Top Things to do in White Mountains
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Things to do in White Mountains, White Mountains: The Best Nature & Parks
New Hampshire's White Mountains are jam packed with attractions. Scenic roads make driving between them a delight. Trundle along Conway's Scenic Railroad and Mount Washington Cog Railway, sally upwards on the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram and Loon Mountain Skyride, plunge down in Polar Caves Park and Flume Gorge, and reach top speeds at Attitash ski resort and summer playground. Offering a wealth of outdoors wonders both in winter and summer, the White Mountains are a thrill for all seasons.
Restaurants in White Mountains
1. Franconia Notch State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 639 reviews
Named one of the 12 best state parks in America.
Reviewed By MT1 - Aurora, United States
I lived in NH for many years and have passed through Franconia Notch many times, back when the actual Old Man of the Mountain actually existed. This is a beautiful drive, especially in the Fall, and there are lots of places to stop and things to do - the Old Man of the Mountain "hologram" if you will, the Flume Gorge, the Basin, Profile Lake, hiking trails, etc. If you are visiting NH you should definitely make a visit here, and you can also check out the nice little town of Littleton on the north side of "the Notch".
2. Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 637 reviews
Located at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center offers winter activities and events for families, friends and groups of all ages. From cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snow tubing, to winter tours on the Mt. Washington SnowCoach, family-owned Great Glen Trails has become a true White Mountain classic. We groom over 20 kilometers of trails and have an additional 25 kilometers of ungroomed off-track ski and snowshoe trails. We rent high quality equipment including skis, boots, and poles along with snowshoes and fatbikes. Our top-notch Ski School offers the best instruction for beginners to advanced skiers.
3. Glen Ellis Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 343 reviews
Reviewed By TNKaz
When we visited in October, 64 ft high Glen Ellis Falls was quite impressive with a great amount of water flow. The Falls are reached by just a very short walk (0.3-mile) from the parking lot. There is a pit toilet available near the parking area. You start the walk by going through a tunnel which goes under NH Route 16. Over 100 stone steps will lead you down to the base of the falls for the best viewing of the entire falls. When we visited, these stone steps were still wet from a rain the night before, so we had to use extra caution. The round trip walk took us 20 minutes. The location and description of the walk to this Falls was listed in the book, “AMC's Best Day Hikes in the White Mountain's” which we purchased prior to our trip. The book mentions that this is a very popular walk, so we are glad that we visited early in the morning. At that time of day it was not crowded at all. We were told by the White Mountains Visitor Center to display our Senior National Park Pass so that it could be seen through our car window. Otherwise, in the parking lots, there is usually a box for a fee for day use of White Mountains National Forest areas.
4. Bear Notch Ski Touring Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 65 reviews
Reviewed By VBoy31 - Auburn, United States
We snowshoed at Bear Notch three days ago and had an amazing experience. The trails were groomed to perfection and we were met by a staffer who was knowledgeable and attentive. We spent about three hours on the trails and really enjoyed the trails by the river. An added bonus was when we happened upon a moose, quietly munching on some local vegetation. We shoed quietly by and got some incredible photos. Just get out and experience the outdoors, folks. Getting your feet snowy is a great way to spend the day!
5. Mount Washington State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By AM731
Choosing when to go is tricky, choose a good, sunny day and yo may have to queue for hours to do it. Choose a less fine day and you won’t get the promised view from the summit. We first tried on a sunny Saturday and met a queue some way out from the entrance. We dutifully queued for over an hour but gave up when an operative told us that it would be at least another hour. We returned the next day, no queue, fantastic! You’re given a cassette to play which talks you through the climb and gives the history of the road’s construction. Continual advice to use low gear and to stop and cool the brakes on the way down. It’s fascinating to see the change in vegetation and tree cover at different heights. The road is built to take passing traffic but is narrow and does have sheer drops. Some drivers find that difficult and try and take more than their share of it! It was very windy when we parked and got out, I needed to hold on. The low cloud soaked you too. Underfoot there was ice in places. The cafe was basic but the food and drink was gratefully received. The gift shop was as expected. The museum was excellent, very informative. The post office was the only one I saw in the States during our visit. Really worth doing, highly recommended.
6. Mount Pemigewasset
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By 778tracyv - Springfield, United States
Great moderate-difficulty hike with an awesome view at the top. The trail was easy to follow but has a decent elevation change. Wear hiking boots. Pack a lunch and eat at the top while enjoying the views. Park in the upper lot at the Gorge exit and follow the bike path/trail under the highway.
7. Mount Flume + Mount Liberty Loop
8. Cannon Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 417 reviews
Reviewed By frugalm0m - Swarthmore, United States
While we live in the Philadelphia area, Cannon Mountain is our favorite place to ski. Most of our family learned to ski at Cannon, and we have been going there for more than 15 years. It is by far the friendliest ski resort, where ski instructors, lift operators, ambassadors and guest service staff will smile, say hello and remember you. The mountain offers trails for a range of skills, so everyone can find a place to ski. There are rarely any lines of any note for the lift. Be forewarned, it can be cold on the mountain (it is New Hampshire after all!) and sometimes icy. But a great day at Cannon is the best skiing ever.
9. Flume Gorge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,644 reviews
Flume Gorge trail is temporarily closed for hiking until May 10, 2019 An 800-foot gorge that extends from the base of Mount Liberty. It is open from May 8 - October 25.
Reviewed By ddaltamura - Stamford, United States
5 of us did the flume gorge hike which includes the "pool", "avalanche falls", "liberty gorge" and "flume gorge" all along about a 2 or 2.5 mile hike. You can take a bus to bypass parts of it on the way up. It's a lot of uphill walking and the flume gorge part has a lot up stairs going up. The sights are really magnificent and worth seeing.
10. Cathedral Ledge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,003 reviews
A rock cliff that is popular with climbers.
Reviewed By kafiagirl - Woonsocket, United States
After viewing the ledge from Echo lake we took the short drive up to the ledge. It was a beautiful clear day - views were beautiful, mountains in the distance, Echo lake from the top, rock climbers making their way up.
