The 14 Best Winter Activities in New Hampshire
Although many people only visit New Hampshire in the summer and fall, it is a beautiful winter destination! There is something special about spending time in New Hampshire, surrounded by beautiful snow-covered mountains and valleys. Fewer people visit New Hampshire in the winter, allowing you to enjoy winter activities with fewer people!
New Hampshire is known for its fun ski resorts, but that is not all it offers in the winter. One of the best things about New Hampshire is it has a winter activity for everyone to enjoy! Whether you want to ski the day away, enjoy a winter scenic drive, explore ice castles, or enjoy a cozy stay in a cabin, New Hampshire has something to do in the winter for everyone.
I spend every winter in New Hampshire, so I can provide you with the best things to do! This guide has everything you need to know about the best winter activities in New Hampshire that should be on every bucket list!
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Tips for Visiting New Hampshire in Winter
Pack warm clothes. Winters in New Hampshire are cold and snowy, so it is crucial to pack warm clothes. The weather in the mountains can also change quickly, so having the appropriate layers and gear is necessary when exploring. I recommend packing warm boots and multiple layers to prepare for the cold weather. You can learn more about how to layer your clothes in the What to Wear Winter Hiking Guide!
Be careful. Winter in New Hampshire brings many risks, so you must take caution with anything you do and ensure you have the proper equipment and skills for your adventure. If there is ever a situation where you are uncomfortable, please make the safe decision to turn around. There are many tours and guides that you can take to adventure in the White Mountains in winter that provide you with the appropriate gear and have trained guides to ensure your safety.
Buy any tickets in advance. If you plan on skiing, tubing, taking a tour, or anything that includes buying tickets, I recommend getting them in advance. Typically, you can find the best deals online when you purchase the tickets ahead of time instead of buying them when you arrive. Buying them in advance will also ensure your spot for the activity.
Start your days early. Although winter is not the busiest season in New Hampshire, there will still be crowds. Starting your day early allows you to avoid most crowds and take advantage of the daylight!
Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Many of these places have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
Where to Stay in New Hampshire in Winter
New Hampshire has many cute and quaint towns to find cozy accommodations in the winter. And the best part is each region has fun winter activities to enjoy, so you can stay almost anywhere in the state.
Below are a few of the best places to stay in New Hampshire that have the most things to do in winter nearby. Each town has a variety of cozy lodges, cabins, and inns that are perfect for a winter getaway!
Best Places to Stay in Winter:
What to Pack for New Hampshire in Winter
Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and warmth on your trip, you need insulated hiking boots.
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
The Best Winter Activities in New Hampshire in Winter
One of the best things about visiting New Hampshire is there is a winter activity for everyone! Even if you are not a skier, New Hampshire has plenty of things to do in the winter for you to enjoy. I am not a huge skier, and I love visiting New Hampshire because of all the other fun winter activities!
Skiing or Snowboarding
Of course, one of the best things to do in New Hampshire in winter is ski or snowboard. New Hampshire is home to some of the best ski resorts on the East Coast, allowing you to enjoy hundreds of miles of beautiful ski trails. And the best part? Each ski resort has ski trails for all levels. New Hampshire also has ski resorts in every region, and you do not necessarily have to go into the White Mountains to enjoy skiing.
If you are a beginner skier, you can visit Cranmore Mountain Resort, Attitash Mountain Resort, Mount Sunapee, or King Pine for gradual ski trails. Although most of the ski resorts in New Hampshire have beginner trails, these ski resorts have a large number of beginner-friendly trails.
If you are an experienced skier looking for beautiful and challenging trails, you can visit Wildcat Mountain, Loon Mountain Resort, or Cannon Mountain Ski Resort. These ski resorts have challenging ski trails for advanced skiers to enjoy and some of the best views!
No matter what, New Hampshire has fun ski resorts for everyone to enjoy. And they all have beautiful winter views!
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing is another one of the best winter activities in New Hampshire and is perfect for those who do not like downhill skiing. And although many ski resorts have cross-country ski trails, I recommend finding others around the state to enjoy. Here are a few of my favorite cross-country ski trail areas:
Jackson Ski Touring Foundation Nordic Ski Area
Bear Notch Ski Touring Center
Waterville Valley Nordic Center
Franconia Village Cross Country Ski Center
Great Glen Trails
Each of these has miles of beautifully groomed ski trails to enjoy. Most of these cross-country ski areas also offer rentals, allowing everyone to enjoy the trails even if they do not have equipment. Once you cross-country ski in New Hampshire, you will understand why it is one of the best things to do in winter!
Tubing in New Hampshire
If you do not enjoy skiing, do not worry! New Hampshire is home to tubing parks perfect for the entire family. Although most ski resorts in New Hampshire have a tubing park, I recommend visiting Cranmore Mountain Resort.
Cranmore Mountain Resort has one of the best tubing parks in New Hampshire, and you will not regret enjoying a fun day tubing there. It has up to 10 tubing lanes, allowing you to soar down the slopes with your entire family!
Winter Mountain Coaster
Did you know New Hampshire has a mountain coaster that operates in the winter?! Many mountain coasters are only open in the warmer months, but New Hampshire has one that operates year-round.
Cranmore Mountain Resort has a fun alpine coaster that soars down the mountain in the winter, offering beautiful views and a fun way to experience winter at the ski resort. It is a fun winter activity in New Hampshire the entire family can enjoy!
New Hampshire Winter Scenic Drive
Did you know the Kancamagus Highway is open year-round? Although it is one of the most popular fall scenic drives, you can enjoy it in the winter! The 32-mile scenic drive is maintained in the winter and only closes if there is a large snowstorm.
Winter is one of my favorite times to drive the Kancamagus Highway because it has fewer people. And, of course, the snow-covered mountain views are gorgeous. Some parking lots do not get plowed in the winter, but the Kancamagus Highway still has plenty of attractions you can access!
You can also enjoy any scenic drive in New Hampshire in the winter. New Hampshire has beautiful drives around the state that are perfect for enjoying snowy views.
New Hampshire Ice Castles
Did you know New Hampshire is home to one of only a few Ice Castles in North America? Professionals build the ice castle each year using hundreds of thousands of icicles. You can walk around the Ice Castle and explore ice slides, fountains, and tunnels. Visiting the Ice Castles is one of the best winter activities in New Hampshire for the entire family!
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing in New Hampshire is one of the best things to do in the winter! Although the White Mountains have some of the most beautiful trails, New Hampshire has many snowshoeing trails across the state, leading to mountain summits, waterfalls, and scenic vistas.
New Hampshire has everything from beautiful and easy beginner-friendly trails to strenuous trails for experienced snowshoers. You can also join a tour from Alpine Adventures if you want to snowshoe with a professional guide!
Mount Washington Cog Railway
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a scenic train traveling up Mount Washington. In the summer and fall, the train travels to the top of Mount Washington. In the winter, it stops at the Waumbek Station above 4,000 feet on the side of Mount Washington.
Although the Cog Railway does not travel to the top of Mount Washington in the winter, you can enjoy stunning views from Waumbek Station of the surrounding mountains. It is a great way to get to the higher elevations without hiking!
Mount Washington SnowCoach
If you want a different way to travel up Mount Washington in the winter, you can take a SnowCoach Tour! The SnowCoach Tour brings you above the treeline to 4,200 feet on Mount Washington, where you can take in some of the best views in the area.
The entire experience is incredible, and it will quickly become one of your favorite winter activities in New Hampshire! I promise the cold trip is well worth it for the views!
Ice Climbing With a Guide
A unique thing to do in New Hampshire in winter is ice climbing! The International Mountain Climbing School offers a variety of guided trips for all levels and provides you with the gear and safety tips you need. Their experienced guides are flexible to accommodate your skill levels, so you can have fun climbing frozen waterfalls! Climbing frozen waterfalls is one of the best winter activities, and you will not be disappointed with the adventure.
Winter Fat Biking
Fat biking is one of the lesser-known winter activities, but it is fun! Fat bikes are essentially mountain bikes with thick tires, allowing you to ride on snowy trails. It is a really fun winter activity for the entire family to enjoy! A few of my favorite places to fat bike in the winter are Bretton Woods Ski Resort, Great Glen Trails, and Waterville Valley Resort.
Snowmobiling
If you love snowmobiling, you are in luck! New Hampshire has over 7,000 beautiful snowmobiling trails throughout the state. Although there are trails in every region, some of the best are in the Great North Woods near Pittsburg. The area has hundreds of miles of trails with great conditions, beautiful views, and fun places to stop along your rides.
Pittsburg is in the most northern part of New Hampshire along the border of Canada, but the long drive is worth it to enjoy the snowmobiling trails!
Winter Ziplining
Have you ever considered ziplining in the winter? Bretton Woods has canopy tours in the winter, where you can soar through a snow-covered forest! And yes, it is as cool as it sounds! The three-hour tour has nine zip lines, two sky bridges, and beautiful views of Mount Washington. Although it is not a regular winter activity, ziplining will quickly become one of your favorite things to do in New Hampshire in winter!
Sleigh Rides
And last but certainly not least, we have another fun winter activity for the entire family to enjoy! Picture this: cozying up with blankets while enjoying stunning winter views on a beautiful sleigh pulled by gorgeous horses. And yes, it is as magical as it sounds!
And the best part? New Hampshire has sleigh rides throughout the state! Whether you visit southern New Hampshire, the White Mountains, or the Seacoast, you can find a farm offering sleigh rides.
If you want to visit New Hampshire in winter, this guide is the perfect place to start planning your trip! It has everything you need to know about the best winter activities in New Hampshire!
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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