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.
Filter by season
8 places match your filters
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.
Photo: Dmkrusch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Conway Scenic Railroad
Running since 1974 out of North Conway's 1874 Victorian depot, the Conway Scenic Railroad offers two very different rides. The Mountaineer is the showstopper — a 4- to 5-hour round trip up through Crawford Notch on the old Maine Central Mountain Division, crossing the Frankenstein Trestle high above the valley. The Valley Train is a relaxed one-hour ride toward Conway, with seasonal specials like the Halloween Express and Santa's Holiday Express that kids love.
Book the Mountaineer well ahead for foliage season, and spring for Observation Dome seats if they're available. Pre-order a boxed lunch at least 48 hours in advance — outside food isn't allowed on board. About 20 minutes from Bartlett.
Photo: Ken Gallager, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Crawford Notch State Park
A 5,775-acre state park along Route 302 that protects the dramatic pass between Bartlett and Bretton Woods, with the Saco River tumbling down the notch beside the road. At its heart is the Willey House site, named for the family lost in an 1826 landslide, now home to a snack bar, park store, and picnic area. Silver Cascade and Flume Cascade spill down the ledges right beside the highway, Ripley Falls is an easy hike away, and Dry River Campground has sites from late May through October.
Make an afternoon of it: stop at Silver Cascade on the way up, picnic at the Willey House, and hike to Ripley Falls. Arethusa Falls and Mount Willard (both listed separately) are in the park too. About 20 minutes west of Bartlett.
Photo: Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
White Mountain National Forest
Established in 1918, the White Mountain National Forest covers roughly 750,000 acres of New Hampshire and Maine, with about 1,200 miles of trails, 23 campgrounds, six wilderness areas, and more than 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail. In Bartlett, forest land starts right outside the door. Bear Notch Road climbs 9 scenic miles from Bartlett Village to the Kancamagus Highway with overlooks along the way, and trailheads for Sawyer Pond, Diana's Baths, and the Presidential Range–Dry River Wilderness are all close by.
Many trailheads and day-use sites require a recreation pass — buy a day or annual pass before you go. Bear Notch Road is unplowed and closed in winter, but it's one of the best foliage drives in the valley from late September to mid-October.
Places to stay
