The 6 Best Things To Do in New Hampshire in Summer or Fall

There are many great things to do in New Hampshire. In fact, similar to our time in the Adirondacks we had no idea just how much there was to explore, especially within New Hampshire’s White Mountains. New Hampshire is jam-packed with great activities, particularly if you enjoy the outdoors!

We explored New Hampshire for 4 weeks as part of our 2022 Travel Season (i.e. our 5-month road trip through New England). Jon and I both work full-time and didn’t take any time off during our stay, so we did all of our exploring after work and on weekends. We got to see just about everything we wanted to see, but that meant keeping ourselves busy after work with hikes and activities to make it happen.

Whether you’ve got a few weeks or just a few days to explore, here are our picks for the 6 best things to do in New Hampshire!

Above is a map that shows 5 of the 6 best things to do in New Hampshire. You may notice we stayed primarily within the center of the state and that’s because we were staying in Campton, NH (the red dot in the image above).

Since we only share activities we’ve actually done, our list for the best things to do in New Hampshire will focus on activities within about 2 hours drive from Campton. Luckily, New Hampshire is a smaller state, so we were still able to see and explore quite a bit during our month-long stay!

If you’re interested in maximizing your chances for seeing wildlife, you can add Activity #6 on our list to your New Hampshire Itinerary, which either takes you all the way north to Pittsburg (near the Canadian border) or past Gorham (at the top of this map) to Errol.

You can also add a visit to Concord to your trip if you want to explore the capitol of New Hampshire and have many more great things to do!

If you’re planning your New Hampshire itinerary, and love road trips like us, we recommend staying in Lincoln, NH (north of Campton) or Conway, NH, especially if you’re visiting during the fall. The Kancamagus Highway runs from Lincoln, NH, to Conway, NH, which makes both of these areas great basecamps.

But wherever you’re staying, you are sure to find something awesome nearby, so without further ado, here are 6 of the best things to do in New Hampshire in the summer or fall.

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1. Visit the summit of Mount Washington

You can hike Mount Washington following the Mount Washington Loop via Tuckerman Ravine, drive Mount Washington along the Mount Washington Auto Road, or take the Mount Washington Cog Railway from Bretton Woods, NH to the summit.

All three options are considered to be some of the best things to do in New Hampshire because the view at the summit of Mount Washington is gorgeous!

We were planning to hike The Mount Washington Loop via Tuckerman Ravine (in part because our rental had a picture of the ravine on the wall and it was gorgeous) but opted to grab drinks with our friends instead, after unexpectedly seeing them at the summit. (What are the chances you run into someone you know at the top of a mountain in a state neither of you lives?!)

The drive itself was gorgeous though, and we really enjoyed the views along the way. There is an admission fee to drive the Mount Washington Auto Road (we paid $65 for two of us), but it’s a great way to see Mount Washington, and the 360-degree views at the summit are spectacular.

RTL Tip: We highly recommend hopping out of your car at the summit and following one or two of the trails (particularly on the backside where you can watch the cog railway pass by). You can walk just 10 or so minutes down the mountain and enjoy even more beautiful views. Heads up, fog can roll in quickly, but leave just as fast!

If you’re looking for something unique to do at the summit of Mount Washington, make your way to the start of the Mount Washington Loop 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 a big achievement!

Want to hike at the summit of Mount Washington but not tackle the 7.6-mile out-and-back trail through the Tuckerman Ravine? There are plenty of shorter hikes or trails you could follow to explore the summit for an hour or two.

Want to add more beautiful views to your Mount Washington road trip? Click here for our suggestions for the 3 most scenic road trips in New Hampshire.

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Especially if you add a hike at the summit or on the way.

2. Hike (& Keep Hiking) in the White Mountains

Hiking was the activity that kept us the busiest during our 4 weeks in New Hampshire. We were out exploring every weekend and many weeknights. Hiking or spending time outside is definitely one of the best things to do in New Hampshire!

We were visiting during September and the weather was gorgeous. We didn’t see peek fall foliage by any means (we hear that hits closer to mid-October) but the temperatures and early changing leaves were great nonetheless. If you’re visiting in the winter, our rock climbing guide (you’ll read about our beginner’s guide to rock climbing Mount Rumney below), said winter was his favorite time to hike, without the crowds.

Our best tip for minimizing crowds if you’re visiting during the summer or fall is to start your trek early… or late. We had trails to ourselves (or at least saw fewer hikers) when starting trails around 8am, or between 3-5pm.

We break down the best hikes to do in New Hampshire in a later post, but for now, here were our favorite 3 hikes in New Hampshire to get you started!

3 Great Hikes in New Hampshire

1. Welch Mountain: 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! If you feel comfortable getting down the mountain quickly or using headlamps, opt for a sunset hike.

2. Artist’s Bluff Trail: This trail is one that comes up in most searches for the best hikes and things to do in New Hampshire and for good reason: it’s short, relatively easy, and packs a big view. (Especially during the fall when the leaves are changing color.)

3. Franconia Ridge: Another bucket list hike for many (we even ran into a group of hikers in Acadia National Park who were headed to New Hampshire just for this!), Franconia Ridge is a full-day adventure that leaves you feeling quite accomplished (albeit a bit sore). This is a long one, so if you’re looking for a different trail that packs a big view but with less of a punch, try Middle Sugarloaf. Locals recommended a sunset hike at Middle Sugarloaf to us while hiking Franconia Ridge, and it did not disappoint.

See more of the best hikes in New Hampshire here, so you can plan the perfect road trip for you!

Dog-Friendly? Yes! All four hikes mentioned here are dog-friendly.

Franconia Ridge overlooking Lincoln Mountain

3. Canoe on Lake Winnipesaukee

This was quite possibly my favorite thing we did in New Hampshire!! On our first Saturday in town, we rented a canoe at Wild Meadow Paddlesports and paddled our way around Lake Winnipesaukee. It was incredible!

RTL Tip: Make reservations in advance if you can. We arrived around 10:50 am on a Saturday in September and were able to rent the last available canoe. You get an all-day rental so if you want to maximize your day on the lake, arrive early, and if you want to ensure you get the canoe, kayak, or paddleboard you’re looking for, call ahead for reservations.

Once you check in, ask if there have been any wildlife sightings lately. We found out some earlier paddlers had sighted a bald eagle near One Mile Island, so we knew to look for one once we got there… and that made for an amazing morning and photo session! We spent a few hours on the lake, paddling from White Meadow Paddlesports to One Mile Island (and around) and the weather was amazing.

Dog-friendly? Yes! This was Linc’s first time in a canoe and she did great. She especially enjoyed getting to hop out in the shallow parts of the lake to swim!

4. Rock Climb at Mount Rumney

When researching the best things to do in New Hampshire, we read about Mount Rumney as one of the top sport climbing areas in the country. We love to experience local things in whatever area we’re in, but neither of us had ever attempted outdoor rock climbing. (We’ve each tried rock climbing in a gym once or twice.)

We decided to give it a try but knew we’d want a guide. We booked through 57hours which was great, and we were paired with a climbing instructor, Sam, from NEM Guides (Northeast Mountaineering).

It was an amazing adventure, and we loved working with Sam/NEM.

(I think you could book directly with NEM, if you’re interested in rock climbing and hiring a guide. If you do, and you’re new to outdoor rock climbing, consider asking for Sam. He was so patient with us (particularly me- I was nervous) and later we found out, he sometimes teaches rock climbing to children at summer camp and I think that MASSIVELY helped when I’d say, “I’m kind of freaking out here!!!” mid-climb. Sam helped me feel much more comfortable attempting the different pitches and taught us a lot about safety, technique, and rock climbing in general.)

We were able to rent gear through NEM since we didn’t have any ourselves. And our guide, Sam, picked out the best crag (rock climbing lingo for a small cliff or climbing area) for us to attempt as beginners. We got to experience 5 different pitches (rock climbing lingo for routes), including a 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.7, 5.7+ (the first 5 stands for vertical, the number after the decimal is the degree of difficulty), and made it to the top of each!

What a fun experience that we highly recommend if you’ve been rock climbing in a gym or are up for a challenge!

5. Drive the Kancamagus Highway

The Kancamagus Highway is a 34-mile stretch of road between Conway, NH, and Lincoln, NH.

While this highway is most well-known for its fall foliage, this drive is gorgeous all year round. We drove the Kancamagus Highway about three weeks before peak foliage and although you can see how the trees were just barely starting to change colors in the pictures below, it was still a gorgeous drive with many scenic overlooks and hikes to check out along the way.

If you’re visiting in the summer, consider adding the Franconia Falls Hike to your itinerary, and bring your bathing suit to take advantage of the area’s natural water slides!

If you’re visiting in the fall, the Kancamagus Highway gets busy, so be prepared to head out early, especially if you’re planning stops.

Here are a few more recommendations if you’re planning to drive the Kancamagus Highway.

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Especially if you add a hike or stops at overlooks to your trip.

6. Look for wildlife along Moose Alley

“Moose Alley” is a 12-mile stretch of road in Pittsburg, NH that’s well-known for its large population of moose.

But whether or not you actually get to spot a moose, this is a scenic drive that’ll take you into some of the most northern parts of New Hampshire. And if you do happen upon a moose at the right time, we have no doubt it would be magical!

RTL Tip: Dawn and dusk are the best times for moose viewing, so we recommend staying closer to Pittsburg - and spending a few days in the area - if a moose sighting is high on your list. There were some awesome cabins and rentals nearby.

If you don’t have luck at Moose Alley, you could also try the stretch of road on Route 16 between Gorham and Errol. This area also popped up during our research as a great place for moose sightings (information that was later confirmed by our Mount Rumney Rock Climbing Guide, who’s from the area).

Dog-Friendly? Yes, but… You’ll probably be spending a lot of time driving or sitting in the car. You can add a hike to your drive, such as the Moose Alley Trail, but don’t expect much. This is a pretty muddy, overgrown hike, but a fine spot to stretch your legs and get out of the car.

You can read about our full experience looking for moose along Moose Alley here!

Keep planning your perfect trip to New Hampshire

Looking for more great things to do in New Hampshire?

Here are 3 of our favorite scenic road trips to take in New Hampshire.
And here 7 fun hikes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains!

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 thing to do in New Hampshire, or which of these New Hampshire activities sounds the best to you? Please share with us in the comments below!

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