New Hampshire outdoor adventures offer zip lines, rafting, snow sports for all ages

New Hampshire > State > Outdoor Activities > Outdoor Adventures

With its towering, majestic mountains and dramatic lakes, New Hampshire is a natural draw for people who like to challenge their bodies and minds out in nature. Fortunately, the people who live there and love outdoor adventure have developed some great places to play rough outdoors. Much of the outdoor adventure escapades in New Hampshire are made to accommodate people of all ages, kids, and the less-athletic among us. Start by considering the ways to get off the ground: zip lines, ropes courses, canopy tours, parasailing: wow! If you don’t favor a vacation on the ground or in the air, there is canoeing and kayaking, river rafting (some in white water), fishing. In winter, the environment glides easily into snow-based adventure: mountain bike trails become Nordic ski trails and snowmobiles stitch tracks through the woods. Accommodations welcome families, offer resort amenities, and include rustic surroundings in cabins and cottages.

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Waterville Valley Resort

33 Village Road Waterville Valley, NH, 03215 Phone: 603-468-2553 Toll-Free: 800-468-2553

Every outdoor activity you can imagine at this four-season mountain resort

The great outdoors is a four-season playground at the Waterville Valley Resort. Famous for its winter sports including alpine and nordic skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, fat biking, skating and snowboarding, the resort is also a haven in the non-winter months for those who enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking to flumes and summits, mountain biking and watching outdoor movies. On Corcoran Pond, guests can rent and launch pedal boats, kayaks and paddleboards right from the dock or just hang out on the sandy beach. Lodges, inns and condos offer pools, and the Waterville Rec Department has a full slate of activities. Ask about the Freedom Pass, which gives you entry to a full menu of area activities.

Ice Castles

24 Clark Farm Road North Woodstock, NH, 03262 Phone: Toll-Free: 888-407-4054

This amazing winter wonderland is made of solid ice and snow

Grab a good pair of sturdy boots, a snug jacket, a hat and mittens and head to Ice Castles, where everything is made of ice and snow. Strolling through the castle, where walls are 10 feet thick and 10,000 icicles a day are hand-placed to make the interior magical, you’ll encounter tunnels and caves, frozen fountains, thrones, sculptures and towers, some of which reach 5 feet into the air. Race down ice carved slides, squeeze through crawl spaces and escape into a world where fairy tales come to life! There really is a feeling of fantasy, especially at night, when color-changing lights sync up to music for a spectacular light show. After exploring the castles, grab a hot chocolate and a warm treat from the on-site concessions and take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through an enchanted forest. Tickets are guaranteed to sell out each weekend - be sure to buy yours in advance at IceCastles.com!

Mill Falls at the Lake

312 Daniel Webster Highway Meredith, NH, 03253 Phone: 877-574-5935

Each season is an active one at Lake Winnipesaukee resort

Every season sparkles at Mill Falls at the Lake. Extend the summer and celebrate New Hampshire’s spectacular fall foliage with hikes up Mount Major or along a scenic river trail. Get in some golf or take your motorcycle through mountain passes and river valleys. Enjoy winter outings from guided ice fishing tours to winter trail biking, skiing and snowmobiling at awesome venues. At the resort’s full-service activity center, you can go kayaking, paddleboarding, aqua cycling or take an antique speedboat ride on gorgeous 72-square-mile Lake Winnipesaukee. Visit the nearby Loon Preservation Center or Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Want to bring your dog along on your outdoor adventures? No problem. Mill Falls has several pet-friendly guest rooms.

Spring Golf Course - Mt. Washington Valley Chamber - North Conway, NH

Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce

It really is a great outdoors in this varied mountain valley region

The great outdoors is even greater than that in the Mount Washington Valley region, starting with the best skiing, downhill and cross-country, in the East as well as amazing ice castles and glacial caves to visit. Hiking trails through meadows and up spectacular mountains, ziplining, rock-climbing, moose tours, ropes courses. mountain coasters and every form of boating are all waiting for you. Walk to waterfalls, across wooden bridges and through gorgeous towns and villages. Explore water parks, family farms, indoor and outdoor skating rinks (learn to curl!), golf courses, fairs, festivals and farmers markets. And here’s an added adventure: The distances between these great outdoor activities for the whole family? Short, short, short, making your trip fun, fun, fun.

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America's Stonehenge

105 Haverhill Road Salem, NH, 03079 Phone: 603-893-8300

Mysteries abound at this incredible seacoast site

The forests near Salem, NH are home to this remarkable maze of rocks, stone chambers, and megaliths that may have been left by ancient visitors. But who were they? The question has stymied scholars for generations. The megalith filled pine woods eerily appear to be similar to those built throughout Great Britain by Druid priests. Adding to the mystery is the fact that you'll find megaliths of the same type scattered around New England. This site is one of the largest collections not on private property and not off limits to visitors. Visit the museum and enjoy the orientation film and gift shop that offers books with more information. In winter months the one-hundred-plus acres are also great for snowshoeing.

ELC Outdoor Adventure Outpost

983 Upton Road Errol, NH, 03579 Phone: 603-215-0002

Closed for 2020 - We look forward to seeing you in 2021!

Through the air, on the water, among the trees: How do you want to experience the great outdoors? ELC Outdoors can make it happen. Raft or kayak through whitewater rapids, paddle through the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, rent a fat bike and hit the woods, face the 10 obstacles on an above-ground ropes course or zipline through the trees. Or maybe your idea of getting close to nature means catching a glimpse of a bald eagle, osprey, black bear or moose: Never fear, ELC has a wildlife pontoon boat cruise down Lake Umbagog and a whitewater and wildlife tour where you spend the day rafting the river then board a pontoon boat for an evening cruise along the Androscoggin River.

Hiking & Waterfall - Twin Mountain-Bretton Woods Chamber - New Hampshire

Twin Mountain-Bretton Woods Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 194 Twin Mountain, NH, 03595 Phone: Toll-Free: 800-245-8946

So much to choose from for outdoor fun-seekers in this mountain area

The problem is not finding outdoor adventures in the White Mountains: It’s trying to decide which one to choose first. Hike up a water fall? Zipline through the trees? Climb remote cliffs? Hike through alpine flowers? Go fly-fishing or mountain biking? Swim or kayak in the Ammonoosuc River? The Twin Mountain-Bretton Woods area is centrally-located to a broad range of hiking trails – from beginner to advanced—and also offers guided hikes through the AMC’s Highland Center. You can also ride The Cog Railway or drive up the Auto Road to the top of Mt. Washington, soar up a mountain in a gondola with spectacular scenery, or climb aboard a luxurious, air conditioned helicopter and take in the breath-taking vistas of the majestic White Mountains. This area offers horseback riding along scenic trails and a wildlife refuge which is home to countless species of birds and other animals. Maybe you’ll even spot a moose. The great outdoors has never been greater than in scenic Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods.

Muddy Ride - Northeast AVT & Snowmobile - Gorham, NH

Northeast ATV & Snowmobile

325 Main Street Gorham, NH, 03581 Phone: Toll-Free: 800-458-1838

Enjoy the ride, and your own adventure, when you travel these trails

Choose your ride – and your adventure – at Northeast Snowmobile and ATV Rentals, with easy access to some of the country’s largest and most scenic trail systems. Rent a Polaris Snowmobile or side-by-side (ATV) and get ready to explore mountains, waterfalls, lakes and friendly towns, with plenty of places to stop and explore, have a picnic or sit down at a restaurant. An instructional video, helmet, trail map and GPS come with your hassle-free rental. Trained guides will answer your questions or go down the trail a bit with you to make sure you’re good to go. Snowmobiles are for one or two people; ATVs seat up to four riders. Ask about early bird and sunset specials.

Loon Mountain Resort

60 Loon Mountain Road Lincoln, NH, 03251 Phone: 603-745-6281 Toll-Free: 800-229-5666

Zips, giant climbing web, log jam maze fill a day with action

New Hampshire’s longest scenic gondola skyride to the mountain top is just the start of the action at Loon Mountain. Ride a snow tube down for the excitement that awaits at the base. Trvel a zipline across the Pemigewasset River and into the Aerial Forest Adventure Park. Scale a rock wall, rent a bike, navigate the LogJam Maze, or climb a 30-foot-tall spider web. Young kids will love the bounce house and fun inflatable games at Bunyan’s Bouncin’ Backyard. While you’re at the summit, visit glacial caves and walk a scenic nature trail. Grab lunch or a snack at the Summit Café, which serves up great food and some of the best views of the White Mountains in all of New England.

Sunset Fishing - New Hampshire's Lakes Region

Lakes Region Tourism Association

61 Laconia Road Tilton, NH, 03276 Phone: 603-286-8008 Toll-Free: 800-605-2537

In the Lakes Region, your adventurous side will want to come out and play

No one celebrates the outdoors quite like New Hampshire's Lakes Region. With the area’s bounty of mountains and lakes, you have your choice in the winter of ski resorts, a hundred miles of snowmobile trails – and Santa’s Village, of course. In the sunshine seasons, choose from scenic gondola rides, ziplines through forests, great fishing, hundreds of miles of hiking trails through jaw-dropping scenery, boat cruises across crystal-clear Lake Winnipesaukee and several water parks. Pump up that adrenaline with rock and ice climbing, skydiving or exploring glacial caves. Or take it down a notch with golf, a walk through Shaker village gardens or a cog railroad ride up Mt. Washington. From moose tours to mountain biking, this area has it all.

Black Bear Lodge

3 Village Road Waterville Valley, NH, 03215 Phone: 603-236-4501 Toll-Free: 800-349-2327

Four-season activities beckon you from this comfortable mountain lodge

Reconnect with family, friends and the great outdoors at Black Bear Lodge, in the heart of the White Mountains’ fabulous Waterville Valley Resort. Check in to one of the lodge’s 107 individually owned units, all with fully equipped kitchens and all sleeping from four to six people, then head out to ski (downhill and Nordic), skate and snowshoe in the winter; hike and bike past waterfalls on color-intense trails in the fall; and go kayaking, paddle-boarding, fishing and swimming in Corcoran’s Pond in the summer (or view magnificent Snow’s Mountain from a chairlift). The resort’s popular Freedom Pass also gives you access to an indoor ice arena, gym and White Mountain Athletic Club. Hop on board the shuttle to go from one amazing outdoor adventure to another. Memories are made here.

New Hampshire Campground Owners Association

Enjoy endless activities from New Hampshire’s campgrounds

Get away from the everyday with a visit to a New Hampshire campground. Stay in a tent, RV, cabin, cottage, lodge – even a yurt! – and enjoy activities from horseshoes and fishing to snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Hike, bike or take a cog railroad up a pine-scented mountain or kayak a pristine pond, river or lake. From your camping site in the woods, near the ocean or in a meadow, check out the Granite State’s historic sites, quintessential New England towns and acres upon acres of natural splendor. Visit our website for a handbook with all the details for individual parks, from whether they are pet-friendly to which ones have cottage rentals, pools, fireplaces, tennis courts, live music – or cable TV.

Distinctive Inns of New England

Luxurious Accommodations throughout New England , CT Phone:

From skiing to swimming, New Hampshire inns are close to all the outdoor action

New Hampshie’s beauty and outdoor adventure options are routinely celebrated at the Chesterfield Inn and The Manor on Golden Pond, where guests are treated to warm hospitality and inviting surroundings after full days of outside activities. At the Chesterfield Inn, nestled in the Connecticut River Valley, nearby winter activities include snowshoeing, tubing, ice skating and snowmobiling, while warmer weather brings hiking on nearby trails, canoeing and kayaking on the river, golf, horseback riding and swimming in the lake. At The Manor on Golden Pond, overlooking Squam Lake and the foothills of the White Mountains, take a boat tour of the lake in an antique 1935 launch boat, hike up nearby Rattlesnake Mountain, golf at several championship courses or ski at one of five major resorts. Of course, tax-free shopping is another year-round draw, with plenty of unique shops offering everything from craft beer and spirits to specialty foods, apparel, gifts and so much more.

Great Glen Trails

Route 16 at Pinkham Notch Gorham, NH, 03581 Phone: 603-466-3988

Outdoor adventure for summer and winter explorers

Four-season adventure awaits your family at Great Glen Trails in Pinkham Notch. In warmer months, head out on scenic trails for a hike, a run, or bike ride through the majestic White Mountains. Join a guided bird watching tour or paddling trip on the Androscoggin River. In winter, cross country skiing and snowshoeing are the way to get around on a trail system of easy and rolling terrain. Skiers of all abilities can find their own level of activity, challenge, and fun. Trails are groomed with both double tracks and a skating lane and run through the forests at the base of Mount Washington. Or you can jump onto the SnowCoach and tour the mountain in winter from a comfortable seat. Outdoor fun for all tastes!

Lopstick Lodge

45 Stewart Young Road Pittsburg, NH, 03592 Phone: 603-538-6659 Toll-Free: 800-538-6659

Multi-cabin lodge perfect place to explore and enjoy wilderness activities

For those who love the outdoors, it would be hard to pick a favorite at Lopstick, a wilderness paradise in New Hampshire’s Great North Woods. In the winter, there’s 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and great ice-fishing. That’s followed by ATV season, with 1,000 miles of trails for all levels across terrain ranging from rugged mountain climbs to gentle woods roads. There’s hiking up rolling hills and mountains, past covered bridges and waterfalls. And, of course, there’s the water: rivers, ponds, lakes, featuring fabulous fishing (trout, salmon, bass), boating, kayaking and canoeing (bring yours or rent one). Experience it all from your lovely private cabin or cottage, many with water views, fireplaces, porches and all the comforts of home. Launch Video

Rockywold-Deephaven Camps

18 Bacon Road Holderness, NH, 03245 Phone: 603-968-3313

From your shore cottage at this rustic camp, enjoy all Squam Lake has to offer

By the shores of beautiful Squam Lake, guests have been having the times of their lives at Rockywold Deephaven Camps for 120 years. The wide variety of outdoor activities, from softball and capture-the-flag games to shoreline and mountain hikes and scavenger hunts, are one reason generations have been coming back to the camp, with its two spacious lodges and 61 rustic cottages and cabins. Rent a kayak, canoe, paddleboard or sailboat or take a rowboat out and go fishing or swimming. Explore nearby islands, one with a fire pit and float, another with nesting bald eagles. Take a pontoon boat cruise or grab a racquet and play tennis on one of eight clay courts. Or just enjoy the timeless beauty of the lakefront from your rocking chair on the porch.

Morningside Flight Park

357 Morningside Lane Charlestown, NH, 03603 Phone: 603-542-4416

Adventure park pleasures from fishing to paragliding

Soar above the earth in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley at an outdoor activity park that offers a huge range of activities and services. Discover the thrill of a lifetime in hang gliding and paragliding, guided by folks with 30 years of experience in flight instruction. Lessons are offered to people of all skill levels and ages. Enjoy zip-lining and canopy tours, laser tag, fishing, swimming and kayaking. At a cozy campground surrounded by old-growth forest you can pitch your own tent or move into a set-up platform tent with full- or queen-size beds. The campground has many play and housekeeping features: fire pits, playing fields, picnic areas, a community kitchen, restrooms and bathhouse. You’re within easy reach of Boston, Hartford, Montreal, and New York.

Bear Rock Adventures

545 Beach Road Pittsburg, NH, 03592 Phone: Toll-Free: 866-663-9777

Embrace your inner trailblazer with family-friendly ATV rides with Bear Rock Adventures s

Discover the Great North Woods’ jaw-dropping vistas, diverse landscapes and wildlife from the back of a Polaris ATV or side-by-side with Bear Rock Adventures. Pick your adventure with customized itineraries, perfect for families and thrill-seekers alike, and explore over 1,000 miles of Ride the Wilds interconnected trails on half, full, or multi-day excursions. Bear Rock Adventures provides a safe, turnkey way to ATV with the latest gear including safety helmets and goggles, cutting-edge GPS and Bluetooth technology as well as storage compartments for your riding gear, maps, picnic lunches and selfie sticks to capture the ultimate memory.

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