Mount Washington
The summit, by rail or road
The Cog Railway climbs the northeast's highest peak; the Auto Road drives it. Either way you arrive in a different climate zone than the one you left.
White Mountains guide
The Granite State · Four seasons, one small state
New Hampshire: mountains, lakes and a very short coast
The highest peaks in the Northeast, a lake the size of a small sea, eighteen miles of Atlantic shoreline — and no sales tax at the till. Here is how to plan it region by region, season by season.
6,288 ft
Mount Washington summit
18 mi
Atlantic coastline
0%
State sales tax
~2 hrs
Boston to the White Mountains
48
Peaks over 4,000 feet
Start here
Five things worth building a trip around
If you only have a long weekend, these five cover the state's range: alpine summit, glacial gorge, lake, historic port and a forest road that is a destination in itself.
Lakes Region
Lake Winnipesaukee
Seventy-two square miles of water, 250-plus islands and a mailboat that has run since 1916. Base yourself in Wolfeboro, Meredith or Centre Harbor.
Lakes Region guide
Seacoast
Portsmouth
A working port with a 17th-century house museum, one of America's best restaurant strips and Hampton Beach twenty minutes down the road.
Seacoast guide
Franconia Notch
Flume Gorge & the Basin
A boardwalk through a 90-foot granite chasm, a glacial pothole you can stand inside, and a tramway to the ridge if the weather cooperates.
See the notch
Scenic drive
The Kancamagus Highway
Thirty-four miles of Route 112 between Lincoln and Conway that most people drive once and then plan a second trip to drive properly.
Foliage drives
Practical
Skip the queue planning
Cars are essential, distances are short and weekends in October are busy. Our planning guide covers airports, timing, lodging styles and the tax-free details.
- Boston Logan → Seacoast~1 hr
- Boston Logan → Lincoln~2 hrs
- Lincoln → North Conway~1 hr
- Portsmouth → Hanover~1 hr 50
Organise by place
Seven regions, each with its own season
New Hampshire is small but not uniform. The White Mountains behave like alpine terrain, the Seacoast like a small maritime city, and the Great North Woods like somewhere considerably further north.
Far northGreat North Woods
NorthWhite Mountains
CentralLakes Region
Upper valleyDartmouth–Lake Sunapee
SouthwestMonadnock Region
North
White Mountains
Mount Washington, Franconia and Crawford notches, the Kancamagus Highway and the state's serious hiking.
Region guide
Central
Lakes Region
Winnipesaukee, Squam and Newfound lakes — boating, summer cottages and the quieter shoulder seasons.
Region guide
East
Seacoast & Portsmouth
Eighteen miles of coast, a colonial port city, Strawbery Banke and Hampton Beach's boardwalk.
Region guide
Southwest
Monadnock Region
Mount Monadnock, one of the most-climbed peaks in the world, plus orchards, stone walls and Keene.
Region guide
Upper Valley
Dartmouth–Lake Sunapee
Hanover's college green, the Hood Museum, Lake Sunapee and the Connecticut River valley.
Region guide
Central south
Merrimack Valley
Manchester's mill district, Concord's State House and the corridor that most visitors drive through.
Region guide
Far north
Great North Woods
Working forest, moose at dusk, Connecticut Lakes and a genuine sense of remoteness.
Region guide
Overview
Compare all regions
Driving times, best months, where to base yourself and which region suits which kind of trip.
Regions hub
Organise by time
Pick your season first
Demand in New Hampshire is sharply seasonal. Foliage weekends and school holidays book out months ahead; late spring and early November are quiet and cheap.
Sep – mid-Oct
Fall foliage
Peak colour runs north-to-south and high-to-low. The Whites turn first, the Seacoast last.
Foliage guide
Dec – Mar
Winter sports
Bretton Woods, Loon, Cannon and Attitash, plus nordic centres and the Cog Railway's snow train.
Ski guide
Jun – Aug
Summer lakes & coast
Winnipesaukee boating, Hampton Beach, family parks and long White Mountain daylight.
Summer guide
Mar – May
Spring & sugaring
Maple syrup season, orchard blossom, waterfall flow and quiet trails before Memorial Day.
Spring guide
Trip builder
Sketch a route in two clicks
Choose a trip length and the thing you most want from the state. We'll suggest a workable shape — you can refine it against the full itineraries.
Distances in New Hampshire are short, but mountain roads are slow. Everything below assumes you are driving and staying two to three nights per base.
Culture & campuses
College towns worth a detour
Higher education is part of the travel map here rather than a separate directory: Dartmouth's green in Hanover, UNH's campus a short walk from Durham's tidal river, and a ring of smaller colleges that give their towns a walkable, café-and-bookshop centre.
- Dartmouth College · HanoverIvy League, 1769
- University of New Hampshire · DurhamFlagship public
- Plymouth State · PlymouthEdge of the Whites
- Keene State · KeeneMonadnock region
Practical
Questions people ask before booking
When is the best time to visit New Hampshire?
Late September to mid-October is the signature window, and colour peaks first at elevation in the White Mountains before moving south and downhill. July and August are best for lakes, beaches and family parks. January to March is ski season. Late March to early April is sugaring season, when small operations open their doors and the waterfalls are at full flow.
Do you need a car?
Effectively yes. Attractions are spread across a state that is roughly 190 miles tall, and public transport between mountain, lake and coastal areas is minimal. Most visitors fly into Boston Logan and drive north — about an hour to the Seacoast and two hours to the western White Mountains.
Is shopping really tax free?
New Hampshire has no state sales tax and no state personal income tax, so retail purchases are not taxed at the point of sale. Visitors from Massachusetts, Maine and New York plan outlet trips around this. See our tax-free shopping notes for where it actually pays off.
How long do you need in the White Mountains?
Three nights is the practical minimum: one day for Franconia Notch, one for a summit experience, one for the Kancamagus Highway. Five to seven nights lets you add Crawford and Pinkham notches, the Great North Woods, and a Lakes Region stop on the way home. See the itineraries page.
Is Mount Washington safe for families?
The summit is safe if you treat it as an alpine environment. The road and railway deliver you to 6,288 feet, where the weather can be 30°F colder and far windier than the valley. Bring a windproof layer even in August, and check the higher summits forecast before you drive up.
Ready to put a route together?
Start with the best-time guide, then pick an itinerary closest to your trip length.