White Mountains – Discover New Hampshire

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE WHITE MOUNTAINS

A beautiful forest getaway from the hustle and bustle of the east coast cities, the White Mountains are an incredible place to visit. The area is popular in the winter for the numerous ski resorts as well as the summer for the hiking, waterfalls, and summer activities. I have not visited in the winter, but the summer was absolutely wonderful.

Need to Know:

Currency: US Dollar

Language: English

Airports:

PSM (1hr 45min drive)

BOS (2hr 30min drive)

JFK/LGA/EWR (5hr 30min drive)

Electrical Outlets: 120V supply voltage and 60Hz

Planning Your Trip

Accommodation – For the best experience in the White Mountains, I’d recommend staying in North Conway or Lincoln. There are tons of Airbnb options, in the whole area including tons of cute cabins. We stayed at this lovely Airbnb that was a great homebase for us to cook, rest, and enjoy a nice bonfire.

Food – There are a lot of restaurant options in North Conway, where we stayed. Since our Airbnb had such a nice kitchen and BBQ, we picked up food from Hannaford Supermarket and cooked for ourselves. Our Airbnb host and one of my friends recommended a bunch of restaurant options including: Tuckerman Brewery, Moat Mountain Brewery, Black Mountain Burger, One Love Brewery, Shannon Door Pub, Wildcat Tavern, May Kelly’s Cottage, Flatbread Company. The only restaurant we did try was Delaney’s Hole in the Wall where we got takeout.

Getting Around – We rented a car at JFK and drove up to the mountains. I would say I rental car is necessary to get to and around the White Mountains.

Best Easy Hikes in the White Mountains

Sabbaday Falls: We enjoyed the short Sabbaday Falls hike as a quick stop on the Kancamagus Highway. This hike is 0.7 miles round trip and is stroller friendly (minus the stairs at the falls). The views of the falls are amazing and totally worth the stop.

Arethusa Falls: A great 3.2 mile out and back hike to a beautiful waterfall. We did this hike with a 6 year old and 2 year old (who we carried). The terrain is full of roots and rocks, including some pretty steep parts so I’d recommend hiking boots for traction. I consider this hike moderate.

Flume Gorge: One of our favorite activities of the trip, Flume Gorge is a paid hike in Franconia Notch State Park. With an entrance fee of $18 per adult and $16 per kid, you can hike the well-maintained 2 mile loop trail for incredible views of the gorge. You walk on boards over the river and around multiple waterfalls. If you’re going on a weekend, I recommend making a reservation ahead of time. This is a great family friendly activity.

If you love hiking, check out my other destination guides for great hiking!

Things to see and do in the White Mountains

Kancamagus Highway: This is a popular scenic highway that runs from Lincoln to Conway, with overlooks and hikes along the way. We stopped at a couple of the scenic pullouts such as Hancock Overlook and Pemigewasset Overlook. This is also where we enjoyed the Sabbaday Falls hike.

Scenic Railway: We didn’t have time to ride one of the railways, but there are a few popular options in the the White Mountains region. We looked at the Cog Railway which takes you up to the summit of Mountain Washington, but we decided to drive up instead. Another option was the Conway Scenic Railway which offers short rides that give the authentic train experience (but less views) or longer rides that go through more scenic destinations. You can also check out the Hobo Railroad for another option.

Mount Washington: We loved driving the Mt. Washington Auto Road up to the highest point in the northeast United States. For a fee, you can drive up this windy road to the Mt. Washington summit for incredible views. At the top there are restrooms, an observation center, and a cafe.

Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway: We also didn’t have time to check this one out, but I heard lots of great reviews for this scenic aerial tramway. You can check the details and make reservations online.

Wiley House: We stopped here on our way to Flume Gorge for a beautiful view of the lake and mountains. This is a great spot to stretch your legs and take in the view.