Hiking & Scenery

Northern New Hampshire is home to invigorating hikes or more leisurely tramps among the fabled hills, peaks and valleys of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, as well as dozens of other mountain peaks that dot the Granite State’s northern region. There are hikes to suit every age and ability, from toddlers to nonagenarians, from the individual who wants to spend a few hours strolling along a mountain path to the more serious hiker who’d like to bag several of the 4,000-footers.

And what better time to visit northern New Hampshire than during its magnificent fall foliage season.

People come from all over the world to view the colorful reds, oranges, yellows, magentas and russets of our fall foliage and whether viewing the autumn landscape from the comfort of your  car of tramping one of our many trails you’ll gasp in awe of the colors that Mother Nature paints across our hills and mountains.

Peak foliage, which is the point at which the color of the leaves is the brightest, generally happens between the third and fourth weeks of September and into the first week or two of October. The trees begin changing color from north to south, that is from Pittsburg and the Canadian border southward through the White Mountains.

The Appalachian Mountain Club offers advice aplenty for hikers in the White Mountains. Check in at the AMC’s Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch or the Highland Center in Crawford Notch for hiking tips, maps, and weather and trail conditions. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of the AMC’s White Mountain Guide, a comprehensive read for anyone who is planning to hike the Whites. Experience the legendary AMC hut hospitality by spending the night in one of the high mountain huts. Huts include Carter, Mizpah, Zealand, Lakes of the Clouds and Madison.

The 162-mile Cohos Trail extends all the way from Crawford Notch to the Canadian border in Pittsburg. If you’d like an international adventure then plan on continuing your hike on the Sentier Frontalier’s trail to Mount Megantic or Mount Gosford in Quebec, Canada. (Don’t forget to pack your passport!) There are plenty of day hikes along the Cohos Trail, or plan a multi-day tramp and experience spectacular scenery through some of the least populated and most remote regions of the Grand North.