Visit the tiny village of Franconia as a base to enjoy New Hampshire’s unspoiled beauty. Located in the heart of the White Mountains, this area is a nature lover’s paradise.
The stunning Franconia Notch State Park invites visitors to experience the White Mountains at their finest. Inside the park, explore Cannon Mountain and the surrounding lakes, passes and forests by foot, skis or bike. Marvel at Flume Gorge, a stunning natural gorge slicing through the signature rock of the Granite State. If you want to fish, cast your line at Echo Lake or Profile Lake.
Walk along a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which eventually continues up to Mount Katahdin in Maine. An Appalachian Mountain Club hut on the southern shore of Lonesome Lake provides shelter for hikers.
The 5-mile (8-kilometer) trek to Bridal Veil Falls is a great afternoon hike. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy next to the falling water.
You may recognize the Old Man of the Mountain as New Hampshire’s state emblem. This granite ledge on Cannon Mountain looked like a facial profile when seen from the north but collapsed in 2003. See vestiges of the man jutting out from the mountain.
Enjoy overhead views from Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway. Since 1938, a tram has taken passengers to the 4,180-foot (1,270-meter) summit of Cannon Mountain in a closed cable car. At the base of the tramway, learn about the history of the region ’s winter sports at New England Ski Museum. Hit the slopes at Cannon Mountain Ski Area, popular among winter sports enthusiasts.
Poet Robert Frost and his family lived in Franconia from 1915 to 1920. Today, see his simple white home Frost Place, a museum and poetry center that offers summer residence to an emerging poet each year.
Explore the Franconia countryside in honor of Frost’s famous poem, The Road Not Taken. See why the poet drew much of his inspiration from New Hampshire’s wild beauty.
