10 Incredible Hidden Gems In New Hampshire You’ll Want To Discover This Year
By Ken MacGray|Published December 22, 2023
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Ken MacGray
Author
Hey! I'm a freelance writer and guidebook author. I've authored "New Hampshire's 52 With A View - A Hiker's Guide", serve as editor of Appalachian Mountain Club's "Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide", and and am co-editor of the "White Mountain Guide", also for AMC. I'm currently beginning work on the 6th Edition of AMC's Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, which will be published in 2025. I live in southern New Hampshire and can usually be found wandering throughout the state's mountains and forests.
With so many incredible, cool, and interesting things to see all over the state, it’s difficult to boil down the hidden gems of New Hampshire into a compact list. As I’ve noted in previous articles, the best way to see the most interesting stuff is to get off the interstate highways and wander along the backcountry roads. It’s there where you will find places that you might not know existed. Let’s take a look at 10 of them!
It's neither a house nor a car, but weighs much more than both combined. This massive glacial erratic was left behind by a retreating glacier. For more information, visit New Hampshsire State Parks.
Containing over 65,000 items, this museum at Dartmouth College boasts some of the oldest and largest academic art collections in the United States. For more information, visit the Hood Museum Of Art.
Tucked into an alley off Elm Street in downtown Manchester lies this quirky, whimsical display of feline art. For more information, check out this article about the story behind it from New Hampshire Public Radio.
These easy-to-reach relics from the 19th century, which heated limestone for about 50 years, still stand in the woods off Lime Kiln Road. For more information, visit the Town of Haverhill.
Gleason Falls is a roadside waterfall and cascade that is at its most impressive during times of high water. For more information, visit newenglandwaterfalls.com.
Explore the world of telephony from its earliest days right up to the computers we now carry in our pockets at this unusual museum. For more information, visit the New Hampshire Telephone Museum.
Great burritos in the North Country? Yes, it's a thing! And this eatery is locally owned and operated to boot. For more information, visit EXILE Burrito.
This small lake at Kuncanowet Town Forest and Conservation Area, reached by easy hiking trails, definitely lives up to its name due to its remote and quiet location. For more information and a trail map, visit the Dunbarton Conservation Commission.
A short walk of only 0.3 miles leads to this grassy, open summit, which is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset to to simply take in the expansive views. For more information, visit the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
This is just a small sampling of what the Granite State has to offer. What do you think is missing from this list of hidden gems in New Hampshire? Let us know in the comments!
In the meantime, hit the back roads for a hidden gems road trip that will bring you to lesser-visited corners of the state. Drive safe!
