Camping Gems - New Hampshire
Lake Winnipesaukee
Central New Hampshire contains a gem -- 44,000-acre Lake Winnipesaukee. This 72-square-mile lake has plenty of shoreline, room for boating and fishing, and swimming areas. The lake also has more than 250 islands to explore. The lake is known to have some of the best fishing in the state.
Hampton Beach
Enjoy a romantic weekend on the New Hampshire shore at beautiful Hampton Beach. In addition to saltwater ocean beaches, the town offers free concerts, fireworks displays, sand-castle building contests, and a Casino Ballroom.
Mount Cardigan
This bare-rocky peak offers terrific hiking through alpine scrub forests and granite outcroppings. The peak is 3,155-feet high, offering some of the best viewpoints in New Hampshire.
Lake Sunapee
This stunning lake offers fabulous outdoor activities like boating, biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, snowmobiling, alpine and cross-country skiing, ice-boating, and maple-sugaring. Watch the boats sailing on the lake, take a hike through the surrounding woods and mountains, or enjoy a first-rate meal in one of the town's many restaurants.
New Hampshire Boat Museum, Wolfeboro Farms
See vintage mahogany and antique boats at the New Hampshire Boat Museum, a facility that's dedicated to the lakes region's boating heritage. There are runabouts, race-boats, canoes, guide boats, and sail boats. Whether you are an outboard, steam, paddle or sail enthusiast, the displays, enhanced with archival photos, trophies and models, bring to life a truly grand era of boating.
Umbagog Lake State Park
This 7,600-acre park offers a beach area for swimming, excellent fishing, wildlife viewing, and boating. Canoe, kayak, and rowboat rentals are available, as are boat launches and fuel sales. Wildlife viewing includes a variety of birds, deer, and moose. Don't miss the chance to fish bass, trout, salmon, and panfish.
White River Junction, Vermont
This attraction is on the border, set in the green hills of Vermont. You can sip your coffee at the Tip Top Cafe, visit the Two Rivers Printmaking Studio, enjoy views of the White River, or head to the Center for Cartoon Studies. Shop for chic rebuilt apparel and recycled accessories at Revolution Vintage or explore the unique Main Street Museum. |
Camping Gems - Places to Go in New Hampshire
Odiorne Point State Park
Explore 18 undeveloped miles of New Hampshire coast at this glorious state park. You'll find tidepools, rocky outcroppings, pebble beaches, and fresh water marshes. This is a hotspot for birdwatching and photography, but don't miss the remains of historic Fort Dearborn.
Presidential Range
Visit New Hampshire's Presidential Range and explore the highest peaks in New England. These towering peaks, named after early presidents, include the state's highest, Mount Washington (6,288 feet). You can hike through the full Presidential Range or do a day hike, often called a traverse, on one of the many trails in this range.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Augustus Saint-Gaudens has long been regarded as one of America's greatest sculptors. You can tour over 100 of his artworks, hike the nature trails through his estate, or try your own hand at sculpting. Through summer and fall, the gardens are alive with flowers and blooms, reflecting the European gardens that inspired Saint-Gaudens.
Dover
Dover, founded in 1623, is one of the oldest settlements in New Hampshire. Be sure to climb to the top of the Garrison Hill Tower, on Abbey Sawyer Lane for fabulous views of the town. The tower, which is part of the Garrison Hill Park, stands 298 feet in the air and was built to duplicate the original 1913 tower. On a clear day, you should be able to see both the White Mountains and the Isles of Shoals.
Mount Sunapee Resort
If you're looking for amazing winter sports like downhill skiing, snowboarding, and sledding, then you need to visit New Hampshire's Mount Sunapee. In operation for the last sixty years, this ski resort has everything from parks and pipes to well-groomed runs and a gorgeous lodge. The resort hosts regular National Standard Race (NASTAR) races, Alpine skiing programs, and special promotions and sweepstakes. In the summer and fall you can take the aerial tram to the mountain top for incredible views of the valley below.
Arethusa Falls
These gorgeous falls are nestled in a 200-foot wall of Bemis Rock, creating a misty spray below. These are New Hampshire's highest falls, and visitors can also take in the Bemis Brook and Coliseum Falls along the way. There are great hiking trails in the area, and swimming is also permitted.
Strawberry Banke Museum
This museum covers 10 acres and consists of 46 homes and buildings. What makes it so unique? Not only are some of the homes from the 1700s, but many are still in their original locations. Enjoy demonstrations of coopering at the Dinsmore Shop, meet re-enactors like Captain Ward, and learn about the family history at the Shapiro House. (64 Marcy St, 603-433-1106)
Mount Washington State Park
Set in the 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, this 59-acre park offers outstanding views of Vermont, New York, Quebec, Massachusetts, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean. Standing on the 6,288-foot summit, on a clear day, you can see as far as 130 miles.
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a more than 2,175-mile long footpath stretching through 14 eastern states from Maine to Georgia. Conceived in 1921 and first completed in 1937, it traverses the wild, scenic, wooded, pastoral, and culturally significant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. The trail, which cuts across the northern part of New Hampshire, offers excellent day hiking.
Flume Gorge
Discovered in 1808, this natural granite gorge extends 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. You'll walk among towering moss-covered granite walls, past cascading waterfalls, historic covered bridges, glacial boulders and much more. |
|
Camping Gems - Places to Eat in New Hampshire
Concord
Bread & Chocolate
Peterborough
Acqua Bistro
Sunapee
Bistro Nouveau
Manchester
Shorty's Mexican Roadhouse
Portsmouth
Fat Belly's Grill & Bar
Oar House
Woodstock
Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train
Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery
Jack O'Lantern Resort
Nashua
The Seedling Cafe & Catering
|
Camping Gems - Things to Do in New Hampshire
Explore the rugged beaches of New Hampshire's coast at Odiorne Point.
View the misty Arethusa Falls.
Hike along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
Take photos of Mount Washington, New Hampshire's highest peak (6,288 feet).
See Augustus Saint-Gaudens' phenomenal home and gardens at the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.
Get a view of historic Dover from the Garrison Hill Tower.
Ski, snowboard, and sled down Mount Sunapee.
Go mountain biking in the White Mountain (try Bretton Woods or the Cherry Mountain loop).
Canoe, kayak, or boat around Lake Winnipesaukee.
Swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Hampton Beach.
|
|
New Hampshire