Ultimate Travel Guide to the White Mountains of New Hampshire (For 2024)

Oh, the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I love this picturesque place. The White Mountains are a protected National forest filled with soaring mountains, hikes, waterfalls, rivers and many attractions. I spent the summers of my childhood here and have continued going every year since then. It is one of my happy places. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are perfect for families, hikers, couples, friends, really everyone! This is the ultimate travel guide to the White Mountains of New Hampshire from someone who is kinda like a local or very much wishes to be! Use our experience to inspire your travel and create a wonderful trip. Use this travel guide to find best hotels in the White Mountains, the best places to eat and things to do in the White Mountains. So keep scrolling for the ultimate travel guide to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for 2024.

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At Pragmatic Travelers, I only recommend what I have personally visited, stayed at and ate at. Also, not kidding, I go to the White Mountains every year.

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Map of hotels, restaurants and things to do in the White Mountains

Towns to visit/stay in the White Mountains

• North Conway, NH: Adorable town with lots of dining, things to do and beautiful natural surroundings. This is a much larger and built up town so there will be more dining options. There are plenty of shopping options from small boutiques to an outlet mall. It has access to mountains, rivers, waterfalls and trails!  Nearby towns include Bartlett, Glenn, and Intervale.
• Jackson, NH: Quaint, small and adorable mountain town with several resorts and rental properties.  Close to North Conway. Have great pumpkin person displays in the Fall.
• Lincoln, NH and North Woodstock, NH: Smaller than North Conway but still in a majestic location with dining, a winery and a few breweries. Near Franconia Notch and the Kancamungus Highway
• Madison, NH: In particular, Edelweiss Village which is located on Pea Porridge Ponds. (Beautiful lake front houses.) This is a rural town with limited dining options. A bit far from North Conway which has the better restaurants.
• Littleton, NH: Charming main street, beautiful walks along the river, several restaurants and an excellent brewery. Closer to Lincoln, NH.

White Mountain Hotels

• Residence Inn–North Conway, NH-Comfortable, clean, central location and dog friendly. A pretty standard Residence Inn.
  • Check out TripAdvisor for reviews and prices
• Hampton Inn/Suites-North Conway, NH-Comfortable, clean, close to major attractions, Includes an indoor water park. Waterpark makes these Hampton Inn stick out from other Hampton Inns.
• North Conway Mountain Inn– North Conway, NH- Comfortable, clean, cheap, beautiful mountain views from balconies and dog friendly. This place surprised me with how amazing the views are from the balconies.
• Eagle Mountain House  & Golf Club–Jackson, NH- Beautiful location and rooms, friendly service, outdoor pool, golf, very good food, dog friendly, about 20 minutes away from North Conway. My brother got married here!
• The Cabernet Inn-North Conway, NH (One of my favs) Classic B&B, romantic, sweet, close to everything, excellent breakfast, fireplace in each room but no TVs.
• AMC Highland Center– Bretton Woods, NH (I LOVE THIS PLACE.) It is a clean, LL Bean furnished,  comfortable mountain lodge with a beautiful playground and stunning views. Secluded and near so many trails. Very close to Crawford Notch State Park. Your rental includes access to their hiking gear so you don’t need to worry about bringing any. Make sure to book up their food packages. The breakfast buffet is delicious and family style dinners fantastic. The view from the outdoor eating area will make your morning coffee special. About 30 minutes to North Conway. This is 100% kid friendly as I used to bring students here. Please note some rooms have communal bathrooms.
• Inn at Ellis River, Jackson NH- Classic B&B, excellent location near a river, attractive property/rooms and fantastic breakfast.
• The Snowflake Inn, Jackson NH- This place is very welcoming with cozy suites and a continental breakfast. All suites come with a 2 person jacuzzi which is a bit cheesy but surprisingly a lot of fun to use. Definitely more of an adult vibe.
• Cranmore Inn, North Conway, NH- EXCELLENT location. It is walking distance to the main street of North Conway. Comfortable and cozy rooms with an outdoor pool. Very welcoming of all people.

Best Restaurants in the White Mountains

• White Mountain Cider Company-Glenn, NH- One of the best places to grab dinner. Great cocktails. Try the Cidertini! Amazing takeaway food for lunch. Got to try one of their handmade hand pies! And of course delicious cider and cider donuts. I highly recommend making a reservation.
• Polly’s Pancake Parlor– Sugar Hill, NH-Don’t miss this. You will regret it. Everything is locally made. The vintage farmhouse is set in a quaint mountain town.  You can chose from Buckwheat, whole wheat, cornmeal, buttermilk (and more) pancakes. They bring maple syrup, maple sugar and maple spread to your table. This is very popular so go early. Last I went, you could call ahead and put your name on the list.
• Horsefeathers-North Conway, NH- In the heart of North Conway. Delicious food with a second floor view of the train station. Please try their curried crab and asparagus soup.  You won’t regret it. They always have Tuckerman’s Ale on tap!
• The Common Man-Lincoln, NH-Quality, delicious, homecooked meals. Beautiful homey restaurant. Definitely make a reservation.
• The Met: North Conway, NH- COFFEEE. Great coffee, fun lattes, hot ciders and teas. I adore their coffee. The building is also interesting as it used to be an old bank. It is right next to the train station so perfect spot for exploring North Conway’s main street.
• May Kelly’s Cottage Restaurant and Pub, North Conway, NH- Excellent Irish pub. The Taste of Ireland which is a sample of beef stew, chicken pot pie and shepherd’s pie is fantastic. Another popular location, so go early.
• Eagle Mountain House Dining, Jackson, NH- Excellent dinner, cocktails and breakfast.
• Flatbread Pizza, North Conway- A small chain pizza joint with very good pizza. Most of their pizzas are organic and/or locally sourced. It is behind the Eastern Slope Inn. (Large white hotel on the main street of North Conway.)
• Peach’s, North Conway-Very popular breakfast location. Adorable property with outdoor seating. Go early.

Please skip the Muddy Mouse. It is always busy and I truly don’t understand why. Food is average at best. Not worth the wait.

Best Breweries/Wineries in the White Mountains

• Woodstock Inn and Brewery– North Woodstock, NH- Decent food, beautiful outdoor patio and they brew their own beer! Beer is much better than food in my opinion.  If it is busy, check out Cascade Falls (which is across the street) while you wait.
• Schilling Beer Co., Littleton, NH-EXCELLENT beer, location and pizza. I was really blow away by this brewery. It is the prefect spot for lunch while visiting Littleton. Highly recommend. Wonderful views along the river.
• Tuckerman Brewery-Conway, NH- Excellent beer with great pizza as well. The Pale Ale is my favorite.
• Seven Birches Winery -Lincoln, NH-Nice wine even better mulled wine! Relaxing location with plenty of outdoor seating.
• Moat Mountain Brewing Company-North Conway, NH-One of the best places to eat in the area. Great BBQ, Cajun fries, nachos and pizzas. They brew their own beer! Very very busy. Get their early or get their late or be prepared to wait.

Things to do in the White Mountains

• Kancamagus Highway (The Kanc)– This is a highly rated experience. It is a long drive up and over a mountain that connects Lincoln to Bartlett/North Conway. This is truly a don’t miss. There are plenty of places to stop and take pictures. It is spectacular in Autumn but busy. Could even take hours, if you go midday. Please don’t. It will ruin it.
  • Pro tip! Don’t miss Bear Notch Road which connects the Kancamagus Highway to Bartlett. This road is closed in the winter and is rarely busy in the Autumn. The outlooks are, in my opinion, better than the Kanc. 
• The Flume Gorge- (Franconia Notch, NH) Just incredible and beautiful. It is a natural gorge in Franconia Notch. Incredible walk to and from  with covered bridges and additional waterfalls. You get to walk through the gorge on wooden boardwalks that are suspended/attached to the gorge walls. Amazing boardwalk along Avalanche Falls. This is a paid attraction and very much a don’t miss.
• Mt. Willard-  (Bretton Woods, NH) Around a 3.2 mile hike near Bretton Woods. It is a moderate hike with an absolute stunner of a view at the top. This is a very busy hike in the Autumn. Like most hikes, I like to go early in the morning to have the trail to myself. 
• Bald Mt./Artist’s Bluff Loop Franconia Notch, NH- Short, moderate hike with amazing views from both Bald Mt. and Artist’s Bluff. VERY busy in the Autumn. Go early if you are visiting during peak foliage. 
• Saco Bound, North Conway, NH- Excellent river rental group. I have very much enjoyed renting tubes to float down the Saco River. It is relaxing and beautiful. 
• Santa’s Village, Jefferson, NH- Holiday fun for the whole family. I went to this small amusement park my whole childhood. I have such fond memories of Rudy’s Roller Coaster, the Skyway Sleigh, and AMAZING gingerbread cookies.  As an adult, it has aged very well. I still enjoyed visiting. They have a waterpark now too!
• Diana’s Baths, North Conway, NH- Pools and cascades, ADA friendly with a flat walk and benches along the way. It can get very busy in the summer. This definitely an arrive early or late place.
• Cathedral Ledge, Bartlett NH-Drive up to the top of the Cathedral Ledge.. At the top there is a fenced in area with an 180 degree view of North Conway. A don’t miss attraction!
• Glenn Ellis Falls, Near Gorham, NH- 70 foot stunning waterfall. Requires a short  walk with some stairs.  Could be difficult for some. Spectacular sight with very little effect.
• Sabbaday Falls (Right off the Kanc.) Really something to see and easy walk. Another busy location but not as bad as Diana’s Baths.  It is a nice place to get out and explore after driving the Kanc.
• Wildcat Mt. (Near Jackson, NH) and Loon Mt. (Lincoln, NH) Both offer gondola rides and ample skiing. Views at the summit are stunning. 
• Settlers Green, North Conway, NH- Outlet shopping in the mountains! Plenty of options and there is an L.L Bean outlet across the street.
• Not a hiker? No worries, the drives through Pinkham Notch, Crawford Notch and Franconia Notch are spectacular. 
• Conway Scenic Railroad, North Conway, NH-Offers short and long train rides. Great fun and historical.
• Go on a covered bridge hunt. The picture below is just one of 13! This New Hampshire tourism page provides details on where to find all of the covered bridges.
• Mt. Washington Auto Road or Cog Railway: Both yield spectacular views. The auto road is a bit intense if you don’t like heights.

Great Resources for your trip to the White Mountains

• Appalachian Mountain Club
• Visit the White Mountains
• New England Trail Conditions
• 14 Best Restaurants in the White Mountains
• North Conway Hotels
• One Bag Travel Gear

Your Thoughts…

This was the ultimate travel guide to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. What are your favorite things to do in the White Mountains? Where do you love to go and eat?