Summer 2016 - New Hampshire, Lakes Region

Monday, August 8^th – Saturday, August 13^th

Davidson’s Countryside Campground - Bristol, New Hampshire

Photo link:

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When we left the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, we headed southeast to the Lakes Region. There are less mountains in this area, and many more lakes. The valleys are dotted with long, thin glacial carved lakes, 273 to be exact. The largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee, with 71 square miles of surface. This area in New Hampshire is a favorite vacation spot for many New Englanders, especially Massachusetts and New York. There are so many lakeside resorts and marinas for so many water related activities. There are also many rivers and streams with countless waterfalls. Our campground was near a small town of Bristol. It was another quaint mountain town with historical buildings, homes and a nice town square.

While there we hiked a great trail to the top of Mt. Cardigan, which is located west of Lake Winnipesaukee. This was a rugged, rocky, steep trail to the summit at 3155 feet. The trail up to the summit and back is 3.1 miles with cairns along the way to help navigate. At the bare granite summit, there are amazing 360 views. The views of Lake Winnipesaukee are amazing, and there are distant views of mountains in Vermont, White Mountains in New Hampshire and mountains in Maine. Dogs are allowed to hike here also, so our boys really enjoyed the hike and meeting other dogs on the trail. The hike down was not as steep, but followed along a stream with some small waterfalls along the way.

The next day we headed out to Franklin Dam, an Army Corps project on the Pimegewassett River, where there were mountain biking trails that had been developed by New England Mountain Biking Association (NEMBA). Another excellent trail system, well designed and fun to ride. We loved it so much, we came back the next morning and rode again.

Another day we drove to Profile Falls Recreation Area with waterfalls and a swimming hole. There was a short hike over a rocky trail to get back to the falls area, but it was worth it. The dogs came with us and had fun playing in the water and retrieving sticks. We all enjoyed this relaxing time together.

The last couple of days were mostly rainy, so we spent some time doing various chores; laundry, housekeeping and maintenance. Also, we prepared and packed to head out the next day.

On to Maine! Looking forward to the wonders and natural beauty of this state.

Summer 2016 - New Hampshire, White Mountains Region

Monday, August 1^st – Sunday, August 7^th

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.