Best of the New Hampshire White Mountains | Editors’ Choice Awards

Heading to the White Mountains of New Hampshire this year? Along with classics like driving the Kanc and taking the kids to Story Land or Santa’s Village, we’ve got the perfect roundup of what to see, do, and eat while you explore in our “Best of the White Mountains” collection.

Best of the New Hampshire White Mountains

Best Things to Do in the White Mountains

Franconia Notch State Park
Franconia/Lincoln

This park is home to state treasures such as the Flume Gorge, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, and the Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza and Historic Site. Each is worthy of a full day’s exploration. Prefer to relax? At the park’s Echo Lake, the beach boasts a direct view of spectacular Franconia Notch, and a serene stretch of sand meets crisp, clear water (with a roped-off area for kids). Rent a canoe, a kayak, or a pedal boat on the spot at Cannon Mountain’s Lakeside General Store, where you can also stock up on sunscreen and souvenirs. Find out why we consistently crown it the best state park in New Hampshire.

Bretton Woods Adventure Center
Bretton Woods

Complete a bucket list of excitement in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. Ziplining? A three-hour tour lets you soar from the top of Rosebrook Canyon and take in stunning views of New England’s tallest mountain. Climbing? Guides will lead you up rock faces that’ll get your heart pounding even while safely on belay. Mountain biking? Explore miles of trails for all abilities. When you’re ready to unwind, a mountain gondola lifts you to the new Rosebrook Lodge overlooking the Presidentials, with its amphitheater for music events and talks about the wilderness that’s spread out below.

Gorham Moose Tours
Gorham

Although moose-spotting is a notoriously unpredictable pastime, the odds of seeing one of these magnificent beasts are heavily in your favor on these town-sponsored tours. With special permission from the state, Gorham Moose Tours’ buses are outfitted with lights that not only make moose easier to spot but also easier to photograph. The reported success rate is better than 90 percent, which offers a much more attractive prospect than prowling the roads in your car at dusk: Yes, you can spend hours sitting by the roadside along Moose Alley and hope, but it’s a better bet — and safer — to go with the pros.

Carter Dome Loop
Pinkham Notch

This 10-mile loop brings you up two high summits — Mount Hight and Carter Dome, which each approach 5,000 feet — and through Carter Notch, an impossibly beautiful mountain pass that’s home to two mirrored lakes and a secluded Appalachian Mountain Club hut serving up tasty soups and snacks. To be sure, the hike via the Nineteen-Mile Brook, Carter-Moriah, and Carter Dome trails is a rigorous one, but the varied terrain and breathtaking scenery are worth it.

Mount Washington Cog Railway
Bretton Woods

While options for scaling Mount Washington’s dizzying 6,288 feet include hiking and driving, thankfully, there’s also the only Cog Railway east of the Rockies—a 19th-century feat of engineering that’s been clinging to the steep slopes for more than 150 years. A three-hour round trip affords plenty of time to ogle views of the classic Omni Mount Washington Hotel, Vermont’s Green Mountains, and New Hampshire’s Presidential Range. On the summit, you can explore the Extreme Mount Washington exhibit and historic 1853 Tiptop House. 

See More: The Mount Washington Cog Railway | Train Ride to the Top of Mount Washington

Redline Guiding
Intervale

Wondering how to cross a river when there’s no bridge? Preparing to embark on a hike across a glacier? Learn these and other wilderness secrets and skills on professionally guided outdoor adventures in the White Mountains. Mount Washington and other rugged terrains are the year-round classroom for teaching mountaineering essentials such as backcountry camping and navigating with a map and compass. And here’s a tip for free-spirited lovebirds looking to tie the knot: You furnish the license, and they’ll provide a justice of the peace who’s also a licensed guide. 

Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves
North Woodstock

This giant natural funhouse in Kinsman Notch tells a dramatic tale: Mile-deep glaciers melted into streams that rushed through cracks in the bedrock, eroding them into a gorge. Stones and gravel washed through, scouring and carving potholes and chutes. Then, wind and winter freezing took over, tearing huge slabs from the granite walls that fell and covered the river. Today, you can climb through the gorge they created, following the brook through caves and narrow passages to see it burst out in waterfalls and swirl in huge potholes, as your kids learn about glaciers and geology and even, for a small fee, pan for gemstones and fossils in the Lost River mining sluice. 

Mount Washington Auto Road
Gorham

New England’s highest peak — 6,288 feet — Mount Washington claims some of the world’s worst weather and the second-highest wind speed ever recorded. The eight-mile drive to the top is a hair-raiser; drop-away vistas on fair-weather days are stupendous, with visibility up to 130 miles and views of New York and the Atlantic. Bonus: The summit’s Extreme Mount Washington museum at the Mount Washington Observatory explores the nitty-gritty of the mountain’s subzero, hurricane-force drama. Road open May to October, depending on the weather.

Living Shores Aquarium
Glen

Who wouldn’t want to touch a stingray, explore tidepools, and marvel at otters? Next door to Story Land—that perennial favorite—this indoor year-round aquarium brings nature and its sea wonders to interactive life, with an emphasis on family fun and education. Opened in 2019, it is the state’s first aquarium, constantly morphing as new exhibits are added. 

Best Inns & Hotels in the White Mountains

Highland Center Lodge
Crawford Notch

Attention, outdoorsy types: This lodge nestled in idyllic Crawford Notch is the perfect jumping-off point for all your White Mountain adventures. Choose from a private room—with or without en suite bathroom—or a bunk room, and enjoy the included meal service as well as free guided hikes and ranger programs. And before you hit the trail, stop by the L.L. Bean Gear Room, which is stocked with rental equipment and clothing (daypacks, rain pants, gaiters, etc.) that would make your most diehard thru-hiking pals envious.

The Glen House
Green’s Grant

Come for the view — a wall of windows in the lounge offers a Presidential Range panorama — and stay for the creature comforts at this new 68-room hotel at the base of Mount Washington. The fifth iteration of the Glen House and the first property on the site in more than 50 years, it features an outdoor deck with a fire pit perfect for aprés-ski lounging, an indoor saltwater pool, and the Notch Grille. Add in thoughtful design touches evoking the area’s history, such as clean Shaker lines, artifacts from the local Abenaki tribe, and granite accents, and there’s a new must-visit destination in the Whites. 

White Mountain Hotel & Resort
North Conway

The view from this 80-room golf, spa, and year-round pool resort—looking straight up at White Horse Ledge and all around at undulating peaks—would be impossible to upgrade. But when 2020’s shutdown shelved a planned addition, the Sullivan family instead invested $3.5 million in an extreme refresh. Out went fixtures, furnishings, carpets, walls: in came an all-new aesthetic rooted in the tranquility of this place and achieved with nature’s palette, native materials, and art by regional talents.

Omni Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods

With golf and tennis in the summer, hiking in the spring and fall, and skiing in the winter, this is indeed a resort for all seasons. From the moment you breathe in the fresh mountain air and enter the historic Great Hall, replete with soaring ceilings and stone fireplace, you’ll fall under the Omni Mount Washington’s spell. Especially magical is the 25,000-square-foot spa, featuring rooms with views of the surrounding peaks and a long menu of facials, wraps, and seasonal treatments — including the intriguing Mountain Mu-Xing Therapy, a deep-tissue massage administered with warm bamboo and rosewood tools.

Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa
Whitefield

One of the grandest of the grand hotels that still dot the landscape of northern New England, this Victorian-era retreat has been generously updated for the 21st century. Surrender to a hot-stone massage in the “tower spa” or chip away at that handicap on the hotel golf course. However you choose to amuse yourself during the day, when evening comes, be sure to grab a well-deserved drink on the sprawling veranda. You’ll feel like so many of the A-listers before you who found refuge and relaxation at this special mountainside retreat. 

Adair Country Inn
Bethlehem

For the full effect, arrive in the evening, when this stately home is aglow with lights, welcoming you and your significant other as warmly as its wealthy former owners once greeted their guests. Their antiques and collections still grace its rooms, which retain the intimacy of the original country home. The dining room offers some surprises, as the chef draws on occasional influences beyond New England for a sophisticated yet approachable dinner menu; breakfast begins with popovers fresh from the oven. Take a stroll in the romantic Olmsted gardens below the house, painstakingly restored by new owners. 

The Wentworth
Jackson

Built in 1869, the Wentworth sits in the heart of Jackson Village, surveying the scene, just a short drive from major ski resorts like Wildcat and Cranmore. Its rooms are divided among the elegant main building and a number of neighboring cottages that offer sleigh beds, hot tubs with mountain views, and fireplaces. Guests can dip into the hotel’s heated outdoor pool or sign up for a relaxing spa session; golfers tee up next door at the 18-hole Wentworth Golf Club. The award-winning dining room is the icing on the cake.

Dolly Copp Campground
Gorham

Named after backwoods folk hero Dolly Copp and partly situated on the farmstead that she ran with her husband, Hayes, in the mid-to-late-1800s, this hallowed 177-site campground — the largest in the White Mountain National Forest — puts visitors at the doorstep of the Presidential and Carter-Moriah ranges, while the nearby Daniel Webster Scout Trail leads hikers straight to the northeast base of Mount Washington. For first-time visitors to the Whites, there’s no better outdoor stay.

Best Eateries in the White Mountains

Crumb Bum Bakery
Littleton

Three words: duck fat biscuits. At breakfast, Southern transplant and pastry chef Kaylee Klein stuffs these rich, fluffy creations with eggs, cheese, and either chorizo or maple-sage sausage at the hip Littleton bakery and café she owns with her husband, Chris Sweeney. Klein makes swell sweets, too, including chocolate croissants, monkey bread, and cookie pops.

Super Secret Ice Cream
Bethlehem

It’s no secret we New Englanders love our ice cream, but we also love the unpredictable. This farm-to-cone discovery blends local cream with ingredients that read like poetry for the taste buds: cranberry gingersnap, coffee cardamom, Meyer lemonade pistachio, “swirly strawberry jam jam.” The “tiny batch made from scratch” ethos guarantees satisfaction. The ice cream flight of six cuts down on decision-making.

Schilling Beer Co.
Littleton

When this northern New Hampshire brewery first opened in 2013 on the banks of the Ammonoosuc River, its continental European taps blew us away. And when it started pouring delicious American pale ales and double IPAs as part of a New World–focused side project, we wondered: Is there anything this brewery can’t do? As a testament to its success, Schilling unveiled a 7,500-square-foot expansion in 2018 housing a 20-barrel brewhouse, cellaring areas, and a shop, just steps away from the original gristmill brewpub.

Sunny Day Diner
Lincoln

Sunny Day began life in 1958 as the shiny new Stoney’s Diner in Dover, where it was a local fixture into the 1980s. In 1988, it was moved to Lincoln, where it’s been serving breakfast and lunch ever since. Its red-and-gray-tile interior is filled with gleaming chrome, checked curtains, and lots of chatter from happy patrons. Eggs Benedict luxuriate in lemony house-made hollan­daise, and you can forget about lunch after a stack of fluffy pancakes with real maple syrup and a pair of oversized sausage patties.

The Cave at the Omni Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods

We’ll take any excuse to swing by the historic Omni Mount Washington Resort and marvel at its grandeur, dwarfed only by Mount Washington rising behind it. The hotel’s distinctive 1902 silhouette — a Spanish Renaissance ocean liner topped with red tile — took two years to build. Its veranda is legendary. But dig deeper and you’ll uncover the Cave, a “Prohibition-era speakeasy” oozing old-fashioned masculinity with vaulted brick ceilings and a gleaming wooden bar, hosting live entertainment and televised sports. The man cave every woman could love.

Rek’-Lis Brewing Company
Bethlehem 

The best place to hang after a long day of hiking in the White Mountains? On this Bethlehem brewpub’s multilevel patio, of course, with a hazy Wik-id IPA in one hand, and a honey mustard–slathered fried chicken sandwich in the other. The live music and good vibes spill into the adjacent field, scattered with cornhole boards and Adirondack chairs. It is truly hops heaven.

The Sunrise Shack
Glen

Burgers topped with bratwurst or applewood-smoked bacon, chopped peanuts, and chipotle fluff—the lunch specials here are the work of a mad genius. Just bear in mind that they change daily, as do the Sunrise Shack’s must-have tater tots, which are tossed with everything from barbecue sauce and blue cheese to honey and truffle oil. All of the above washes down nicely with the thoughtfully chosen beer selection.

Polly’s Pancake Parlor
Sugar Hill

Pancakes, views, and most especially views of pancakes: You’ll be in blueberry buckwheat heaven at this family-owned institution, which has been flipping delectable discs since 1938. Polly’s has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a woodshed, and inaugurated a new building in 2015 to accommodate the 58,000 pilgrims who make the trek to tiny, aptly named Sugar Hill each year.

See More: Polly’s Pancake Parlor | Breakfast in the White Mountains

What are your favorite things to do, see, and eat when visiting the White Mountains?

This post was first published in 2014 and has been updated. Selections originally appeared in the annual Yankee Magazine “Best of New England” Editors’ Choice Awards. 

More White Mountains Fun:

• The Mount Washington Observatory | New England’s Weather Station
• Driving the Kancamagus Highway in Winter
• Franconia Ridge Loop | The Perfect White Mountains Hike
• North Woodstock, New Hampshire | Village in the White Mountains
• Ossipee Lake and North Conway, NH | A Late Fall Visit to the White Mountains
• Sugar Hill Lupine Festival | Must-See Event in New Hampshire
• Zipline Tour at Bretton Woods
• The Omni Mount Washington Resort | A Winter Weekend Getaway

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