9 New Hampshire Towns With A Slower Pace Of Life
The northeast state of New Hampshire brings to mind all the classic images of America's New England region: the sea coast, lovely lakes, and mountains and hills alive with fall colors. Also known as the Granite State for the rocky abundance that typifies the state's landmass, New Hampshire combines the best of the region's attributes and, often, a slower pace of living than in its larger towns like its capital, Concord, or historic larger towns like the historic Portsmouth, on the Atlantic seaboard. For a look at the state's quieter corners, these towns suggest how much the state has to offer the traveler and longer-term visitor.
Henniker
West of Concord, the south-central town of Henniker makes for a quaint option among New England's bucolic villages. Henniker is famed for its array of historic bridges, which alternate in their construction between stone and covered wood. Skiiers have long come to this town for its proximity to the Pat's Peak recreation zone.
For a sample of locally-sourced food and beverages, Daniel's Restaurant and Pub offers regional comfort food in cozy digs with a low ceiling so characteristic of the state's historic buildings. For a walk after dinner or a simple stroll through one of the state's finest communities, head to the Contoocook River that flows through Henniker's downtown. Architecture fans will appreciate the Tucker Free Library, built in brick and standing since 1903.
Lincoln
Lincoln, in north-central New Hampshire, lies near the highway, one of the U.S. East Coast's largest and most accessible major roadways. It also sits within the White Mountains, one of New Hampshire's biggest draws for mountain adventure. Fresh air fans will no doubt enjoy the town's location near a broad set of outdoor options, including Flume Gorge, with its breath-taking walkways along stone cliffs, or Franconia Notch State Park, both north of Lincoln proper.
For a taste of local fare and a view worth working up an appetite, the Gypsy Cafe, with its funky original decor, offers affordable meals and a big slice of mountain scenery. For a touch of local literary culture, Frost Place, once the residence of famous poet Robert Frost, operates in town as a museum in honor of his legacy.
Littleton
Littleton, on the northern edge of the state near the state border with Vermont, offers White Mountain bliss similar to nearby Lincoln. But the town stands apart for its proximity to the Moore Reservoir, a waterway popular in warmer months for its leisure options, from swimming and boating to fishing and kayaking. Downtown Main Street harkens back to simpler times, with vintage stores as well as a handful of art galleries that will charm the first-time or repeat visitor. The Downtown Historical Walk adds color and the depth of old local heritage to a visit to this sometimes-overlooked place.
Littletown also sits near points of outdoor interest, including Franconia Notch State Park, Cannon Mountain Ski Resort, and the segment of the Appalachian Trail that runs through New Hampshire on the way to its terminus in the neighboring state of Maine.
North Conway
North Conway, near the state line between Maine and New Hampshire, prepares each autumn for an influx of seasonal travelers. These fall-color fans, also known as 'leaf-peepers,' come to North Conway and the surrounding White Mountains region for the riot of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns that bring the native forest alive before winter. For a look at this phenomenon with minimal effort, the Conway Scenic Railroad provides transportation among the region's heights. At all times of year, the area's Mount Washington — New Hampshire's tallest peak, at nearly 6,300 feet — and White Mountain National Forest draw visitors to New England from around the world.
North Conway is likewise home to the New England Ski Museum, which commemorates the early-20th-century days when the region served as the primary skiing region in the United States. And given the town's well-established tourist offerings, accommodations abound: cabins and budget hotels accommode the budget-conscious, while families might prefer historic locations like the Eastern Slope Inn Resort, whose history of hospitality traces back to the 19th century.
Pittsburg
Unlike the large Pennsylvania town with a similar name, Pittsburg makes for another nature-focused destination for a weekend or longer visit. Its position at New Hampshire's northern edge, just south of the U.S.-Canadian national border, makes the town a point of interest that some visitors tend to pass by. For outdoor bliss, Back Lake and First Connecticut Lake await nearby, while Lake Francis State Park sits south of town.
Pittsburg's Bacon Road Bridge merits the drive, and gives similar postcard-New-England vibes to the bridges in Henniker and elsewhere across the state. For a plunge farther north, international travel is possible just over the border: the town of Sherbrooke, in Canada's Quebec province, sits an hour-plus north of here.
Tamworth
The hamlet of Tamworth, in east-central New Hampshire, delivers on much of the New England-style promise of history and beauty in the same place. Established in 1766 — making the town older than the independent United States, which declared independence 10 years later — Tamworth sits in the state's Lakes Region, a summer vacation wonderland and longtime destination for those seeking quiet in nature's splendor. Nearby, famous waterways like Chocorua Lake and White Lake State Park beckon for exploration and perhaps a swim or two.
Families traveling with children might like the Remick Country Doctor Museum and Farm, which exhibits the medicine and industries of old New Hampshire. And like Robert Frost in Lincoln, famous literary greats, like poet E.E. Cummings, novelist Henry James, and the writer Julia Ward Howe — who penned the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" — all vacationed at various times in this classic New Hampshire town.
Rye
Along the Atlantic coast, the small town of Rye promises a view of the sea. Fans of the outdoors and warm weather should come to town to visit Odiorne Point State Park, which boasts beachfront premises and the smell of ocean salt in the air. For time on the beach, head to Jenness Beach, in the southern corner of town, or Wallis Sands State Beach, which is popular with visitors and families.
Traveling families looking for kid-friendly ideas should set aside time for Rye's Seacoast Science Center, an immersive museum designed to please marine biology students at all levels of knowledge and enthusiasm. For a taste of local seafood and another view of the water, Petey's Summertime Seafood, open since 1990, offers New England-style clambakes and other delicacies from the region.
Seabrook
Like nearby Rye, Seabrook sits on New Hampshire's Atlantic coast. The town also contributes to the border with the neighboring state of Massachusetts. The I-95 interstate highway runs through the town's western edge, making the place easily accessible from both north and south.
Fans of the local natural environment will like the Blackwater River estuary, where a diverse collection of regional species of birds await birders and other observers. In recent years, the town has attracted a small but committed group of amateur surfers, injecting fresh culture into this petite seaside town. If the weather turns chilly, warm up with a nip from Smoky Quartz Distillery, a bourbon and rum maker based here.
Wolfeboro
The picture-perfect town of Wolfeboro, on Lake Winnipesaukee in the central part of the state, is, for many a visitor, the ultimate New England village. A hub for summer vacationers since the 19th century, Wolfeboro combines lake access, a host of summer accommodations and homes, and a modest wealth of restaurants for all budgets. Those itching to sail the lake can do so on Mount Washington, Winnipesaukee's largest boat, which docks in Wolfeboro and offers rides in warmer months.
For some local history, the Wright Museum displays artifacts from World War II and other eras. No visit to Wolfeboro would be complete, or sweet, without a visit to the Yum Yum Shop, a cafe, bakery, and desserts parlor selling delicious snacks since its opening in 1948.
New Hampshire's Quiet Towns Rank Among Its Best
As these towns show, New Hampshire's smaller towns offer quiet getaways and diverse interests for tourists of all kinds and tastes. Henniker and Pittsburg promise covered bridges like images from vintage postcards. North Conway and Tamworth offer mountain greenery and the highlights of fall color viewing. For a sea escape, Rye and Seabrook provide access to the state's small but vibrant Atlantic coast. For an all-American lake experience, Wolfeboro stands among the finest waterside towns in New England, according to many past visitors. Whatever a visitor's interests, these places offer quiet and numerous other attractions across the Granite State.
