This small but incredible state packs more adventure and sights than you can imagine, from the scenic wilderness of the White Mountains to the small and historical towns. New Hampshire is considered one of the top places to visit on the East Coast.
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State, and despite its relatively small size, it’s packed with a huge variety of things to do, see, and eat. It has 18 miles of coastline, quaint towns, and vast areas of open wilderness. It also has all the winter sports you could want and museums and restaurants that will make your time there an incredible experience. This is the most popular vacation destination, we will share 10 unique things to do in New Hampshire during your visit to this state.
1. Gunstock Resort
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Gunstock Resort is a four-season resort that not only offers skiing, camping, and other annual events but also offers an adventure park filled with activities for all ages including hiking aerial Treetop Adventures, zip line, scenic lift rides, Segway tours, E-bike tours, and the Mountain coaster.
The mountain coaster they offer throughout the year, the main attraction is skiing, they have great snowmaking during the winter night skiing, and tubing as well, but during the summertime, those are some of the activities you can enjoy and this is one of the main attractions for people who want to live in Guilford, but you don’t have to live in Guildford to enjoy a gun sack mountain you can live anywhere around the lake.
If you love parks, you can explore the 12 Best Things To Do In New River Gorge National Park
2. Mount Washington Cruise
The Mount Washington cruise ship has offered scenic tours of Lake Winnipesaukee for almost 150 years passengers can get on board in the center of Harbor Meredith Weirs Beach Wolfeboro and Alton while on board, you can’t beat the beautiful scenery and the best views of the lake are from the mount Washington, they offer dinner cruises, fall foliage cruises, you can have your private events there,
They have the mailboat Melbourne Cruises, where you go around with a mailboat around the islands that’s a great experience.
3. Rail bike Adventure
Rail Bike adventures allow you to explore the actual train rails on a rail bike, it’s a new adventure activity along the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. the experience allows riders to enjoy scenic rails along the lakes, surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee, which departs from the Laconia railroad station, they also have
guided rail bike tours that are about five and last approximately an hour and a half, if you’re going to do that you will be pedaling on a rail car so you have to be in good shape.
The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad has offered scenic train rides along the lakes and throughout the white mountains for nearly 35 years, it departs from Meredith and Laconia back and forth, they go at five miles per hour, and during the fall leaf peepers can enjoy the foliage,
4. The Bank of New Hampshire pavilion
The Bank of New Hampshire pavilion also known as Meadowbrook, can enjoy live events and concerts at the pavilion, they have concerts in the Summer every weekend. It was originally opened in 1996, they have seats for around 9,000 guests.
5. Castle In The Clouds
Castle in the Clouds is a 16-room mansion and 5,294-acre (2,142 ha)mountaintop estate in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. The home was built in 1913–1914 in the Craftsman style by the millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant for his second wife.
The estate was sold to Richard and Donald Robie in 1956, who opened it as a tourist attraction. Castle in the Clouds is today owned and operated by the Castle Preservation Society.
This is a scenic spot worth visiting, the scenery is beautiful. One side is backed by mountains, and the other side can see Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Of course, don’t forget to visit the 7 waterfalls originally owned by this millionaire, especially the 7th waterfall, Falls of Song. It’s better to wear hiking shoes to see the waterfalls, because there are many tree roots on the trail.
it offers a panoramic view of New Hampshire’s beauty and you Can have an amazing view of the lake Winnipesaukee.
6. Mount Major
Mount Major is located in Alton and offers a short hike, suitable for families of all ages, Mount Major Reservation is a Part of the Belknap mountain range, it offers scenic forest trails and stunning views of southern New Hampshire. This beautiful area sees around 80 thousand visitors each year and is one of the most hiked mountains in the State.
Stick to trails and follow trail markers. Hiking on designated routes protects the surrounding plants and prevents the creation and splitting of trails. Come prepared with appropriate footwear, and walk through the mud in the center of the path to avoid widening the trail. Mount Major includes some sections with large rocks and boulders. Be ready to hike over rocks to keep on the path.
Dogs are allowed at Mount Major. For the safety of your dog and wildlife, we strongly recommend using a leash at all times. Leashes help keep pets on designated trails and prevent them from disturbing wildlife and other visitors.
7. Ellacoya State Park
Ellacoya State Park is located on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in Guildford, it offers all the amenities of a state park that you expect including picnic areas and public showers, they have 600 feet long and sandy beach, it’s a family-friendly campground for RVs, they are well located and you have access to everything around the lake, this is a great place to see the sunset.
8. Portsmouth
Portsmouth New Hampshire, is located on the banks of the Piscataqua River. This place will take you back a couple of centuries and you can imagine what life in early New England was like, It has a lot of houses that date back to the 1600s and 1700s, as well as other colonial-era structures throughout the town.
You can take the Portsmouth Harbor trail through town, as it links up 70 of the historical attractions. There are several colonial homes that tourists can go inside, to get a closer look at what life might have looked like a couple hundred years ago.
Another great option is to go on a 2-hour bike tour through town. One of the top ones is the Best of Portsmouth & New Castle Island Sightseeing Tour. It’ll take you to many of the houses along the Harbor trail, as well as many other interesting spots in the city.
A little less on the education side is the Museum of Dumb Guy Stuff. It’s an oddball collection of items they might have had in the 1960s. we recommend capping off your day in Portsmouth by heading to Earth Eagle Brewings for craft beer and live performances.
9. Santa’s Village
Santa’s Village, If you find yourself in the area of Jefferson, New Hampshire, then you can check out this hugely popular amusement park.
Santa’s Village has been the top-rated Amusement park in new England for the past seven years on Trip Advisor.
And it’s also been named one of the top 25 in the country. As you can imagine, the park is Santa Claus and Christmas-themed, but that doesn’t mean it’s only a December treat.
The rides are open all year round, so you can get some Christmas cheer any time you visit.
Not to mention your fill of adventure and excitement on one of its many incredible rides.
10. Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves
The Lost River Gorge& Boulder Caves is another aspect of New Hampshire’s incredible natural scenery. A Gorge trail takes you on a 1-mile loop around, including more than 1,000 stairs. The weather is slightly unpredictable. Therefore always bring sturdy shoes for hiking and some clothing options as well.
During the gorgeous hike, you’ll get views of the Lost River and a variety of waterfalls throughout.
For some people, that might be enough. But for those looking for a little more adventure, we recommend going into the Boulder Caves.
There’s one that’s a particularly tight squeeze and it’s appropriately called “Lemon Squeezer.”
Though there are a total of 11 Boulder Caves along the way, so if that one feels too challenging, you can probably find another that’s to your liking!
And if not, you can bypass all of them.
Final Thoughts
New Hampshire is a beautiful state, there is a lot to explore, and you will find so many places to visit in summer as well as in winter. We have shared just 10 Unique Things To Do In New Hampshire in this guide. Let us know in the comments your favorite thing to do and place to see when visiting New Hampshire.