7 Best New Hampshire Towns For A Winter Getaway
Winter in New Hampshire sees towns turn into living snow globes, where bonfires light up frozen lakes, and ski trails carve through quiet white forests. In one, you're clinking mugs of mulled cider at a town-wide winter fest; in another, you're sinking into an old inn's armchair as snow drifts past candlelit windows. From mountain villages with torchlight parades to riverside towns that never stop finding reasons to gather and celebrate/ New Hampshire proves winter isn't a season, it's an invitation for a truly incredible getaway.
Keene
Keene is a New Hampshire town that's appealing to tourists all year long due to its rich history, New England architecture, and incredible outdoor experiences. But winter is a truly special time of year here, in part due to the annual Keene Ice and Snow Festival, which takes place in downtown Keene. The festival is a free event that features a competition for professional ice carvers along with an assortment of events and activities. This includes a children's train ride, face painting, and campfire s'mores. The result of the competition is, perhaps, the most magical part as the sculptures are lit up and displayed throughout the night. When the festival isn't on, the Wheelock Park Ice Skating Rink offers outdoor skating throughout winter, and Robinhood Park is one of the best places for sledding in the state, thanks to a 300-to 400-foot run. Just outside of Keene, The Chesterfield Inn is the perfect base to have for your winter getaway with 15 romantic rooms and suites with fireplaces with views of the Connecticut River Valley. Within town, there are also great options for accommodations, such as Carriage Barn Bed & Breakfast.
Portsmouth
While Portsmouth is known for all of its summer activities, it really comes alive in the wintertime, making it a great place for a getaway. Strawbery Banke Museum's Candlelit Stroll (first three weekends of December) turns the historic Puddle Dock neighbourhood into a procession of lantern-lit houses, costumed players, and hundreds of string lights. It's the type of ongoing event that embraces winter to its fullest. Nearby, the Labrie Family Skates at Puddle Dock Pond offers public ice skating, but only when the pond freezes over. A few blocks away, Market Square stays lively through winter with independent shops and restaurants like the multi-level Portsmouth Gaslight Co. and The Oar House. The Hotel Portsmouth and the Davenport Inn put you close enough to all of the winter attractions so you don't even need to think about using a car.
Woodstock
Woodstock may be small, but when winter arrives, it becomes one of the White Mountains' most electric spots. The Ice Castles in North Woodstock are built each year with thousands of hand-placed icicles and turn a snowy field off Clark Farm Road into a glowing fortress of tunnels, slides, and frozen towers you can explore, as well as the Mystic Forest Light Walk. Not far away, the Woodstock Inn Brewery warms things back up with craft ales brewed on-site and hearty fare by the fire. Woodstock is also a great launch point for exploring and skiing the nearby Loon Mountain area. While you can stay at the Woodstock Inn Brewery or any number of hotels in town, Woodstock is also home to Lumen Nature Retreat, a luxury waterfront glamping experience which includes A-frame tents, cozy cabins, and safari tents right in the wintry heart of the White Mountains.
Hanover
Wedged between the Connecticut River and the foothills of Moose Mountain, Hanover brings Ivy League energy to winter. Dartmouth College keeps the town buzzing even in subzero temperatures, especially during the annual Dartmouth Winter Carnival. Think human dog sled races, ski events, ice sculpture contests, and the kind of organized chaos that's made it the oldest collegiate winter festival in the U.S. Locals head to the Oak Hill Outdoor Center, minutes from downtown, for cross-country skiing under night lights or lessons on its classic Nordic trails. When the cold bites too hard, the Hanover Inn Darmouth, overlooking the Green, offers fireside drinks and a nod to its ski legacy. Between the snow-covered campus, rink-side cheers for Big Green hockey, and apres-ski warmth at Pine Restaurant, Hanover proves that winter here is a 'must' for a getaway.
Peterborough
Peterborough has the creative energy of a college town and the pace of a mountain village, especially once snow coats the Monadnock Region. The Contoocook River winds through downtown, and after a fresh snowfall, Depot Square feels like something out of Gilmore Girls. In the downtown area, there's no shortage of cozy places to wander into on a cold, blustery day, such as Bowerbird & Friends Antiques and The Toadstool Bookshops. Not far away, the Riverhouse offers a more affordable place to stay, while the Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn allows a few guests to stay at a luxurious and historic mansion turned bed and breakfast. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities at the Edward MacDowell Dam and Lake, but the real draw is Peterborough's proximity to the Crotched Mountain Ski and Ride (about 20 minutes away).
North Conway
North Conway feels like a ski film come to life, where every storefront and trail seems wired for nature. That has something to do with the fact that the New Hampshire town is between the White Mountains and the Saco River, and everything to do with the fact that it is the launch point for multiple ski resort destinations in the area. Cranmore Mountain Resort, however, sits just east of the village center and is the town's heart in snow season. It's known for its ten-lane tubing hill, lift-served slopes, and cozy base lodge. A short walk away, Whitaker Woods turns into a cross-country playground, its looping trails threading a few blocks behind Main Street. For a slower glide through the frost, the Conway Scenic Railroad runs its vintage "Snow Train" from the historic station in North Conway Village, winding through the white-dusted valleys of the Mount Washington range. There's also no shortage of great places to stay if you're coming to North Conway for a winter getaway. This includes the Eastern Slope Inn, where skiers have warmed up since 1926.
Littleton
In the northern White Mountains, along the banks of the Ammonoosuc River, is the New Hampshire town of Littleton, a winter wonderland for those craving a getaway when the snow falls. Close by the Thayers Inn Hotel is one of the town's star attractions. The Riverwalk Covered Bridge spans the river with easily Instagrammable views of both the rushing waters and the town poking up from behind the trees. It's even more beautiful when it's blanketed in snow. The same goes for the Schilling Beer Co., which sits by its entrance; one of the many cozy spots to hang out in cold weather. A few blocks away, the Pine Hill Trails are the perfect place to wander around, listening to nothing but the winter birds in the trees and the snow crunch beneath your feet. While Littleton is perfectly situated close to numerous ski destinations in the state, Mt. Eustis Ski Hill is right in town and can't be missed if skiing and snowboarding are essential to your winter holiday.
From the snowy slopes of North Conway to the cozy streets of Keene and the riverside trails of Peterborough and Littleton's covered bridge, New Hampshire serves up winter in a way that benefits every kind of traveler. Skiers, snowshoers, and ice-carvers will find their playgrounds, while small-town energy, craft breweries, and quiet river walks add warmth between more energetic adventures. With a patchwork of mountains, rivers, and vibrant downtowns, the Granite State proves winter is one of the best times to visit.
