjoy a prime geographic position to receive and retain the 150in of snow that falls annually. It has 55 runs (nine novice, 26 intermediate and 20 expert) making up 22 miles of trails (it’s longest run is 2.3 miles), with a vertical drop of 2146ft. The slopes are equipped with an aerial tramway, three triple and two quad chairlifts, two rope tows and a wonder carpet (a moving walkway for beginners). Other facilities include three cafeterias, a nursery, a ski school and a ski shop with rental equipment.
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Mt Monadnock
This commanding 3165ft peak can be seen from 50 miles away in any direction and is the area’s spiritual vertex. Complete with a visitor center (where you can get good hiking information), 12 miles of ungroomed cross-country ski trails and over 40 miles of hiking trails (6 miles of which reach the summit), the Mt Monadnock State Park is an outdoor wonderland. The White Dot Trail (which turns into the White Cross Trail) from the visitor center to the bare-topped peak is about a 3½-hour hike round-trip.
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John Paul Jones House
The John Paul Jones House was a boardinghouse when America’s first great naval commander resided in Portsmouth. Jones, who uttered, ‘I have not yet begun to fight!’ during a particularly bloody engagement with the British, is believed to have lodged here during the outfitting of the Ranger (1777) and the America (1781). The marvelous Georgian mansion with gambrel roof is now the headquarters of the Portsmouth Historical Society.
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Flume
To see this natural wonder, take the 2-mile self-guided nature walk that includes the 800ft boardwalk through the Flume, a natural cleft (12ft to 20ft wide) in the granite bedrock. The granite walls tower 70ft to 90ft above you, with moss and plants growing from precarious niches and crevices. Signs along the way explain how nature formed this natural phenomenon. A nearby covered bridge is thought to be one of the oldest in the state, perhaps erected as early as the 1820s.
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Burdick Chocolate
Walpole, northwest of Keene along NH 12, is a New Hampshire gem. Locals descend from surrounding villages to dine at Burdick Chocolate. Originally a New York City chocolatier, Burdick moved the operation to this tiny New Hampshire village and opened a sophisticated café to showcase its desserts. Besides rich chocolaty indulgences, the lively bistro has a full menu of creative new American dishes, plus artisanal cheeses and top-notch wines.
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Mountain Lake
Two miles west of North Conway via River Rd, this placid mountain lake lies at the foot of White Horse Ledge, a sheer rock wall. A scenic trail circles the lake. There is also a mile-long auto road and hiking trail leading to the 700ft-high Cathedral Ledge, with panoramic White Mountains views. Both Cathedral Ledge and nearby White Horse Ledge are excellent for rock climbing. This is also a fine spot for swimming and picknicking, but there’s no camping.
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Mt Washington Summit Road Company
The Mt Washington Summit Road Company operates an 8-mile-long alpine toll road from Pinkham Notch to the summit of Mt Washington. The entrance is off NH 16, 2.5 miles north of Pinkham Notch Camp. The toll includes an audio tour on CD. If you'd rather not drive, you can take a 1½-hour guided tour (adult/child/senior around US$26/around US$11/around US$23; 08:30-17:00), which allows you 30 minutes on the summit. In severe weather the road may be closed (even in summer).
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Jenness State Beach
As NH 1A enters Rye, parking along the road is restricted to vehicles with town parking stickers, but Jenness State Beach has a small metered parking lot that’s open to the general public. Further north near Rye Harbor you’re allowed to park along the roadway. Climb over the seawall of rubble and rocks to get to the gravel beach. It lacks facilities, but it is much less crowded than anything further south.
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Clark’s
Just north of North Woodstock on US 3, Clark’s has been a traditional family stop since 1928. If the children are bored from too much time in the car, Clark’s has an old-fashioned photo parlor, water-bumper boats, a magic house and a gift shop. Admission includes a 30-minute excursion on a narrow-gauge steam locomotive. The featured attraction is the Bear Show, a sad spectacle starring a team of North American black bear.
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Thorne Sagendorph Art Gallery
The Thorne Sagendorph Art Gallery housed at Keene State College plays a crucial role in supporting the arts in this rural region. Its spacious skylit halls showcase rotating exhibits of regional and national artists. Sagendorph hosts an annual exhibit focusing on New Hampshire native artists. The small permanent collection includes pieces by the many national artists that have been drawn to the Monadnock region since the 19th century
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