Not sure what to do on your next vacation? Check out this list of the top 15 activities in New Hampshire, USA that you won’t want to miss! From strolling around and exploring parks, all the way up through sightseeing tours and historical landmarks – we’ve got something for everyone. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
The Best Thing To Do in New Hampshire
White Mountain National Forest
- Address: 71 White Mountain Dr, Campton, NH 03223, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.9 (8005)
- Phone: +1 603-536-6100
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PMTuesday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PMWednesday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PMThursday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PMFriday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PMSaturday: ClosedSunday: Closed
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Top 15 Things To Do New Hampshire, USA
Franconia Notch State Park
- Address: Flume Gorge, Daniel Webster Hwy, Lincoln, NH 03251, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (6577)
- Phone: +1 603-823-8800
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
- Reviews:
This park is a beauty. There are so many things to do here and one might get too overwhelmed. I suggest the following places:
1. Visit Mt. Washington – There are 3 ways to reach the top: Guided Tours, Cog railway, or your own car. Guided tours are 2 hours from base to base so, it might feel a bit rushed. Visiting with your own car is adventurous – roads get narrower sometimes, and there is no railing, it is a bit challenging but if you’re up for it, then definitely do try. It’s worth the experience. Cog railway is plain beautiful, you get to enjoy the scenic views without any effort – If driving up with your car is overwhelming, this is definitely the best option.
2. Take a train – Conway Scenic. They do these guided tours and it’s just fun in the train. They have trains starting almost every hour until 1 I guess. I’m not sure, but you can check their website.
3. Take the Cannon Mountain tramway at Franconia Notch State Park – it’s just fun and has breathtaking views. After taking the tramway, you’ll have to hike a little – it’s a very small hike probably less than 5 minutes. then, you’ll reach a building that’s 3 stories high. Take the stairs and you’ll reach the top. – That’s where it has all those views, They say that on a clear day you can even see Canada.
From there, definitely do visit Flume Gorge. Funny story, when we were thinking of visiting places for fall colors, we saw a beautiful scenic water falls sliding across our TV in Fire TV wallpapers, the title said “Avalanche Waterfalls” but when we visited this state park, we couldn’t find it. Nobody knew those waterfalls, google maps took us to Flume Gorge and from the pictures hanging outside the Flume Gorge, we realized it’s the same. Unfortunately we visited after the closing hour and couldn’t see those waterfalls. But I heard it’s definitely worth visiting.All in all, NH is a beauty. Always call before visiting these places as they might close during extreme weathers.
By Prashanth Vissapragada (3 months ago)Absolutely lovely view. Worth the steep 25 min hike at Artist’s bluff view point . Don’t need any hiking gear but wasn’t the easiest hike either. A local told us it’s the best view in New Hampshire and we thought so too. It’s mindblowing. Echo Lake Beach is a must if you want to swim. It has an amazing view. Also has a bunch of other trails like Flume Gorge and Lafayette. Flume gorge was really good although not sure it was worth 18$. You could go in the evening hours for free.By Sindhu Swaroop (6 months ago)Gorgeous stop on my “see America tour.” The Cannon Mountain Tram was a wonderful ride up the mountain and the view from the top, amazing! The hikes around the rim and to the tower made the price worthwhile. If I had more time in the area, there is much to do. Next time!By Deb Popson (6 months ago)My family and I visited Franconia Notch State Park on our tour of the Northeastern United States. I had never heard of this park but it is now one of my favorite places I have ever been. The fall colors are abundant and breathtaking. Echo Lake was my favorite spot. The trees around the lake were beautiful, there was a reflection of the trees in the glistening water, and behind the trees surrounding the lake there were mountains covered in fall colored trees. We took a hike up the Basin trail and while it was tough and pretty much straight up hill, the views we were rewarded with along the way were spectacular. I want to go back every year it is just so beautiful. There was so much of the park that we didn’t have time to do because we only had half a day but I know we could have spent so much more time there because of all the trails and the beautiful sights.By Julia Noelle (4 months ago)Easy to purchase tickets online. Need to get check in to get paper copies. Clean facilities and bathrooms. Friendly and informative tram operators.Easy quick ride to the top with a fairly accessible route to the outlook tower. Lots of small deviations to picturesque views and openings. It’s nearing peak season, so the colors are spectacular.
By Ninah Fominyen (4 months ago)
Flume Gorge
- Address: 852 Daniel Webster Hwy, Lincoln, NH 03251, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (4966)
- Phone: +1 603-745-8391
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMTuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Reviews:
The flume gorge is an easier hike with amazing views. The wolf’s den requires getting a little dirty, but it’s a fun little detour. The bugs weren’t bad and the trail was super easy to follow. Seating and rain shelters accessible throughout the trail, which makes it more inclusive to age/ability compare to other hikes. Lots of postings that identify nature and history as you move through the trail. I’ll definitely be back!By Julie L (4 months ago)Amazing! All that needs to be said. Family had a great time hiking the beautiful scenery. Lots of drastic elevation changes. Bring water. One restroom along the first quarter of the trail. Nothing after. Highly recommend!By Eric Efraimson (4 months ago)This is a “must see” portion of the White Mountains. The 2 mile loop is hilly but doable. You may take as long as you would like to walk it. We were constantly stopping to take in the views as we found new things everywhere we looked. This is a state park which charges for you to walk the path to the Gorge and it is worth it. I recommend buying tickets online in advance to save some money.By Andrew Kassouf (6 months ago)Fascinating and exciting hike experience.
Hike for round trip is about an hour. There are several scenic spots to enjoy.
Part of the hike is wood surface, so make sure you wear something that is not slippery. Also rain coats wouldn’t be a bad idea.
By Viktoriia Kostiuk (8 months ago)This was a truly unique experience! It’s mostly an uphill 2 mile hike, and if you do all the lookouts it’s more like 2.5 miles. We took our 6 and 9 year old and they had no issues and loved it! There is a Bear Cave that you can climb into and multiple lookouts to view the gorge from different views. Walking through the gorge was an amazing experience. There is a gift shop at the end that has really cool things in it as well. The area is well kept and clean. Next to the gift shop is a food court as well but the prices are insane. I’d recommend bringing your own snacks.By Emily Strubert (7 months ago)
The Mount Washington Cog Railway
- Address: 3168 Base Station Rd, Mount Washington, NH 03589, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (4418)
Story Land
- Address: 850 NH-16, Glen, NH 03838, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (3825)
Diana’s Baths
- Address: 3725 West Side Rd, Bartlett, NH 03812, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (2755)
Water Country Water Park
- Address: 2300 Lafayette Rd, Portsmouth, NH 03801, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.1 (2667)
Odiorne Point State Park
- Address: 570 Ocean Blvd, Rye, NH 03870, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (1717)
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
- Address: 23 Science Center Rd, Holderness, NH 03245, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (1134)
Currier Museum of Art
- Address: 150 Ash St, Manchester, NH 03104, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1007)
Seacoast Science Center
- Address: 570 Ocean Blvd, Rye, NH 03870, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (968)
America’s Stonehenge
- Address: 105 Haverhill Rd, Salem, NH 03079, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (857)
Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
- Address: 6 Washington St, Dover, NH 03820, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (723)
Alpine Adventures
- Address: 45 Main St, Lincoln, NH 03251, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (692)
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park
- Address: 139 St Gaudens Rd, Cornish, NH 03745, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (484)
Canterbury Shaker Village
- Address: 288 Shaker Rd, Canterbury, NH 03224, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (427)
That’s it for our list of the best things to do in New Hampshire! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers too!
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I mean how do you rate the entire White Mountain national Forest. It’s one of the most beautiful places on the East coast, if not the entire country. No matter whether you’re looking for a beginner Trail or something incredibly challenging you can definitely find it in the White Mountain national Forest. You can spend years if not most of your life trying to redline all the trails.
Even if hiking isn’t your thing there are so many scenic overlooks right off the road they can get a real sense of the grander of these mountains without ever stepping foot on any of the trails.
Beautiful landscape and awesome hiking trails. Went for a 5 day camping/hiking trip just checking things out and checking out the scenery, brought both my dogs and didn’t have any problems. I will be going back to do the presidential!
One thing above all is what I need to share about this place. You must go before you die. A must see for nature lovers and nature haters, you’ll be converted into a nature lover! Going here and looking at the vast landscape and the mountains, you’ll think- wow I could just move out here into the woods and never look back. I personally would never get tired of looking at them, ever. However, I heard differently from locals that they get desensitized from them but they still think it’s really cool. I certainly could write a whole book about my trip here, and it is worth everything I could ever imagine. Ah! I also forget to mention bring someone who knows the area, I brought a friend who moved to the area recently and they were well endowed with information which made the trip much more enjoyable!
The great outdoors!
We flew from Miami to experience fall since we don’t get to see the majesty of leaves changing colors and their indescribable beauty.
We will come back to take the Hobo Train and explore the other trails. Magical place!
Staple of New Hampshire and pretty much all of New England. Massive forest with endless things to see and do. Wish we had more time to see it all! While there is traffic, it’s not overwhelming. Breathtaking views any time of year and the road is well maintained during the winter. Be sure to prepare yourself for the season you are visiting especially if you’ll be doing some hiking. We will back next year!