Travel and lifestyle influencers Ken and Tori visited New Hampshire for a winter getaway. While here they explored things to see, places to stay and activities to try in the Lakes and Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region. Read on to find out more about their trip and their recommendations for next New Hampshire getaway.
We spent 3 full days road tripping and adventuring around the Lakes and Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Regions of New Hampshire. If you’re looking for a beautiful place with lots of winter activities, look no further!
HOW TO GET THERE
You can fly into either Boston Logan International or Manchester Regional. We flew into Boston Logan International and it took about an hour to cross the border into New Hampshire and just two hours to get to the Lakes Region. We highly recommend renting a vehicle with 4-wheel drive as the roads can get icy! The best months for snowfall in New Hampshire are January, February, and March.
WINTER ACTIVITIES
Lakes Region
Tubing and skiing/snowboarding at Gunstock Mountain
Make sure to get tickets online in advance as they can sell out pretty quickly.
Gunstock also has night skiing if you’re down for that! Be sure to check their calendar since night skiing and tubing are on select days only. If you’re looking to do some cross-country skiing, there are a ton of great trails at the resort and in the area!
Snowshoeing & hiking
Gunstock Mountain offers snowshoe rentals for their trails. However, if you want to venture off outside of the resort trails, then you need to bring your own snowshoes or rent from a ski shop. We went this route and rented from
Piche’s. We chose to hike Lockes Hill trail to catch a view of Lake Winnipesaukee. For a change of scenery, head north to Squam Lake for some hikes around the lake.
Sledding at the Laconia Sledding Hill in Gilford
Visiting local breweries & wineries
Playing games at the largest arcade in the country - Fun Spot!
Ice Fishing
While we weren’t able to go ice fishing during our time in New Hampshire, it is certainly something that caught our attention! To learn more about ice fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee, check out this
blog post. Also, Lake Winnipesaukee holds its annual The Great Rotary Ice Fishing Derby every February. This huge fishing derby attracts people from all over the country and even Canada. There are plenty of festivities in the Meredith area for everyone to enjoy during this time.
Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region
Ice skating and snowshoeing in Sunapee, Newport, or New London.
There are tons of great trails for snowshoeing in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region. Here are some popular trails:
- Dexter’s Inn – A great inn that offers snowshoe rentals for their onsite trails. Perfect if you are staying there.
- Newbury Trail – Offers great views of Lake Solitude from White Cliff Overlook. About 4.8 miles out and back with 1,584 ft. of elevation.
- Morgan Pond Trail – A dog-friendly trail that’s great for both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It’s about 5.7 miles out and back with 633 ft. of elevation.
- Eastman Cross Country Center – Named one of the top places for cross-country skiing in New Hampshire in 2021. Check their website for their operating hours and events.
WHERE TO EAT
Lakes Region options
Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee options
PHOTO SPOTS
Lakes Region
Colorful houses in Alton Bay
Tannery Hill Bridge
Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region
Herrick Cove Lighthouse
Sugar River Bridge
WHERE TO STAY
New Hampshire is home to tons of charming inns and B&Bs, which we highly recommend to experience the full cozy winter vibe!
TIPS
- Check the weather frequently when planning out your New Hampshire itinerary because it changes often and the temperature can affect your plans.
- When visiting New Hampshire, please make sure to follow all Leave No Trace principles in order to preserve and keep New Hampshire beautiful for everyone to enjoy!
- Have fun! New Hampshire is beautiful and really has a lot to offer!