These 10 Towns In New Hampshire Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2026
New Hampshire may be known for its rural scenery, but its towns prove there is far more to the state than the quiet backroads and mountain views. These communities, scattered from the southeastern coastline to the Canadian border, are filled with natural beauty, architectural charm, and lively local character.
Each town offers its own reasons to visit, whether you're drawn to historic campuses like those in Hanover or Durham or mountain views like those in Jackson. Read on to discover why New Hampshire's towns are worth exploring year-round.
Hanover
Dominated by its Ivy League academic institution, Hanover is a focal point of education and history, with more than a touch of athletics to enjoy. As stated above, Dartmouth College is the preeminent institution in the area, offering a wide range of cultural opportunities. Here you can listen to a guest lecturer discuss the important issues of the times, stroll through an art gallery, and watch the theater department’s latest production, all in one day. The campus architecture will also certainly impress those on a walking tour, showcasing a mix of Colonial, Romantic, Georgian, Modern, and Post-Modern eras.
While visiting, it’ll be almost impossible to miss downtown Hanover, due to the district sporting a plethora of restaurants, shops, and more to appease your spending and keep you busy. Consider yourself a big skier? The slopes of the Upper Valley encircle Hanover, allowing untold freedom to shred the white stuff. In short, whether you’re an ivory tower intellectual, shopaholic, or ski bunny, Hanover has you covered.
Exeter
Like Hanover, the town of Exeter and its accompanying educational organization, Phillips Exeter Academy, walk hand in hand. Founded in 1638, Exeter College’s preparatory school arrived well over a century later, in 1781, and has since become synonymous with elite private education. Strolling amongst the school buildings, with its Colonial design, will instill the academy's storied past. Nonetheless, the main library, designed by celebrated architect Louis Kahn, demonstrates that Phillips Exeter Academy is open to more modern outlooks.
Once you’re done hitting the books and want some R&R, the Swasey Parkway has a thoroughfare that stretches along the Squamscott River, where outdoor activities like picnics, jogging, and walking are encouraged. But if you’re itching to learn all there is about Exeter, schedule a visit to the Exeter Historical Society. As both a museum and library dating to 1893 with displays and programs designed to inform visitors about everything to know about the town, you’ll step away fully aware of what makes Exeter unique.
Portsmouth
The gateway to the Atlantic, Portsmouth has been a vibrant epicenter of New Hampshire for centuries, with the neighborhoods to prove it. Due to its maritime connections, the city has numerous water-based activities, and cruises are available that are perfect for witnessing the urban beauty of Portsmouth. But to truly understand the full history, step into the Strawbery Banke Museum, where you can see the living conditions of Portsmouthians from the 1600s to the present, while also engaging with costumed actors and craftmaking.
In Portsmouth, living is easy in the summertime, as proven in Prescott Park, a public space filled with beautiful flowers that, in the warmer months, is a venue for plays, concerts, and other significant events. And for when you’re in the buying mood, don’t forget Market Square, the epicenter of downtown that’s brimming with larger chain stores and local boutiques found only in Portsmouth.
Meredith
Meredith, positioned next to a smaller body of water on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, is just down the road from the White Mountains, smack dab in the middle of the state. You can take the Winnipesaukee Railway to get there, if you like. A ticked aboard the Winnipesaukee Railway offers a scenic one- or two-hour round-trip excursion, with the longer ride departing from Meredith and following the western shore of the lake on a historic rail line that dates back to 1848.
Once back in town, stroll into the Meredith Historical Society to learn about the area’s past and how it shaped the community. The society maintains two historic sites: the Farm Museum, a 1801 former meetinghouse with tools used by 19th-century farmers, and the Main Street Museum, which displays artifacts from the early 1800s to the present.
Peterborough
The shopping and dining hub of the Monadnock Region, there’s more to do in Peterborough than satisfy your palate or pick up a new lamp for the living room. Miller State Park, the oldest state park in New Hampshire, offers hiking through natural surroundings where majestic overlooks beg to be soaked in. If leisurely aquatic activities are more your style, head to Edward MacDowell Lake, which is suitable for boating, kayaking, and canoeing. Feel free to even hunt or fish at the lake as well.
In town, there is no end to seasonal events; the Children and Arts Festival every spring, live performances by the Peterborough Players in the summer, the Night Market featuring music, art, and food at the tail end of summer, and a Lantern Festival in December. But if you’d like more, the Monadnock Center for History and Culture is another spot for folk music, traditional dances, and hearth cooking.
Jackson
The White Mountains are one of New Hampshire’s treasures, encapsulating the state's rugged character. The mountains also stand guard over Jackson, a settlement incorporated on December 4, 1800. By the mid-19th century, the village attracted painters seeking to capture the striking scenery all around them, followed by the construction of grand hotels for wealthy vacationers. Consequently, outdoorsmen will be especially tickled to visit. Abundant hiking, biking, and ski trails are accessible nearby year-round, given what your fancy is.
Jackson still retains its artistic temperament through the nearby White Mountain Museum & Gallery, an organization dedicated to exhibiting historical paintings depicting the natural beauty of the region and to selling works by more contemporary artists. And those with a more adventurous streak can try driving up the Mount Washington Auto Road to experience constantly changing weather extremes and gorgeous vistas through four distinct climate zones on their way to the summit, the tallest peak in the Northeastern US.
Durham
Durham is another academic town hidden away in New Hampshire, though it would be dishonest to say that's all there is to it. First off, there are 800 acres of conservation land to get lost in. West Foss Farm, Doe Farm, College Woods, and Davis Park are but a taste of the great outdoors that Durham has for locals and tourists alike. But for a more leisurely, bucolic escape, check out the nearby Bedrock Gardens for a surprisingly meditative oasis.
Foodies will also appreciate all the lobster rolls, lobster nachos, lobster omelets, and lobster benedicts on offer in the area. Last, but not least, is the college that occupies Durham, the University of New Hampshire. Get some culture in your life by means of the Gallery of Art and catch the undergraduate art show each spring, in addition to artworks from celebrated New England artists.
Sugar Hill
Officially established in 1962, Sugar Hill is the “newest” town on this list, but that doesn’t mean there’s less to do. Named after the grove of sugar maple trees within the town, Sugar Hill is the consummate place to get stunning views of the Kinsman, Dalton, Franconia, and Presidential ranges, not to mention the fields of pink and purple lupine flowers that bloom each June.
During the winter, the slopes around Sugar Hill come alive with snow, so bring your skis. Despite its young age, the Sugar Hill Historical Museum offers detailed information about the area from 1780 onward, including horse-drawn carriages, a Benjamin Morrill tower clock, and folk-style paintings of the town’s early days.
Bedford
The final town on our list is Bedford, a suburb of the state’s largest city, Manchester, that’s grown into its own distinctive part of greater New Hampshire. Interested in learning all there is about New England farming? Then, stride into the Joppa Hill Educational Farm to experience what so many have for generations, along with a petting zoo for children, multiple hiking trails, and periodic programs that expand upon sustainable agriculture and natural living.
Bedford also has a creative side, as evidenced by the Craftworkers’ Guild, which highlights the work of nearby potterers, painters, and jewelry makers. However, if you’d like to take it more easily, Benedictine Park is your best bet, maybe even bring a picnic blanket.
Granite State of Mind
Who says country and city life can’t coexist? All the culture and urban activities of big cities aren’t lost in New Hampshire; they’re just spread out. So ditch the metropolitan allure of Boston and trek up north, where nature and townie living do coexist. In these communities, college campuses, historic museums, galleries, theatres, parks, and ski trails all share the same small-town streets. The balance between it all ios what makes these towns New Hampshire's best.
