7 Fun Hikes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains
Even being in town for an entire month, we only just scratched the surface on the best hikes to do in New Hampshire’s White Mountains! Covering about one-fourth of the state, the White Mountains are home to many amazing day hikes, ones great for casual and adventurous hikers alike.
Since there are so many hikes nearby, if you’re visiting New Hampshire on a road trip or vacation, you’re going to have to pick and choose which trails you’d most love to do.
We were staying towards the middle of New Hampshire in Campton, so you’ll find our pick for the best hikes in the White Mountains all within about a two-hour drive of Campton. If you’re staying in Lincoln, Bretton Woods, or Campton, these are for you!
Here are 7 fun hikes to do in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
When planning your New Hampshire Road Trip, we recommend staying in Lincoln, NH to maximize proximity to some of the best hikes in the White Mountains. (Lincoln is the first dot north of Woodstock on this map.) Bretton Woods (near Middle Sugarloaf) might also be a great place to stay, particularly if you’re visiting during the winter and can take advantage of the Bretton Woods Ski Resort.
Visiting in the fall? Consider Conway, NH. The Kancamagus Highway is one of the best things to do in New Hampshire in the fall, and runs from Conway to Lincoln.
As mentioned, we spent 4 weeks in New Hampshire, staying in a rental in Campton. We were exploring the state as part of our 2022 Travel Season (which included a 5-month road trip through Ontario and New England).
We work full-time (Jon, me, and Lincoln- professional napper) and didn’t take any time off, so all of our hiking was done in the evenings and on the weekends. If you’re not able to visit the most popular places during the weekday (when crowds are fewer), we can help you know when to go where!
So without further ado, here are 7 of the best and most fun hikes in New Hampshire.
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1. Welch-Dickey Loop
This was one of our first hikes in New Hampshire and easily one of our favorites. The views were amazing and, if you’re up for a few sections of a steep uphill climb, this hike is a lot of fun!
It’s definitely a challenge, but not the most challenging hike on our list and the views are absolutely gorgeous.
If you’re looking for hikes using All Trails, you might see a few variations of the “Welch-Dickey Loop”. (You might see “Welch Mountain Rock Ledge”, “Welch and Dickey Mountains” and “Welch-Dickey Loop Trail”.) We recommend the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail, which will allow you to view the rock ledge and both Welch and Dickey Mountains. This is an approximately 4.4-mile trail.
The recommendation we got (thanks to All Trails!) was to hike counter-clockwise (so you’ll hike to Welch Mountain and then Dickey Mountain). That’ll have you climbing uphill during the steepest sections. (Especially if it’s wet or you’re visiting during fall foliage season when leaves are on the ground, this is helpful. Take your time, the terrain can get slippery.)
RTL Tip: If you feel comfortable getting down the mountain quickly or using headlamps, opt for a sunset hike. Visiting in September, we started our hike around 5pm and finished around 7:20pm. We had the hike almost entirely to ourselves and were walking down Dickey Mountain at the perfect time to take in a beautiful sunset.
Dog-friendly? Yes! Just know there are steep sections of this hike on exposed rock. (See pictures below).
2. Franconia Ridge Loop
This hike easily contends for top billing. The only reason its second on our list? The second half of this hike. Because it’s an 8+ mile loop to the summit of three mountains and back down, you’re probably going to be tired by the end of this hike… but the terrain will never let up.
The views are worth it, but this one makes you work for it!
Mount Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge Trail Loop is one of the most popular hikes in the White Mountains and for many, it’s a bucket list kind of hike. (While hiking in Acadia National Park, we actually ran into a group of hikers who were headed next into New Hampshire just for this trail.)
It’s a full-day adventure that will leave you feeling ACCOMPLISHED… and a bit sore. It’s recommended to go counter-clockwise so that you’ll be hiking up the falls first. (And we agree, that’s best!)
RTL Tip: Start early. Earlier than you want to. And expect this trail to take longer than you think. It’s hard. If you have hiking poles, bring them. And pack lots of water and snacks. There is a hut where you can purchase light snacks and use the restroom, but if you hike counter-clockwise as recommended, you’ll find the hut towards the end of your trek.
This is one of those hikes where you have to watch pretty much every step you take (because there are very few sections of flat hiking). That’s why we say this hike would get top billing… except for the second half of the hike. You’re almost always, particularly during your descent, hiking on unstable rocks. The stabilizing muscles around your ankles, knees, and hips will get a lot of use!
But with that disclaimer, if you’re up physically and mentally for this hike, it’s incredible. The views can’t be beat. You’re walking along the ridge of three mountains with 360 degree views. Truly breathtaking, especially on a clear day, and so much fun because when else are you hiking along the ridge of multiple mountains?!
Dog-friendly? Yes! Lincoln did great (better than us pretty much the entire way). She especially loved the creeks at the beginning and the end of the trail. (As did I… the third best part of this hike was taking off my hiking boots and plunging my feet into the cold water. The second best part was essentially walking up a waterfall towards the beginning of the hike. You don’t get wet, but you’re up close and personal and it’s gorgeous. And the first best was taking in the views while walking the ridge. WOW!)
Hiking up Haystack Mountain
Walking the ridge between Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette
3. Middle Sugarloaf Trail
Our best tip for minimizing crowds if you’re hiking New Hampshire during the summer or fall is to start your trek early… or late. We had trails to ourselves (or saw fewer hikers) when starting trails around 8am, or between 3-5pm.
This means sunrise and sunset hikes are likely to give you gorgeous views, and trails mostly to yourself. That’s what happened for us while hiking on Middle Sugarloaf.
But we can’t take credit for this hike or knowing when best to enjoy it. This was a trail that came highly recommend by locals. We were hiking Franconia Ridge (the previous hike on this list) on 9/11, and saw flags being flown on various mountains.
After asking locals about the significance of the flags, we learned that for the past two decades, hikers have been hiking all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains to fly American flags on the summit from noon to 2pm in a state-wide event of remembrance (called “Flags on the 48”).
Later in that conversation with local hikers, we were given suggestions for other hikes to check out, and in particular, we were recommended the Middle Sugarloaf Trail at sunset. If we liked Franconia Ridge, they said we’d love Middle Sugarloaf, especially because it’s a much easier and shorter hike with gorgeous mountain views.
RTL (but really, Local) Tip: There’s a trail that includes Middle and North Sugarloaf. If you’re opting for a sunset hike, or you want to maximize your views, spend the majority of your time on Middle Sugarloaf (or opt for the Middle Sugarloaf Trail only). That’s about a 2.6-mile round-trip hike.
Dog-Friendly? Yes! The majority of this hike is through the woods on boardwalk planks and dirt paths. Some exposed roots but very little rock scrambling.
Middle Sugarloaf at sunset. For another gorgeous view (of possibly pink mountains thanks to the sun setting)… Turn around and take in the view on the other side of Sugarloaf Mountain as well.
4. Franconia Falls
What makes this hike in New Hampshire fun is not actually the hike. It’s the natural waterslides you’ll find at the end of a flat 3.4 miles. (This is a ~7 mile round trip hike.)
If you’d rather spend your time getting to enjoy as many mountainous views as possible, skip this hike. But if you’re visiting during the summer and want to jump into the falls to cool yourself off after a relatively easy stroll through the woods, this one’s for you.
Bring your suit, and slide in to enjoy nature’s waterslide!
Dog-friendly? Yes!
Rocks and river creating natural water slides
5. Mount Morgan
If you ask Jon what he considers to be the most fun hike of our trip, he’ll say this one. Because it’s a classic New England ladder hike. Meaning, you climb a ladder towards the top of the mountain to reach the summit.
(Note: You can choose a slightly longer route and skip the ladder. We didn’t confirm this ourselves - we chose the ladder route, but I’m fairly sure it’s possible to reach the top of Mount Morgan without crossing this ladder.)
Just writing this post and looking back at some of these photos, my palms are sweating and my heart’s racing… kind of like it was when Jon climbed a tree three stories to let us into our rental after locking ourselves out.
Dog-Friendly? Yes… if you skip the ladder or feel comfortable helping your dog up the ladder. (There are also small crevices the dog will have to climb through if you choose the ladder path.)
6. Artists Bluff
This trail tends to pop up as one of the best hikes in New Hampshire, especially for fall foliage.
It’s gorgeous, but the best thing about this hike in our opinion is its length… and effort-to-view ratio. The Artists Bluff Trail is short, relatively easy, and packs a big view. (Especially during the fall when the leaves are changing color.)
RTL Tip: This is another great sunrise or sunset hike, particularly because you decide how long or short you’d like the hike to be. (And if you choose the shortest route, you can descend the mountain after the sun sets and get back to the road relatively quickly.)
Our first time visiting Artists Bluff, we hiked the full trail from the Bald Mountain / Artists Bluff parking lot (across from Cannon Mountain Ski Resort). At the first fork, we went left and followed that trail to Artists Bluff. (If I remember correctly, you go left at the first fork and right at the second fork, but you should be able to follow the signs or the All Trails map.)
Our second time visiting, we opted for the shorter path to the overlook and went right at the first fork, walking in the woods but along the road until the next fork (across from the Echo Lake parking lot). Then, we took the left-hand trail to ascend the mountain and followed the signs to the overlook.
Both visits, we opted to descend following this shorter path then we choose to walk the road back to the parking lot so we could maximize our time enjoying sunset at the overlook.
Dog-Friendly? Yes! Just know there are steep drops at the overlook.
Main Artists Bluff Overlook
Make sure to turn around for this side overlook, especially at sunset!
7. Mount Washington Loop via Tuckerman Ravine
In full transparency, this is the only hike on this list we didn’t actually hike. We planned to, and would love to one day, but after randomly running into friends on top of Mount Washington, we decided to forgo the hike and catch up with them over drinks instead. You can read more of that story here!
But, even though we didn’t hike Mount Washington, this is another popular, gorgeous, and possibly bucket-list hike in New Hampshire. We know because we did get to take in the views at Mount Washington and we hung out for a bit watching people finish.
Truly, if you’re looking for something unique to do at the summit of Mount Washington, head to the start of the trailhead (near the parking lots) and cheer for hikers as they finish their treks. It was a community affair when we were there, with hikers on the summit eating lunch and snacks while cheering on groups finishing their ascent. You can tell this hike is an achievement!
Dog-Friendly? Yes.
Honorable Mentions
A few honorable mentions (of other hikes we did explore) include The Flume Gorge and Cathedral Ledge. Both are gorgeous hikes and worth doing if you have time. Especially The Flume Gorge!
Here are a few other hikes we had our eye on but didn’t ultimately have time for: Mount Moosilauke and South Peak Loop, the Mount Chocorua Loop Trail, Mount Cardigan Loop Trail, Champney Falls Trail, Arethusa Falls and Frankenstein Cliff Loop, Mount Osceola Summit, Mount Willard Trail, and Lonesome Lake Trail.
If you hike these, please let us know in the comments and share which are your favorites!
Keep planning your perfect trip to New Hampshire
To help you continue planning your perfect trip to New Hampshire, here are 3 of our favorite scenic road trips to take in New Hampshire.
And our pick for the 6 BEST things to do in New Hampshire.
Making your way to Vermont next? Check out this foodie road trip itinerary with 8 fun things to do near Stowe, Vermont.
Please leave us a comment below!
We’re always looking for inspiration, and would love to hear about your adventures too! What’s your favorite hike in New Hampshire, or which of these New Hampshire hikes sounds the best to you? Please share with us in the comments below!
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