Beech Hill Campground
– Twin Mountain, New Hampshire
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As we drove out of Vermont into New Hampshire we started
noticing the difference in the mountains right away. New Hampshire definitely has more mountains
with very steep, high peaks. We arrived at our campground, Beech Hill, near the
town of Twin Mountain New Hampshire. This campground is a commercial RV park,
but has very wooded sites and felt more like a state park. The dogs also
enjoyed it because we had a very spacious site where we actually let them off
leash most of the time.
We started looking at the activities in the area and setting
up our plans for what we were going to do. We decided for the next day we would
head towards Crawford Notch State Park. In New Hampshire the mountain passes
are called notches due to the fact that the V shaped glacier-cut passes
reminded the early settlers of notches cut in wood. After stopping at a ranger
station we decided to do a very popular hike back to Arethusa Falls, a 215 feet
high waterfall. This was a busy trail, but very beautiful. The typical
conditions were steep and rocky, but we all enjoyed the hike up and rock
hopping back into the falls. We had a rest, some lunch and let the dogs play in
the water. After looking at the trail map we decided instead of coming back
down the same trail we would head out through another 2 ½ mile trail called Frankenstein’s
Cliff. Little did we know that the trail conditions would be much more strenuous.
This trail continued straight up and straight down. I think they don't
understand switchbacks here in New Hampshire. After three more hours of hiking this
arduous loop trail we finally made it back to the parking lot. Kody and I were
totally exhausted and my knees and feet were pretty much toast. Kurt and Luca
also decided to do a little side trip to a different overlook, I'm so glad Kody
and I didn't go. At the end of the day we were all exhausted, but we really did
enjoy the hike and the beautiful views.
The next morning we decided to go into the town of Littleton,
as we had found some mountain biking trails there. After riding the first mile or so on the trails, we realized this was a very non-maintained trail system with very
poor trail markings. We did ride a couple of miles and then gave it up for the
day as it really wasn't that much fun.
After our misguided mountain biking adventure, we decided to
do a Scenic Drive route that totally encompasses most of the White Mountain
National Forest. The southerly route is called the Kancamagus Highway, which
runs along the Swift River all the way from Franconia Notch east to Conway.
Along this highway they were beautiful views of all the mountains and small towns,
along with a stop at a swimming area in the Swift River. Then the loop heads
north and west through Crawford Notch State Park, and returns us to our
campground. This part of the drive mostly follows the Saco River with views of
the rocky, river bottom. Also along this scenic drive there were a couple of
off-season ski resorts that have summer activities available. This area of New
Hampshire in the White Mountains National Forest seems to be more touristy in
nature, as many of the small towns offered various family-friendly activities
and many souvenir shops. All in all it was a beautiful drive for the day and we
enjoyed all the scenery and the gorgeous White Mountains.
The next day we decided to drive up the legendary Mount
Washington Auto Road, which would give us a chance to experience the highest
peak in the northeast. The auto road climbs to the 6,288 foot summit for a 3
hour round trip. Throughout this drive to the summit you pass through four
different ecological zones and also enjoy panoramic views spanning distant
mountains and valleys. There was also a snack bar, museum and historical
buildings at the top along with a weather Observatory. Emanating from the
summit were various hiking trails for those willing to hike down to the
mountain base, various lodges or campgrounds along the trails. The views from
the summit were 360 degrees of all the White Mountains peaks, including a group
of mountains called the Presidential Range, which are named after various founding
fathers of our country. Spectacular and stunning views!
Our last day in the area we decided to go back again to
Franconia Notch State Park and ride our bikes on a really nice paved
recreational trail. Kurt also did a hike off of the same trailhead and really
enjoyed the beautiful mountains.
We truly enjoyed our time in the White Mountains of New
Hampshire and the spectacular beauty that nature has to offer there. Our next stop will be in southern New Hampshire, in the
Lakes Region. Looking forward to our experiences there.
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