Yes, we know it’s cold outside and you just want to snuggle in for the duration. But really, there’s no good reason to stay home this winter when you could be out exploring a region of the state defined by its gorgeous scenery, outstanding outdoor attractions, and the amazing hospitality offered by its many lodging establishments. The crisp mountain air and breathtaking snow-covered peaks will clear your mind and invigorate your spirit. Plan a weekend away for skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, fat biking, tubing, ice fishing, dog sledding or just plain relaxing in Winter Wonderland’s playground. Learn more about the region’s many winter attractions at www.nhgrand.com.
After a day outdoors, you’ll want to return to your room or cabin for some down time, and the region boasts fine accommodations, from two Grand Hotels to a couple of family owned inns and everything in between, including pet friendly options. Here are a few to consider as you make your plans for your snow season getaway. Many offer special winter packages to enhance your enjoyment.
Pittsburg
Guests have flocked to Tall Timber Lodge on the north shore of Back Lake since 1946, attracted by the comfortable accommodations and exceptional amenities. Explore the region’s many trails on your snowmobile — bring your own or rent one at the Lodge — or get out on cross-country skis or snowshoes. After a day on the trails, pull up a seat at the Lodge’s award-winning Rainbow Grille & Tavern and enjoy a cocktail and delicious meal.
The Cabins at Lopstick makes an excellent base from which to explore Pittsburg. With 57 fully-equipped cabins overlooking First Connecticut Lake, we think you’ll agree that the views of the lake and the surrounding mountains are awe-inspiring. Park your snowmobile right outside your door, or rent one, including winter gear, onsite. Want to try your hand at ice-fishing? Lopstick is perfectly situated to take advantage of this traditional winter activity; drop your line in Lake Francis or one of the three Connecticut Lakes and (hopefully) snag a big one!
Eight comfortable cabins with names like Loon, Moose, Otters Cove and Last Frontier await guests at Partridge Cabins on First Connecticut Lake. Fully stocked kitchens, satellite TV, glassed-in porches, decks and other amenities give the Partridge Cabins a home-away-from-home feel. And the cabins are centrally located to the vast Pittsburg snowmobile trail system.
Colebrook
Snowmobilers have direct access to Corridor 18 and over 4,000 miles of groomed trails from the Colebrook Country Club & Hotel. Unload your sled in the enormous parking lot and drive it right up to your room. After a day riding the trails, head to the onsite lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail, a game of billiards or darts, or catch the latest game on the big screen TV.
Shelburne
Guests can snowmobile right from the parking lot at the Town & Country Inn and Resort. If your pleasure is skiing, snowboarding or tubing, major ski areas like Wildcat, Bretton Woods and Sunday River are a short drive away. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and a kids’ tubing hill are nearby at Great Glen Trails. The family-owned T&C boasts innumerable amenities, including the dining room, which serves breakfast and dinner daily, lounge, indoor heated pool, sauna, health club, Jacuzzi and more.
Berlin
Enjoy a unique kind of stay at the Berlin Trails Farm & Inn. Accommodations are in a five-room cabin-style suite that sleeps up to 8 people and has a kitchen stocked with local breakfast foods like farm fresh eggs and yogurt made from the farm’s goats.
Gorham
A hearty breakfast and dinner are included in most packages when you stay at the Joe Dodge Lodge at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. Accommodations include private rooms and bunk-rooms with a hall bath. Best of all, innumerable hiking trails are available right from the door, and snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and mountain biking trails are nearby. Guests will want to take advantage of the AMC’s free walk-on programs, like guided day hikes and evening talks on a variety of subjects. The property even has an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station. During the winter months, AMC presents its International Dinner and Adventure Series, including international cuisine and a program on that’s week’s featured country.
A great home base while you explore the region’s attractions, the Mt. Madison Inn & Suites has a variety of accommodations, including rooms with double, queen and king beds and family suites. A few rooms are pet-friendly. Relax in your room after your day’s adventures or enjoy the heated outdoor pool, eight-person sauna, fire pit and pool-side gas grills.
Clean, modern rooms with all the amenities distinguish the Top Notch Inn. Book a comfortable room in the inn itself, with its lovely mountain views, pool, hot tub and a courtyard filled with colorful flowers. For those who need more space, opt for the 100-year-old Pinkham House that sleeps up to 10 guests and has a full-sized kitchen, living room and dining room, or the Mt. Moriah Cottage, a luxury vacation home with five guest bedrooms and a fully stocked kitchen.
Hub North bills itself as “Offbeat Accommodations for Individuals, Groups and Events,” and includes lodge rooms (year-round), yurts and tents (summer), and a private house (opening this winter), along with hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing right from the property and connecting with the extensive trail system in Moose Brook State Park, and offering beautiful views of the nearby mountain range.
Whitefield
A New Hampshire Grand Hotel, the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa has been delighting guests for more than 150 years with top-notch accommodations, impeccable hospitality and outstanding amenities like the Tower Spa, indoor pool, Health & Wellness Center, and several dining options. And a couple of minutes gazing at the amazing panoramic views of the mountain peaks from which the hotel takes its name will put you in a relaxed frame of mind in no time! Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, tubing and sledding, and dog sled tours are available onsite, and both Bretton Woods and Cannon Mountain ski areas are close by. Littleton and Bethlehem offer eclectic shopping experiences.
Bretton Woods
One of New Hampshire’s Grand Hotels and a National Historic Landmark, The Omni Mount Washington Hotel & Resort is known for its outstanding hospitality, exceptional accommodations, elegant public spaces, signature spa, and selection of dining experiences, with the stunning snow-capped Mount Washington and several other high peaks as its backdrop. During February and March, bundle up and step into a winter wonderland of outdoor activities, like romantic sleigh rides, ice skating and snow tubing. Cross country skiers will love the 100 km’s of groomed trails at the Bretton Woods Nordic Center that include classic and skate skiing options, along with snowshoeing. Alpine skiing and snowboarding are available at the Bretton Woods Adventure Center, just across the road. For a real adrenaline rush, give the winter Canopy Tour a try!
The Highland Center is the Appalachian Mountain Club’s outdoor education center and handsome four-season lodge at the head of Crawford Notch. Many visitor options are available, from private rooms with private baths to lodge bunkrooms with shared baths. The Highland Center serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for lodge guests, through hikers, outdoor recreationalists and members of the public. A wide variety of outdoor activities and programs for adults and children are scheduled each week, including Daily Outdoor Exploration programs, Guided Adventures, and evening programs. Cross-country ski from the lodge to the Bretton Woods Nordic Trails or drive five minutes to the Bretton Woods Ski Area for downhill skiing. Kids will enjoy climbing on the Highland Center Playscape, an outdoor mountain playground. Kick back in front of the huge fireplace in the great room to warm up after a day outdoors.
Twin Mountain
Three generations of the Carlson family have welcomed visitors to Carlson’s Lodge since it first opened more than 40 years ago, and many visitors are also third generation families who return time and time again to enjoy the lodge’s friendly hospitality and cozy atmosphere that includes comfortably furnished rooms, along with a couple of suites and rooms with efficiency kitchenettes. Breakfast is included. Snuggle up in front of the fireplace in the spacious living room, or gather friends for ping pong or pool in the game room at the end of the day. Carlson’s has direct access from its driveway to the town’s snowmobile trails, and is located in close proximity to Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, and Franconia Notch for plenty of winter activities.
The Four Seasons Motor Inn offers comfortable non-smoking rooms, with cable television, free Wi-Fi and complimentary morning coffee. Kids will like the indoor game room with board and video games. The Four Seasons is conveniently located to take advantage of the area’s many attractions like winter hiking and downhill and cross-county skiing. Snowmobiling guests have direct access to trails.
Johnson’s Motel and Cottages is pet friendly, so if you can’t bear to leave little Trixie home, bring her along. Several lodging options are available, from one- and two-bedroom cottages, to motel rooms, and a large five-bedroom house. Johnson’s welcomes skiers and snowmobilers and has direct trail access. Snowmobile rentals are available nearby.
Stay at the Twin Mountain Cottages in one of the clean and comfortable kitchenette cottages or bunk in the hostel that can sleep 12. All have beautiful views of the mountains of the Presidential Range, and snowmobiling, snowshoeing and skiing are right on the doorstep. Amenities include an indoor game room with pool table, ping pong table, air hockey, foosball, board games and more, along with a small gym area and a two-person sauna. Snowshoes, skis, snowboards and boots are available to rent. The property is pet friendly.
You could rent one of the seven rooms/suites at the Allegory Inn, or the entire building, making it the perfect weekend ski house for you and a group of friends. The inn, which sleeps 14 and has several comfortable family rooms and a kitchenette, is located just minutes from the Bretton Woods Ski Area and a short drive to Cannon Mountain, and also has direct access to Twin Mountain’s snowmobile trails.
Littleton
The historic Beal House Inn & Restaurant has six charmingly furnished guest rooms and its location right on West Main Street makes it an easy stroll to downtown attractions, or a short drive to nearby ski areas, and hiking and fat biking trails. The inn’s tavern is open to the public and serves classic American fare and a number of nightly specials.
Thayers Inn has been welcoming guests since 1850. Accommodations include rooms for two people, family suites for up to four people and four-person kitchenettes. The cupola atop the hotel commands great views of downtown and the surrounding mountains.
Bethlehem
You’ll be enveloped in romantic and luxurious accommodations at the Adair Country Inn and Restaurant, where the spacious rooms feature feather beds, beautifully appointed furnishings and exceptional views of the handsome grounds and surrounding mountains. New England-style cuisine is served in the intimate dining room or enjoy cocktails and appetizers in the library bar.
During its history, the Mulburn Inn has hosted notables like Thomas Edison, honeymooners Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe and members of the Rockefeller family. The inn’s seven bedrooms have private baths, some with original fixtures dating to the early 20th century. Spacious lounges on the first floor will have you longing to curl up with a good book and a pot of tea, or gather round for games and fireside chats.
Situated on the banks of Ammonoosuc River, the 180-year-old Wayside Inn exudes all the charm you’d expect to find at a comfortable country B&B. The 14 rooms in the main house are traditionally furnished with country pieces and handsome quilts. The 12 annex rooms have small balconies and are pet friendly. Casual comfort food tops the menu in the river-view restaurant.