White Mountain National Playground...I mean Forest

Russell Pond

   When I want to get to the mountains, I head to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Whites are about a two hour drive from Boston. For me on the Mass/RI border the Waterville Valley exit is about 2 ½ hours and Franconia Notch about three hours. Once past Boston and NH border traffic it is an easy ride up Interstate 93. Northern New England is blessed with mountain ranges from northern Connecticut (really big hills through CT and the Berkshires)) through Maine. I choose New Hampshire for two reasons; proximity and size of the mountains.

   I have been to Maine many times. The mountains on average are not as big. However there is a lot of woods. There is more of a sense of remoteness. However, Maine is huge. To reach many of the best parts a five to six hour drive is required. I obviously can’t justify twelve hours of driving for a quick weekend trip. Though for a week long trip, Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park can rival any place in the country for scenic wonders.

   Vermont, on the other hand, I have never really explored. Again, it is a longer ride than the White Mountains. I went to Vermont once as a little kid and remember foliage so bright, nothing has rivaled it since. I think the Green Mountains would be a great place for me to explore someday. I have too many things on my “to see, to do list” in New Hampshire so Vermont will have to wait.

   The White Mountain National Forest begins for the highway traveler just north of Plymouth, NH. There are over 700,000 acres to hike, fish, camp, sightsee, leaf peep, and a dozen other outdoor activities.  I have spent enough time in the mountains too have seen over 75% of the things on my NH bucket list. Of course I am still discovering waterfalls I may visit or a new path to explore but for now, I finally feel qualified to give advice to people wanting to experience what these wonderful mountains have to offer.

   I will break up the posts into three parts. This one will be general advice to get started planning a trip to the Granite State. The second post will be superlatives. My favorite places in each category such as mountain views, roadside ponds etc. The third is about books that will help the explorer find what they are looking for.

Camping/ Lodging

   There is no shortage of places to sleep. There are many federal and state campgrounds. The most popular state campground is Lafayette in Franconia Notch. The Forest Service runs many campgrounds throughout the forest.  Beware that on a Friday night many of these campgrounds will have no vacancy because of weekend tourist. The average price is about 20-22 dollars. There are private campgrounds that dot the edges of the forest, they are more expensive but come with amenities such as pools, arcades, and camp stores.

   There are many cabins and motels in the towns around the forest. Lincoln, Bretton Woods, North Conway and Conway have a lot of lodging. I have no idea of the price range since I’d rather sleep outside. There are also luxury resorts such as Loon and Bretton Woods. With minimal research a family should easily find exactly what they are looking for.

Hiking-

   There are over seven hundred miles of hiking trails in the forest. There are forty eight mountains over 4000 feet. There are waterfalls and mountain lakes that very few people travel to. Some of the longer trails exceed ten miles and require planning, a well-stocked backpack and and a lot of stamina. Some trails are short and only require a ten minute walk or a short uphill climb. It is tough to get lost on mountain trails. Most intersections have signage and the trails are so well taken care of its tough to lose it.  I could write a book about all of the great places to hike to in the mountains; however that has already been done for me… Read the post about required reading. 

Fishing-

 The name of the game is trout. Most lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams have them. Almost all of the trout are brookies. Since they are the only trout native to New Hampshire, the state has stocked them in most waters. I have only caught rainbow trout in the Saco River.  Most backcountry trout will be under a foot and more likely under eight inches, but they are beautiful. Roadside lakes that stocking trucks can get to will have some real trophies going over three pounds. The state has different laws governing different water bodies. Some lakes are fly fishing only, some catch and release, some do not allow fish as bait. Know the law before you head out. Always buy a license before heading out.

I almost always fly fish for trout in the mountains. However when I am exploring a new lake I will also bring my spinning rod with some lures and worms, just in case there isn’t room to fly fish.

Backpacking

    Backpacking goes hand in hand with hiking. Many people choose to carry their home on their back and head into the woods for a few days. There are many intersecting trails that can be pieced into a multi-day trip. The nice thing about backpacking is the freedom to explore far off lakes and mountains. There is no need to rush back to your car at sunset if your camping next to a nice trout stream (usually you have to be 200 feet from a water body).

    Some people choose not to carry a tent. They stay at shelters (either free or eight dollars a night depending on if they are Forest Service (free) or AMC  ($8/person). I stayed at my first shelter this year. It was at Three Ponds and I had it to myself on a chilly mid-September weeknight. The AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) also runs huts. They are large buildings filled with bunk beds. Many hikers use them. I do not. They cost $90 a night and I would not do well listening to snoring from 25 tired smelly hikers. Some people do like the hut system, to each, their own.

Roadside Scenery Veiwing-

One of the Waterville Cascades

   I know most people are not going to hike to five miles to a mountain lake or hike three hours to the top of a mountain. The good news is, a lot of stuff can be seen from the road. The main road through Franconia and Crawford Notches are beautiful, both parks have mountains with thousand foot cliffs very close to the highway. Both state parks have a campground, though Franconia’s Lafayette Campground is much bigger. Routes 2, 302, 112, and Route 3 are nice roads with terrific scenery. Route 112 is the famous Kancamangus Highway. There are many scenic pulloffs for picture taking. There are no less than three waterfalls just a short walk from the car (Lower Falls, Sabaday Falls, and Rocky Gorge which is not really a waterfall but still cool).

Tourist Attractions-

Although not my cup of tea, the mountains have many tourist attractions for the family. There are many theme parks. Storyland, Six Gun City, and Santa’s Village are among the biggest. There is a water park named Whales Tale. There are three gondolas at Canon, Wildcat and Loon Mountains. If you don’t want to hike to the top of Mt. Washington, you can take the Auto Road or the Cog Railroad. Clarks Trading Post has trained bears. Lincoln now has a Canopy Walk. There are even natural wonders that cost money such as the Polar Caves, Lost River, and the Flume Gorge. There are many other tourist attractions; you can get info on all of them from various visitor centers throughout the area and at the MA/NH border on I-93.

This post is just a short overview of the things to do in the White Mountains. I could write 3000 words on each of the above topics. I love going up there.