Crawford Notch State Park

Top choice in White Mountains


This pretty park maintains an extensive system of hiking trails. From the Willey House visitor center, you can walk the easy 0.5-mile Pond Loop Trail, the 1-mile Sam Willey Trail and the Ripley Falls Trail, a 1-mile round-trip hike from US 302 via the Ethan Pond Trail. The trailhead for Arethusa Falls, a 1.5-mile one-way hike, is 0.5 miles south of the Dry River Campground on US 302. Serious hikers can also tackle the much longer trek up Mt Washington.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby White Mountains attractions

1. Mt Washington State Park

7.73 MILES

The crescent-shaped Sherman Adams Summit Building is the nerve center for this 60-plus-acre park atop Mt Washington. Inside you'll find the private,…

2. Mt Washington Observatory

7.76 MILES

Perched atop New England's highest summit, this observatory is staffed year-round by scientists who measure the mountaintop's extreme weather conditions;…

3. Extreme Mt Washington

7.76 MILES

Housed atop Mt Washington in the Sherman Adams Summit Building, this museum gives visitors a hands-on look at Mt Washington's claim as 'home of the world…

4. Jackson Falls

11.09 MILES

One of the best ways to spend a sun-drenched afternoon in Jackson is to take a swim in these falls on the Wildcat River just outside of town. You'll have…

5. Story Land

11.76 MILES

This 30-acre theme and amusement park is aimed at the three- to nine-year-old crowd. The rides, activities and shows are small-scale and well done – a…

6. Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza

13.94 MILES

Franconia Notch was long the residence of the Old Man of the Mountain, a natural granite formation shaped like a man's face that became New Hampshire's…

7. Old Man of the Mountain Museum

14.12 MILES

All New Hampshirites mourn the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation resembling a man's face in profile that remains the state symbol despite its…

8. Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

14.42 MILES

This tram shoots up the side of Cannon Mountain, offering a breathtaking view of Franconia Notch. You can also hike up the mountain and take the tramway…