Things to do, Places to see? (Manchester, Dover: to live, cabin, beach)

[SFT]

I've lived in New Hampshire my whole life, but I do not feel like I've taken full advantage of what the state has to offer in terms of sites to see, things to do, etc.

With the summer coming up, I'd appreciate any suggestions such as good hiking trails, good swimming areas, and other nature related or unrelated things to do. I'd especially like to find some hiking trails that lead to the tops of hills/mountains with good views.

I'll start with a few:

- Watch the sunset at Lake Massabesic at Shore Drive off of 121. This is a really nice sunset and there are some rocks you can sit down on for a while. I have also seen people fishing here as well.

- Watch the sunrise at any New Hampshire coast location. Finally did this for the first time this year and it was pretty cool.

- Take a whole day trip down the Kangamangus Highway. Plenty of places to stop and see the river, swim, hike, and great views of the mountains.

I'm sure most people are aware of these and I'd like to hear of some lesser known places.

[CrazyDave]

Originally Posted by SFT

I've lived in New Hampshire my whole life, but I do not feel like I've taken full advantage of what the state has to offer in terms of sites to see, things to do, etc.

With the summer coming up, I'd appreciate any suggestions such as good hiking trails, good swimming areas, and other nature related or unrelated things to do. I'd especially like to find some hiking trails that lead to the tops of hills/mountains with good views.

I'll start with a few:

- Watch the sunset at Lake Massabesic at Shore Drive off of 121. This is a really nice sunset and there are some rocks you can sit down on for a while. I have also seen people fishing here as well.

- Watch the sunrise at any New Hampshire coast location. Finally did this for the first time this year and it was pretty cool.

- Take a whole day trip down the Kangamangus Highway. Plenty of places to stop and see the river, swim, hike, and great views of the mountains.

I'm sure most people are aware of these and I'd like to hear of some lesser known places.

What I would tell you is go out and just cruise the back roads of Auburn, Chester, Hampstead etc . You will find history all around you, plenty of old graves to ponder over, historic buildings, ponds and streams that seemingly pop up out of nowhere, lots of hiking trails. If you own a motorcycle all the better as you will find it easier to pull off and explore. The Monadnock area , Wilton NH Washington, Warren NH, Sugar Hill, Sandwich, etc, Last summer while looking for a waterfall in Wilton, we pulled the bike off the side of the road went down the embankment by the river, had a picnic lunch then hopped in for a refreshing soak. So much to see and do, all just a stones throw away. Add a bicycle and there are lots of places to just ride. I find half the fun is just discovering things that I never even knew were there.

[CrazyDave]

Originally Posted by CrazyDave

What I would tell you is go out and just cruise the back roads of Auburn, Chester, Hampstead etc . You will find history all around you, plenty of old graves to ponder over, historic buildings, ponds and streams that seemingly pop up out of nowhere, lots of hiking trails. If you own a motorcycle all the better as you will find it easier to pull off and explore. The Monadnock area , Wilton NH Washington, Warren NH, Sugar Hill, Sandwich, etc, Last summer while looking for a waterfall in Wilton, we pulled the bike off the side of the road went down the embankment by the river, had a picnic lunch then hopped in for a refreshing soak. So much to see and do, all just a stones throw away. Add a bicycle and there are lots of places to just ride. I find half the fun is just discovering things that I never even knew were there.

These signs can clue you into things, look for them

[CrazyDave]

Heres a great site with lots of hikes of varying levels of difficulty

NH Mountain Hiking

[maxxoccupancy]

The Old Man on the Mountain is gone, but the park is still there, and still beautiful. Portsmouth, Hampton Beach, and Seabrook (along Route 286) are great for a day trip to the seacoast. Route 1A is an enjoyable drive, especially if you have a convertible. Lake W. is great, as is Manchester for a day trip. You can pretty much park near Elm St. and just soak up the downtown. At night, you can take in the night life there without driving anywhere else.

[buck naked]

I would suggest hiking the trails to the fire towers that are scattered around the state. The wardens love visitors and views are breathtaking.


here is a link to get you started, click at the bottom of the page for detailed info:

http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/4192/twr1.htm

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by SFT

I'd especially like to find some hiking trails that lead to the tops of hills/mountains with good views.

Rattlesnake Mtn. off Route 113 between Holderness and Sandwich is hard to beat. It's a short, easy hike, but the view of Squam Lake is amazing:



For intermediate hikers, across the street from the Rattlesnake trailhead is the start of the Mt. Morgan - Mt. Percival Loop, which is a very fun hike with an even better view! Takes about 4 or 5 hours, though.

Red Hill in Moultonborough is another fairly easy hike with an incredible view of the Lakes Region from the fire tower.

Other ideas:

-Newfound Lake, New Hampshire's cleanest lake. I'm fortunate enough to live next to it, but I never get tired of it! It's less exclusive than Squam and less crowded than Winnipesaukee. There are two public beaches on the southern end of the lake in Bristol, as well as a beautiful beach in Wellington State Park on the western side of the lake, near the stunning ledges.



-While you're in the Newfound area, take a ride to Sculptured Rocks in Groton and visit the picturesque village of Hebron.

-You can also get a great view of the Bristol area from Inspiration Point, a very short hike from the Slim Baker area at the top of New Chester Mountain Road.

-Weeks State Park on Mt. Prospect in Lancaster, off Route 3. Drive to the top, and the fire tower gives you an unparalleled view of the Great North Woods and the White Mountains.



-In Franconia Notch State Park, get off at the exit for the Basin and follow the Basin-Cascades trail towards Kinsman Falls. This is not a particularly hard walk, but it's best enjoyed walking IN the river on a warm summer day! Kick off your shoes and enjoy. Climb up the river until you get to the waterfall.

-Also in Franconia Notch, the short (but somewhat strenous) climb up Artists' Bluff across from Cannon gives you a great view of the notch.

-Take a ride to the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish. This is a beautiful part of the state that most people probably don't know. I believe Cornish may have more covered bridges than any other town in the state, including the Cornish-Windsor Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River to Vermont. It's the longest covered bridge in America.



-And don't forget the Lupine Festival in Sugar Hill in mid-to-late June. Those flowers are just gorgeous.

[lisa g]

Verseau, here is an overdue and grateful acknowledgement of your beautiful photos! Just went up to the Squam lakes area and it is even picturesque at this time of year. Planning a week there this summer (Sandwich) and am very appreciative of your photos and comments regarding trails. Thank you!

[SFT]

I second that lisa g and I also wanted to thank everyone else for your responses. I tried to do this earlier, but the server was busy at the time. I'm starting to make a list of things I need to do. Feel free to include any other places or things to do.

[NH2NCMom]

I just posted about the Woodman institute in Dover on a separate thread - granted it's not outside but good for a rainy day activity. It will take several hours to go through all the great things they have in there from rocks, to animals, dolls, history of USA, history of Seacoast, unique and odd things, and even a completely intact old log cabin from the 1700's (or maybe earlier). They just opened a new exhibit about Lincoln's visit to Dover back in the day. Rates are $5 for adults, $4 for kids 17-18 and senior citizens, kids 14-16 are $2 and kids 13 and under are FREE.

It says allow 1 and 1/2 hours for the visit, but I still say that's too short!