Quick Area Guide
The White Mountains
The White Mountain region has long been known for its natural splendor, cultural richness, historical charm and stimulating
recreation, as well as some of the most beautiful scenery in the Eastern U.S. The White Mountains is one of the most popular
year-round destinations in the East.
There are 20 4,000-foot peaks, along with the highest mountain in the Northeast, Mt. Washington--but it’s the 800,000-acre
White Mountain National Forest that truly shapes the region. The forest is part of or abuts every town in the region, ensuring
much of the region’s land will remain a working forest and natural playground. The Franconia Notch State Park area is an
unspoiled outdoor paradise, and Franconia real estate is highly coveted.
The choice of recreation is nearly endless--ranging from hiking to fishing to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. While the
White Mountains may be known for outdoor recreation, art lovers will also find much to choose from, including summer stock
theater and special cultural events throughout the region. History lovers will find a historical museum in nearly every town, as
well as museums the whole family will find fascinating, including Franconia’s Frost Place, once owned by poet Robert Frost.
Shopping in tax-free New Hampshire is at its best with a number of appealing shops featuring antiques, handmade crafts and
local delicacies. Old-fashioned courtesy and gracious hospitality thrives here, and the service providers are a delight to do
business with. Restaurant experiences offer something for all tastes--from world-class gourmet cuisine to classic country fare.
The Northeast Kingdom
With Canada to the north and New Hampshire to the east, Vermont’s "Northeast Kingdom" includes Caledonia, Essex and
Orleans Counties and has all the beauty and romance of a long-lost era. The Kingdom is the most rural part of Vermont and is
famous worldwide for four-season recreation, rugged natural beauty and spectacular fall foliage.
The Kingdom has more forested land than any other region in Vermont and includes Kingdom Trails, a multipurpose wilderness
trail system near East Burke.
The Northeast Kingdom is also home to many of Vermont’s largest lakes, including Caspian Lake, Crystal Lake, Lake
Memphremagog, Seymour Lake and Lake Willoughby where the fishing is excellent and canoeing and kayaking experiences
are plentiful.
The Northeast Kingdom's history, relaxed atmosphere, raw beauty and abundant natural areas have made the area a muse for
many poets, artists and novelists.
Oddly enough, many who live in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom love the region for what it does not offer ... no traffic jams,
skyscrapers nor any real urban sprawl.
The White Mountains and Northeast Kingdom offers something for everyone. Come by for a visit, see for yourself what life in
the White Mountains and Northeast Kingdom is all about.
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Attractions
Cannon Mountain, Franconia, New Hampshire
Cannon Mountain, high in beautiful Franconia Notch State Park, is New Hampshire's version of Shangri-La. In just eight
minutes you can soar to Cannon's 4,200-foot summit on a 80-passenger aerial tramway, and in the winter ski down. Or visit
Echo Lake at the base of the mountain--while the kids enjoy the crystal clear water and play in the sand, you can relax on the
white sandy beach. Later tour the covered bridges and glacial formations at the Flume Gorge. Cannon is close to dozens of
other attractions--great places to eat, sleep and shop--and its Parkway location makes it easy to get to and from anywhere in
New England. Cannon Mountain is 7,500 acres of pristine mountain splendor and fun.
Bretton Woods Mountain Resort, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Located in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, The Mount Washington Hotel located in Bretton Woods has been
welcoming guests since 1902. Sparkling white towers capped with red roofs rise majestically against a backdrop of the
Northeast’s highest summits. The Mount Washington offers guests a vast array of recreational and leisure activities, including
golf, tennis, horseback riding, carriage and sleigh rides, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, ice skating, snow
tubing, musical entertainment, shopping, award-winning family programs and alpine and cross-country skiing at Bretton
Woods, New Hampshire’s largest ski area.
Burke Mountain, Burke, Vermont
Discover a four-season natural paradise! Here in the heart of the unspoiled Northeast Kingdom, the Vermont you see on
postcards is a 360-degree experience everywhere you go with year-round recreational opportunities. Internationally acclaimed
mountain biking, camping, fishing, hiking, river rafting, golfing, hunting, cross-country skiing... The list goes on and on. The
un-mega ski resort, Burke is about a pure skiing/boarding experience on uncrowded slopes. Home to the nation’s oldest and
most successful ski academy, Burke is a place apart from the pretensions and commercialism of so many resort areas.
You’re just as likely to share the mountain with a future Olympic ski racer as with a family member from a nearby town. With
easy access, about three hours of highway driving from Boston, Burke Mountain is just seven miles from I-91 exit 23 with no
rural traffic jams along the way.
Loon Mountain, Lincoln, New Hampshire
Spend the day at Loon Mountain cruisin’ the trails or riding the new Superpipe. Find yourself in the forest with 2,100 feet of
vertical drop, 275 acres and 44 trails. There are eight lifts to first-class tree skiing, alpine skiing and snowboarding. Enjoy
tubing, a major terrain park, ice skating, horseback riding and so much more!
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Golf and Tennis
Maplewood Country Club, Bethlehem, New Hampshire
The Maplewood was established in the late 1800's as a resort hotel for New Englanders. In 1914 a Donald Ross-designed golf
course was added to improve the resort's offerings and provide hotel guests with the best golf course possible. Located in the
historic town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire, in the shadow of Mt. Washington, The Maplewood is a short two-and-a-half-hour
drive from Boston. It is a wonderfully unique location offering special wedding receptions, the original 18-hole Donald Ross
Championship Golf Course, 20 guest suites and delicious food.
Mt. Washington Hotel & Resort Golf Courses, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
The spectacular grounds of The Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods offer an 18- and a 9-hole championship golf
course. Golfers are sure to be wonderfully challenged by the courses' magnificent settings and impressive layouts.
The 18-hole Mount Washington Course was designed by legendary Scottish Architect Donald Ross and was completed in
1915. This Par 71 course has hosted four New Hampshire Opens.
The 9-hole Mount Pleasant Course first opened in 1895 and has been host to generations of golfing enthusiasts. This historic
Par 35 course was recently restored, providing guests with a total of 27 holes of championship golf in an extraordinary
setting.
The Mount Washington Course
One of America's most scenic courses, The Mount Washington Course was completed in 1915 under the personal supervision
of legendary Scottish Architect, Donald Ross. Credited with the design of over 400 courses, Ross's most famous works
include Seminole, Inverness, Oak Hill, the Broadmoor and his signature designs at Pinehurst. His layout in Bretton Woods has
hosted four New Hampshire Opens.
Nestled in the Ammonoosuc River Valley and surrounded by New England's highest peaks, The Mount Washington Course
offers guests a challenging game in a magnificent setting.
Countless well-known guests have played this course, including Bobby Jones, Babe Ruth, Thomas Edison, Bobby Orr and
Ken Venturi. Brass plates mounted to the original wooden lockers in the Golf Pro Shop proudly show off these and the names
of other famous golfers.
The Mount Pleasant Course
When it first opened in 1895, The Mount Pleasant Course was said to be situated in one of the most romantic locations in the
world. Created for the enjoyment of guests visiting the elegant Mount Pleasant House (a grand hotel that stood on the present
site of The Lodge at Bretton Woods until the 1930s), the course offered unsurpassed views of the Presidential and Rosebrook
Mountain Ranges. The course was fully restored and upgraded in 1989 by Cornish & Silva Golf Course Architects, with advice
from world-renowned golfers Gene Sarazen and Ken Venturi, and now offers players a more challenging round alongside the
Ammonoosuc River.
St. Johnsbury Country Club, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Golf began in St. Johnsbury in 1923 when Willie Park, Jr., two-time winner of the British Open, designed nine diverse,
interesting and singular golf holes for the newly formed club. It would be the last of Park’s 60 North American designs due to
his ailing health. The installation of the greens was completed by his brother Mungo.
In 1992 famed architect Geoffrey Cornish, aided by lifelong member Jim Havers, cradled the original nine in the embrace of nine
peripheral holes. While the older holes require finesse, the new nine demand power. Bring your best up-and-down skills to par
the outward half, display placement and clear thinking on the way home.
St. Johnsbury has earned a reputation for flawless greens, lush fairways and well-carpeted tees. The maturity of the original
nine holes and the state-of-the-art new loop blend together to produce two distinct golfing experiences that complement each
other perfectly.
Four Seasons Aquatic & Sports Center, Lisbon, New Hampshire
Four Seasons Aquatic & Sports Center offers indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, two indoor pools, tennis
lessons, weight training and much more. Conveniently located on Route 302 in Lisbon, it offers something for “every body."
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Museums
The Frost Place, Franconia, New Hampshire
The Frost Place, nestled on a ridge overlooking the White Mountains, is poet Robert Frost’s 1915 farm homestead, now a
Center for Poetry and the Arts.
It includes a museum of Frost's life and work, with signed first editions of all his books. Also on the half–mile Poetry Nature
Trail, a walk though fields and woods, visitors may see 16 of Frost’s Franconia poems mounted on plaques, surrounded by
dozens of New England wildflowers and plants.
When the Town of Franconia voted in 1976 to buy Robert Frost’s old house and barn and establish The Frost Place, it became
the only town in the nation with its own resident poet. Each summer since 1977, a nationally honored poet has been chosen to
come live and work in the house where Frost wrote some of his finest works.
The Frost Place is open to the public from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The summer program begins in early July on Frost
Day with a reading by the summer poet-in-residence.
The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium is northern New England's premier museum of natural history. The Museum was
founded in 1889 by St. Johnsbury industrialist Franklin Fairbanks. A lifelong amateur naturalist, Fairbanks collected examples
of nature's artistry and diversity throughout the world. His vast personal collections were first made accessible to the public in
his "cabinet of curiosities" at Underclyffe, his elegant St. Johnsbury mansion. Fairbanks commissioned architect Lambert
Packard to design a monumental structure in which to make his remarkable collections available for display and study. To this
day, the collections of Franklin Fairbanks remain the backbone of northern New England's largest museum of natural
history.
Crafted in the elegant Richardsonian Romanesque style, the Museum first opened its doors in 1891. At its dedication,
Fairbanks set his museum on a distinctive course: "It is my expectation that studies in the natural sciences will be introduced
into our public, common schools....In this way, the Museum will truly become a factor in the education of our children and
young people. It is my desire that this institution take its place...as an educator of the young, lifting all who shall avail
themselves of its advantages to a higher and larger knowledge concerning the things of God's creation." Today, the Museum's
mission remains in harmony with the vision of Franklin Fairbanks: to "...inspire an appreciation and responsibility for our place
in the natural world."
Franconia Heritage Museum, Franconia, New Hampshire
The Franconia Heritage Museum is open Nov through April by request, May through October Thurs-Saturday 1-4pm. The museum is located in an 1880 Victorian house with an attached shed and barn. The
permanent exhibit portrays the life of a middle-class farm family 100 years ago.
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is a private, nonprofit public library and art gallery. The Athenaeum fills two roles: it serves the
people of St. Johnsbury by enriching their lives, and it stands as a regional and national treasure--a monument to the 19th
century belief in learning. The Athenaeum is a legacy of the Fairbanks Family of St. Johnsbury, inventors and manufacturers of
the world's first platform scale, who gave the Athenaeum to the town of St. Johnsbury in 1871. With his wealth, Horace
Fairbanks created a center of culture for the people of his town--a true "athenaeum."
The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is committed to preserving its National Landmark building, collections and furnishings, and
promoting life-long learning through art, literature and information services.
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Neighborhoods
Franconia, Sugar Hill & Easton, New Hampshire
North of the Franconia Notch State Park is the Franconia-Sugar Hill-Easton area. This gentle countryside is a bit rural, the
pace slower, the views absolutely gorgeous. Long renowned as an unspoiled outdoor paradise, the area offers abundant
four-season activities to challenge all levels of interest and expertise. There are abundant hiking trails, rushing streams for fly
fishing, crystal-clear lakes, brilliant fall foliage, ski resorts and more. Whatever season you visit, Franconia Notch’s stunning
panoramic views and wide range of activities will lure you back time and time again.
Littleton, New Hampshire
The Littleton area is truly a destination. Named the 9th Best Small Town in America and winner of the Great American Main
Street Award, it is a center for business, unique shopping experiences, recreation, cultural arts, medical care, education and
countless other services in New Hampshire's White Mountains and North Country.
The quality of life attracts many to move here and is envied by all who visit. The charm of all four seasons provides ample
opportunity to enjoy each at it fullest; whether you walk past homes well preserved from the late 1800s or drive and park to
take a historic walking tour or browse the retail shops, bookstores and art galleries lined along Main Street. Fine restaurants
and cafes offer grand choices.
Littleton created and instituted a formula that has become a model for New Hampshire and the rest of the country for economic
development. Communication, cooperation and investment in both economic infrastructure and people have brought about a
town that focuses on these fundamentals along with a powerful sense of community. Littleton exhibits an energy that will
continue to promote its economic and cultural prosperity.
I-93 wraps around the community while offering outstanding postcard vistas along the way. Exits lead North, Southeast and
West to all that the North Country has to offer for vacationing, including recreational facilities and sports activities for all levels
for all seasons, famous White Mountain attractions, year-round and seasonal cultural and art centers, the natural wonders of
Franconia Notch and much more.
Bethlehem, New Hampshire
Bethlehem residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life.
Located in the beautiful White Mountains region, Bethlehem offers clean, fresh air and an unparalleled array of outdoor
recreational activities. Bethlehem also provides its residents a safe, small-town community environment. There are ample
opportunites to meet neighbors and friends in a variety of settings: organization and club meetings, school functions, outdoor
concerts, nature presentations and town meetings, to name a few.
More than half the town of Bethlehem lies within the 780,000-acre White Mountains National Forest. Each year, more people
visit the White Mountains National Forest than visit Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks combined.
At 1,500 feet above sea level, Bethlehem is arguably the highest occupied village east of the Rockies. Known for its virtually
pollen-free air, it was once the headquarters of the National Hay Fever Association. Today antique shops and restaurants line
Main Street.
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Continuing up the highway, St. Johnsbury is the North Kingdom's largest town, with easy access from Interstates 91 and 93.
There, visitors can tour the Fairbanks Museum and enjoy cultural programs at Catamount Arts. St. Johnsbury was recently
named fourth of the top 10 retirement spots, according to Retirement Places Rated. The report cited the low cost of living and
the environment.
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Preserves and Parks
Franconia Notch State Park, Franconia, New Hampshire
Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the popular White Mountains National Forest. Franconia Notch is a
spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway that extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at
the north. For eight miles, I-93 winds between the high peaks of the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges.
Franconia Notch was the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain, the same "Great Stone Face" immortalized by
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Daniel Webster. While visiting, stop at the Flume Gorge Visitor Center and walk through the
renowned Flume Gorge, ride the exciting aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain and visit the New England Ski Museum. Take
your time, stop for a swim at Echo Lake, net a trout while fly fishing at Profile Lake, ride your bike on the Recreational Trail,
watch for rock climbers, hawks and falcons on Cannon Cliffs or hike on the Appalachian Trail.
White Mountain National Forest, White Mountains, New Hampshire
The alpine areas of the White Mountain National Forest also includes Mt. Washington, the tallest peak in the Northeast. The
actual summit of Mt. Washington, surrounded on all sides by National Forest land, is a mix of ownership, including a New
Hampshire State Park and a small but significant piece owned by Dartmouth College. On each side of the mountain are
historic private in-holdings that include a cog railway and an auto road. This is a special and wonderful place to visit throughout
the year. There are campgrounds, hiking trails, scenic drives, historic places and plenty of space to just sit back and
relax.
Willoughby State Forest, Vermont
Willoughby State Forest encompasses 7,300 acres in the northern area of Vermont. Lake Willoughby boasts 1,653 acres
plentiful with rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon and yellow perch. The South Trail is well known, offering
sweeping views from Mt. Pisgah over to Mt. Hor and beyond. Viewing the nesting peregrine falcons and alpine plant life is
enjoyed along the Willoughby Cliffs. Boating, hunting, fishing, hiking and swimming are enjoyed in the Willoughby State
Forest. The lake holds the reputation of being a wonderful example of glacial scouring in the Northeast and being the deepest
lake in the state with depths in excess of 300 feet.
Forest Lake State Park, Whitefield Area, New Hampshire
Forest Lake State Park, just a few minutes North of Littleton, is one of the 10 original New Hampshire state parks, and was
created in 1935. The park spans 397 acres and its 200-foot sandy beach lies on the shore of Forest Lake. Popular activities in
the park include swimming, picnicking, mountain biking, fishing and boating. Amenities include picnic tables and a group use
area and playground.
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Shopping
Littleton, New Hampshire Downtown & On “The Meadow”
Littleton remains the economic focal point for the Western White Mountains. It is the shopping, services and manufacturing
center of the region, with dozens of stores and restaurants, numerous banks and more. “The Meadow” has seen much of the
town’s recent commercial development, with stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and Staples.
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury has an eclectic shopping district located on both Railroad Street and Main Street. The Green Mountain Mall
houses JC Penney, Sears Appliance, Fashion Bug and more.
Hanover/West Lebanon, New Hampshire
West Lebanon is the Upper Valley's shopping Mecca, with a wide variety of discount shopping areas, commercial centers and
fast food restaurants. Located an hour south of the Littleton area on Interstate 93, you can find a multitude of shops. The
Powerhouse Shopping Mall is a handsome, renovated mill that offers boutiques, sporting goods shops, specialty and gift shops
and eateries. In downtown Hanover you’ll find boutiques, a Gap and the Dartmouth Book Store.
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway has a great downtown shopping area, but is also well known for its multitude of factory outlet stores--Ralph
Lauren, L.L. Bean, Liz Claiborne and more. North Conway has become a major New Hampshire shopping destination. Discover
New Hampshire, home of tax-free shopping!
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Theaters
Weathervane Theatre, Whitefield, New Hampshire
The Weathervane Theatre is located in Whitefield and offers summer theater, in alternating repertory. The theater still holds
onto its basic principles: creativity, respect and regard for the theater medium and the capability to engage and emotionally
move audiences, plus a collaborative and caring/sharing environment in which the company can do the very best work possible
within the compressed time-frame of the season.
Within the past dozen years, the Weathervane has achieved status as a major professional summer theater in New England;
as an enhanced Actors’ Equity Association theater, with diversity in company backgrounds and in its commitment to
non-traditional casting; for the re-birth of the Patchwork Players and the creation of an accredited Intern Program; and for the
creation of the Theatre Summer Camp for Youth.
North Country Center For the Arts, Lincoln, New Hampshire
The North Country Center for the Arts, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit arts organization supporting the arts in northern New
Hampshire. At present, NCCA produces a summer Mainstage Theatre and a touring Children's Theatre.
The Mainstage company produces Broadway musicals. These productions have developed a reputation for a high level of
artistic performances in respect to acting, sets and costumes. The Children's Theatre company, during an eight-week summer
season, travels to eight communities in New Hampshire, staging 10 performances each week of adaptations of well-loved fairy
tales. These performances are presented in partnership with other arts organizations that host the shows in their local
communities.
Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Catamount Arts was founded in 1975 with a mission of enhancing the cultural climate of Northern Vermont and New
Hampshire. Integration of the arts into community life has been their guiding principle and they attempt to cultivate awareness
and appreciation of the arts through a diversified schedule of film, music, theater, dance and the visual arts.
The Catamount Art Center opened in 1985 with a 100-seat film theater, galleries, instructional space and offices and has
evolved into the focal point for the arts in the area. The Center is home to the Catamount Film Series, which offers nightly
screenings of more than 50 regional premieres a year, along with several special mini-series and programs devoted to Vermont
filmmakers. The Video Library contains more than 2,500 rental units with titles ranging from the classics--both foreign and
domestic--to contemporary works and documentaries covering a wide range of subjects.
Local artists are supported through gallery. Museum bus trips to Montreal, Boston and New York are offered several times a
year. Catamount annually presents an extensive series of performances at venues throughout Vermont's Northeast Kingdom,
bringing in nationally known touring artists as well as accomplished local performers.
Colonial Theatre, Bethlehem, New Hampshire
Believed to be one of the oldest continuously operating movie theaters in the country, the Colonial Theater on Bethlehem’s
Main Street has been transformed in recent years into a regional arts center, hosting seasonal concerts and theater
productions, along with an ongoing (May to Sept) independent film series.
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