White Mountains
White Mountains
The Mt. Washington Valley has something worth doing in every season — from powder days at Attitash to peak-foliage drives on the Kancamagus. Here's where to go and where to eat.
12 places match your filters
Attitash Mountain Resort
The home mountain — literally on Route 302, less than five minutes from Villa at Bear Creek. Two connected peaks (Attitash and Bear Peak) with 68 trails and 1,750 vertical feet. Classic New England skiing: narrow winding runs, genuine fall lines, and a lively après scene. Part of the Epic Pass.
Check the resort calendar for live music nights and race leagues — a great reason to stay on the mountain after last chair.
Wildcat Mountain
Consistently rated the most scenic ski mountain in the East, sitting directly across from Mt. Washington. Old New England–style trails — narrow, honest, and technical on the upper mountain. No frills, strong skiing. The Polecat Trail runs 2.75 miles top to bottom, the longest in New Hampshire.
Jackson Village is the après destination for Wildcat — Wildcat Tavern and Shannon Door are 10 minutes away.
Bretton Woods
New Hampshire's largest ski area with 464 acres and the grand Omni Mount Washington Hotel as its centerpiece. Wide cruisers, birch glades, and Presidential Range views all day. The attached Nordic center has 100+ km of groomed trails. More refined than party-focused — and the hotel lobby bar is worth a visit regardless.
Ski the Nordic center in the morning, ski the mountain in the afternoon — two very different experiences on one pass.
Black Mountain
New Hampshire's oldest continuously operating ski area (est. 1935), now transitioning to community co-op ownership. 45 trails, sunny southern exposure, zero lift lines, and the kind of soul that corporate resorts can't manufacture. Multi-generational NH families love it. Operates on the Indy Pass.
Come on a weekday and you may have whole trails to yourself. Jackson Village restaurants are a few minutes away.
Jackson Ski Touring Foundation
100+ km of groomed Nordic trails winding through forest and farmland around Jackson Village — one of the finest cross-country networks in the Northeast. Trails weave between historic inns and farmhouses. Dedicated snowshoe trails and a groomed village loop with snowmaking. $25 adult trail pass.
Combine with lunch at the Wildcat Tavern — many trails loop back to the village.
Franconia Ridge Loop
The most celebrated day hike in New Hampshire: 8.4 miles, 3,800 ft gain, two 4,000-footers (Lincoln and Lafayette), and a fully exposed ridgeline with 360-degree views. Ascend via Falling Waters Trail past three waterfalls to Little Haystack, traverse the ridge, descend Old Bridle Path. About one hour from Bartlett via I-93.
Start by 7am on summer weekends — the Lafayette Place parking lot fills completely by 8.
Diana's Baths
An easy 1.2-mile walk to Lucy Brook's cascading ledges and tiered pools — dramatic in spring snowmelt, lovely all summer. Family-friendly, ADA-accessible trail section, and one of the most accessible "wow" spots in the valley. $5/vehicle at the West Side Road trailhead.
Go early on summer weekends. The pools are perfect for wading with kids.
Arethusa Falls & Frankenstein Cliff
A 4.9-mile loop combining New Hampshire's tallest waterfall (Arethusa Falls, 140+ ft) with dramatic cliff-top views from Frankenstein Cliff. Route 302 runs right through Crawford Notch — this trailhead is about 15 minutes from Bartlett. Especially striking in spring when the falls are running hard.
Do the loop counter-clockwise: Bemis Brook Trail up, Arethusa Falls Trail and Frankenstein Cliff on the way out.
Mount Willard
The best views-per-effort hike in the White Mountains. 3.1 miles round-trip, 895 ft gain, and the payoff is a classic U-shaped glacial notch framed between 1,000-foot cliff walls. Free parking at the AMC Highland Center. Outstanding in fall foliage season.
An ideal second-day hike if you've already done something strenuous — or a great choice when hiking with mixed abilities.
Kancamagus Highway
The premier foliage drive in New Hampshire — a 34.5-mile designated American Scenic Byway with no commercial development, following the Swift River through pure White Mountain National Forest. Stop at Albany Covered Bridge, Lower Falls (swimming in summer), Rocky Gorge, and Sabbaday Falls. The eastern end starts 20 minutes from Bartlett in Conway.
Drive east to west (Conway to Lincoln) on fall mornings for the best light. Get off the highway and walk to the river at Lower Falls.
Mount Washington
Two ways up New Hampshire's highest peak (6,288 ft): the 7.6-mile toll Auto Road from Rt. 16 (self-drive or guided van, May–October), or the historic Cog Railway from Bretton Woods (year-round). Both are 30 minutes from Bartlett. The summit has a weather observatory, museum, and views into five states on clear days.
The Auto Road is drama and adventure; the Cog Railway is history and relaxation. They're different experiences for the same summit.
Saco River Tubing
The definitive White Mountains summer afternoon: lazy-river tubing on the Saco River, with sandy banks, rope swings, and a gentle current. Saco River Tubing Center handles rentals and drop-off. Kayaks and canoes available too. Open June 15 through Labor Day.
Go on a weekday if possible. Weekend afternoons at peak summer can be very crowded on the river.
Places to stay
