7 Little-Known Towns In New Hampshire

The White Mountains conceal most of the little towns that comprise New Hampshire's rural culture. Sugar Hill's hillsides turn pink and purple with lupine every June. Lancaster keeps the campground traditions alive, Gorham's ATV trails snake through the backcountry, and Jefferson, somehow, celebrates Christmas well into August thanks to a beloved little amusement park called Santa's Village. If these names don't ring a bell yet, that's kind of the point. Here's your introduction to seven of New Hampshire's best-kept secrets.

Sugar Hill

Although Sugar Hill was named for the sugar maple groves in the area, there is plenty more to see here. The Sugar Hill Historical Museum shares the town's past through photos and exhibits. Sugar Hill is best known for its summer lupine blooms and wide mountain views, with the Fields of Lupine Festival running across the first three weeks of June. Polly's Pancake Parlor, a working pancake house in a converted 1830s carriage shed, has been serving stone-ground buckwheat and oatmeal pancakes since 1938. Harman's Cheese & Country Store, in business since 1955, is the standing source in town for aged Vermont cheddar.

Jefferson

In Jefferson, the Christmas season lasts much longer than December. Santa's Village, the town's best-known attraction, has run on a Christmas-village theme since it opened in 1953 and is open on select dates from late spring into December. Families can enjoy rides, shows, seasonal events, Santa, and a water park during the warmer months. Jefferson also has direct outdoor access and views of the Presidential Range, which holds Mount Washington and several other 5,000-foot peaks. The Water Wheel Breakfast & Gift House on Route 2 adds a long-running breakfast spot to the town's small commercial strip.

Cornish

Cornish, set along the Connecticut River, is known for its quiet scenery and historic feel. The town has four covered bridges, including the 1866 Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, which at 460 feet is the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. Cornish is also home to the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (redesignated from a National Historic Site by Congress in 2020), where visitors can see the former home, studio, and sculpture grounds of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of the foremost American sculptors of the late 19th century.

North Conway

North Conway is a village within the town of Conway, and it is worth visiting in any season. Cranmore Mountain Resort offers skiing and tubing in winter, plus rides and other warm-weather attractions at its Mountain Adventure Park. For wide views, visitors can head to Cathedral Ledge, a 700-foot granite cliff in Echo Lake State Park with a paved road to the summit. The Conway Scenic Railroad is another way to see the Mount Washington Valley, with seasonal trips through Crawford Notch on a restored 1874 station. North Conway also has a busy shopping area with outlet stores and longtime favorites like Zeb's General Store, an old-fashioned country store on Main Street stocked with New Hampshire-made goods.

Lancaster

Along the Connecticut River, Lancaster is a small town that works well as a gateway to the Great North Woods. Weeks State Park is a top local stop, with hiking trails and the former estate of John Wingate Weeks (a US Senator and Secretary of War in the early 20th century), which now serves as a museum. Travelers can also find lodging and camping options in and around town. In late summer, Lancaster hosts the Lancaster Fair, a longtime agricultural fair running since 1869, with farm exhibits, harness racing, and entertainment for families.

Franconia

Franconia, in the White Mountains, gives visitors easy access to some of New Hampshire's best-known scenery. Franconia Notch State Park runs through the notch from Flume Gorge in the south to Echo Lake in the north, and the town is a good base for visiting it. Visitors can explore Flume Gorge, see the site of the former Old Man of the Mountain (which collapsed on May 3, 2003), and stop by the Old Man of the Mountain profilers and museum area at Franconia Notch. One thing to know is that the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, the second-generation tram in operation since 1980, made its last public run on October 26, 2025, and the state expects the replacement tram (a third-generation system) to take at least two years to design and build. Cannon was the site of the first aerial tramway in North America when the original tram opened in 1938.

Gorham

Gorham is a small town on the northern side of the White Mountains with a lot of outdoor access. Riders can connect from town to Ride the Wilds, a 1,200-mile ATV trail network across the northern third of New Hampshire (the largest interconnected ATV system in the eastern United States). Great Glen Trails, eight miles south at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road, runs guided kayaking trips on the Androscoggin River. Gorham is also known for its moose tours, with bull moose regularly seen along the Route 16 corridor through Pinkham Notch, plus the Gorham Historical Society and Railroad Museum at the restored 1907 Grand Trunk Railway station.

Discover These Little-Known Towns In New Hampshire

The White Mountains region of New Hampshire is full of small towns with their own character. Sugar Hill brings the June lupines and Polly's pancakes. Jefferson holds Santa's Village. Gorham anchors a 1,200-mile ATV trail network. Cornish has the longest wooden covered bridge in the country. Each one has something different to offer, and a long weekend is enough to find out which one fits.