Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Editorial credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com 

6 Best New Hampshire Towns For A Weekend Trip

Looking forward to that weekend trip? Deciding which town—even which state—can be a bit tricky. With New Hampshire comes the certainty that a great adventure always awaits! This New England state in the Northeastern United States is home to some all-time favorite activities, like leaf-peeping in the White Mountains, exploring Mount Washington, and visiting Hampton Beach. Before it became one of the best places for a weekend visit, New Hampshire saw travelers come and go when the indigenous tribes lived near the city of Keene around 12,000 years ago. Whether you are planning to see the cold, snowy mountains or enjoy the warm, humid beaches, the Granite State will gladly give you a weekend to remember!

Hanover

Main Street in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Main Street in Hanover, New Hampshire. Image credit: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons.

Educational and cultural events await at Hanover, home to Dartmouth College. Hikers usually pass by on their way to the Appalachian Trail. This small town is an excellent stopover, and you can see some 65,000 objects at The Hood Museum of Art, including Native American artifacts! A 5-minute drive will also land you at the Montshire Museum of Science if you want to take a look at some of the interactive exhibits in nearby Norwich. Hanover enjoys many advantages along the Connecticut River. Imagine waking up at the Hanover Inn, feasting at the famous Pine for its fine dining experience, and taking a walk in the Dartmouth Green—a beautiful college park. If you still have some energy to burn, you can always head to the river near Ledyard Free Bridge to Swim Dock and enjoy the public swimming pool there!

View of the waterfront lined with buildings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
View of the waterfront lined with buildings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Exeter

The town center of Exeter, NH.
The town center of Exeter, NH. Editorial credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com

A small town in Rockingham County, Exeter is both peaceful and exciting to visit. Your best starting point would have to be from the Exeter Inn, as it sits in the middle of the town, close to everything, including the gorgeous Squamscott River. Grab a sandwich from St. Anthony’s Bakery and head on over to the American Independence Museum, where revolutionary-era artifacts await in a 1721 house, along with a historic tavern—all within walking distance of each other! Swasey Parkway follows the same path, but beyond the river, you will find Powder House—a site from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812—on Clemson Pond. If you are up for a longer walk, heading north to Henderson-Swasey Town Forest might be a great option for hiking.

Odd Fellows Hall at 115 Water Street in Exeter, NH.
Odd Fellows Hall at 115 Water Street in Exeter, NH. Editorial credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com

Littleton

Ammonoosuc River flowing through Littleton, New Hampshire.
Ammonoosuc River flowing through Littleton, New Hampshire. Editorial credit: Eli Wilson / Shutterstock.com

The birthplace of Eleanor H. Porter, author of Pollyanna, where visitors often come to admire the statue that commemorates her—the Pollyanna Statue. Littleton has more than one ace up its sleeve, with Chutters also helping to put the place on the map; this candy store features the world's longest candy counter! Both landmarks are within walking distance of Thayers Inn Hotel, so it should be the go-to place to book, especially if you want a view of the Ammonoosuc River to wake up to in the morning. Speaking of which, the Riverwalk Covered Bridge is also worth a visit. It is quite a sight to see after enjoying a meal at a nearby restaurant like Mill Street Kitchen or Chang Thai Cafe.

View of Main Street in the town of Littleton, New Hampshire.
View of Main Street in the town of Littleton, New Hampshire. By Gopats92 - Own work, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.

Jackson

Covered Bridge that divides Conway, New Hampshire, and Jackson, New Hampshire.
Covered Bridge that divides Conway, New Hampshire, and Jackson, New Hampshire.

Jackson also gained a bit of fame through its impressive bridges. The Ellis River flows under this small town’s famous landmark, the Honeymoon Covered Bridge and it is a great place to start if you have already set yourself up at Riverwood Inn. This hotel is right next to Covered Bridge Beach, a park with a beautiful green trail—great for a morning run. Lower Jackson Falls is also a great spot to explore if you do not want to miss the view of the cascading waters along the Wildcat River. There is also a lot of artwork to look at if you visit the Jackson Historical Society nearby, along with many fun facts about the building and its archives.

Sugar Hill

St. Matthews Chapel in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire.
St. Matthews Chapel in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire.

A fairly small community, Sugar Hill is known for places like Polly's Pancake Parlor (serving breakfast since 1938), which helped put it on the map, as well as its annual Lupine Festival in June, celebrating the flowers that bloom in the area during that time. Starting from The Sunset Hill House or The Victorian On Sunset Hill B&B, you can either head east to check out Sugar Hill Historical Museum and its local artifacts and photographs or, if you keep heading in that same direction, do some hiking around the Foss Forest Trailhead. If you want to really make your visit unforgettable, Sugar Hill is also home to Harman's Cheese & Country Store. This place has been selling traditional cheddar since 1955!

The Sugar Hill Historical Museum in Sugar Hill, NH.
The Sugar Hill Historical Museum in Sugar Hill, NH. By AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Peterborough

Downtown Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Downtown Peterborough, New Hampshire. Image credit Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A small town in Hillsborough County, this colorful place has a rich history behind it. In fact, Peterborough, New Hampshire, was the inspiration for Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, which explores the everyday lives of small-town residents! You can hike at the Evans Flats Trail, but walking along these streets is its own treat. It is a good idea to book at the aptly named Riverhouse, near the Contoocook River, because from there, it is easier to dine at either Beepa and Lulu’s restaurant or Brady's American Grill before taking a short drive to see The MacDowell Graves NH Historical Highway Marker to the west.

Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Peterborough, New Hampshire.

A weekend trip has many advantages over a brief visit; it gives travelers the chance to delve deeper into the history of a place and see a side of town that the average traveler might never experience. The White Mountain State is a vast area whose avenues cannot all be explored in a single trip, but one can certainly begin in its small towns. It is part of what makes us human—to venture out from the comfort of our homes, to see what we have not seen before, to meet new people, and to make good on our freedom to explore and have adventures. New Hampshirites have a saying: "Live Free or Die," and I do not think it could be said any better.

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