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45 Best and Fun Things To Do In Franconia, New Hampshire


TouristWire Editors

Set in the picturesque White Mountains of New Hampshire, Franconia is a lovely small village that is undoubtedly a hidden gem in the region.

The surrounding mountains are definitely the town’s biggest draw, no matter the time of year.

Visitors can go swimming in the shimmering waters of Echo Lake, ride to the summit of Cannon Mountain in a cable car, or go hiking through the breathtaking Flume Gorge in the Franconia Notch State Park.

Looking for a break from all the action? Swing by one of the town’s quaint English-style pubs for a delicious meal and a refreshing drink.

If you like poetry and literature, head to The Frost Place, a former residence of the famous poet Robert Frost, which houses a small museum dedicated to his life and work.

Looking for more ideas about what to do while you’re here? Keep reading for a list of everything else Franconia has to offer

The 45 Most Popular Things To Do In Franconia, New Hampshire

45. Eagle Cliff

5.0 ★★★★★ (1 review)

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Credit: Detroit Publishing Company, License, Wikimedia commons

44. Franconia Falls Trail

5.0 ★★★★★ (3 reviews)

43. Mount Guyot

4.8 ★★★★★ (5 reviews)

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Credit: Prasanth Mudundi, Google Maps

42. Besaw Iron Furnace Interpretive Center

4.6 ★★★★★ (5 reviews)

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Credit: Eric Rand, Google Maps

Location: Franconia NH

Web Address:   http://franconianh.org/iron-furnace.html

41. Coffin Pond

4.7 ★★★★★ (6 reviews)

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Credit: alans1948, License, Flickr

40. Sugar Hill Historical Museum

4.6 ★★★★★ (7 reviews)

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Credit: Jon Platek, Google Maps

Location: 1400 NH 117 Sugar Hill NH

Tel:  603 823 5336

Web Address:   https://sugarhillnh.org/library-and-museum/sugar-hill-historical-museum/

39. Franconia Heritage Museum

5.0 ★★★★★ (7 reviews)

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Credit: Allan Sensenich, Google Maps

Location: 553 Main Street Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 5000

Web Address:   http://franconianh.org/heritage-museum.html

38. Galehead Mountain

4.3 ★★★★☆ (8 reviews)

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Credit: Charles Lamb, Google Maps

37. Owl’s Head

3.5 ★★★★☆ (8 reviews)

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Credit: Laura Lynn Faulkner, License, Wikimedia commons

36. Thirteen Falls

4.4 ★★★★☆ (8 reviews)

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Credit: James Walsh, License, Flickr

35. Profile Lake

5.0 ★★★★★ (9 reviews)

34. North Twin Mountain

4.5 ★★★★★ (12 reviews)

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Credit: Christopher Schmidt, License, Flickr

33. Coppermine Trail

4.8 ★★★★★ (12 reviews)

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Credit: sarowen, License, Flickr

Location: 170 Coppermine Road Franconia NH

32. Cooley – Jericho Community Forest

4.7 ★★★★★ (14 reviews)

Location: Trumpet Round Road Sugar Hill NH

Tel:  603 823 7777

Web Address:   https://act-nh.org/about-the-forest/

31. Bridalveil Falls

4.7 ★★★★★ (15 reviews)

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Credit: Gregory Rosic, Google Maps

30. Bald Mountain

4.8 ★★★★★ (15 reviews)

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Credit: Fredlyfish4, License, Wikimedia commons

29. New England Ski Museum

4.6 ★★★★★ (23 reviews)

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Credit: Ken Gallager, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: 135 Tramway Dr Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 7177

Web Address:   http://skimuseum.org/

28. South Twin Mountain

4.8 ★★★★★ (27 reviews)

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Credit: John Hayes, License, Flickr

27. Mount Kinsman Trail

4.5 ★★★★★ (30 reviews)

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Credit: Ken Lund, License, Flickr

Location: 1671 Easton Road Franconia NH

26. Mount Lincoln

4.8 ★★★★★ (31 reviews)

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Credit: Bob Linsdell, License, Wikimedia commons

25. Mount Garfield

4.9 ★★★★★ (36 reviews)

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Credit: John Hayes, License, Flickr

24. Cloudland Falls

4.9 ★★★★★ (46 reviews)

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Credit: Sean Munson, License, Flickr

Location: Lincoln NH

23. Franconia Falls

4.8 ★★★★★ (47 reviews)

22. Mount Liberty

4.9 ★★★★★ (52 reviews)

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Credit: Bob Linsdell, License, Wikimedia commons

21. Echo Lake

4.8 ★★★★★ (55 reviews)

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Credit: Tichnor Brothers, Publisher, License, Wikimedia commons

20. Skookumchuck Trailhead

4.7 ★★★★★ (56 reviews)

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Credit: Daniel McComb, Google Maps

Location: Hwy 3 Franconia NH

Tel:  603 536 6100

Web Address:   http://fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recarea/

19. Old Man of the Mountain

4.8 ★★★★★ (62 reviews)

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Credit: License, Wikimedia commons

Web Address:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain

18. The Frost Place

4.4 ★★★★☆ (63 reviews)

Location: 158 Ridge Road Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 5510

17. Little Haystack Mountain

4.9 ★★★★★ (68 reviews)

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Credit: Paulbalegend, License, Wikimedia commons

16. Boise Rock

4.7 ★★★★★ (82 reviews)

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Credit: DiscourseMarker, License, Flickr

Location: Unnamed Rd. Lincoln NH

Web Address:   https://blog.nhstateparks.org/a-hidden-gem-in-the-notch/

15. Artists Bluff

4.9 ★★★★★ (93 reviews)

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Credit: Fredlyfish4, License, Wikimedia commons

14. Echo Lake Beach

4.8 ★★★★★ (101 reviews)

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Credit: Jaine, License, Flickr

13. Artist’s Bluff Loop

4.7 ★★★★★ (120 reviews)

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Credit: Joseph Lou, Google Maps

Location: 2750 Profile Road Franconia NH

12. Franconia Iron Furnace

4.6 ★★★★★ (135 reviews)

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Credit: AlexiusHoratius, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: Franconia NH

11. Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza

4.7 ★★★★★ (196 reviews)

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Credit: Dmoore5556, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 8800

Web Address:   https://cannonmt.com/things-to-do/activities/old-man-of-the-mountain

10. Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site

4.6 ★★★★★ (281 reviews)

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Credit: alex rawley, Google Maps

Location: Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 8800

Web Address:   http://oldmanofthemountainlegacyfund.org/

Our Top picks

9. Lonesome Lake

4.9 ★★★★★ (39 reviews)

800px-evening at lonesome lake

Credit: Christian Collins, License, Wikimedia commons

8. Franconia Notch

4.8 ★★★★★ (62 reviews)

7. Cannon Mountain

4.7 ★★★★★ (214 reviews)

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Credit: Dennis Jarvis, License, Wikimedia commons

6. Mount Lafayette

4.9 ★★★★★ (230 reviews)

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Credit: License, Wikimedia commons

5. Cannon Mountain Ski Resort

4.7 ★★★★★ (415 reviews)

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Credit: ihamr, License, Flickr

Location: 2650 Profile Road Franconia NH

Web Address:   http://cannonmt.com/

4. Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

4.7 ★★★★★ (758 reviews)

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Credit: Tichnor Brothers, Publisher, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: 260 Tramway Dr Franconia NH

Tel:  603 823 8800

Web Address:   https://cannonmt.com/things-to-do/attractions/tram

3. Loon Mountain Resort

4.6 ★★★★★ (3,683 reviews)

Location: 60 Loon Mountain Road Lincoln NH

Tel:  800 229 5666

Web Address:   http://loonmtn.com/

2. Franconia Notch State Park

4.8 ★★★★★ (6,277 reviews)

800px-franconia notch state park sign

Credit: Kestreltail, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: Flume Gorge Daniel Webster Hwy Lincoln NH

Tel:  603 823 8800

Web Address:   https://nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/franconia-notch-state-park.aspx

1. White Mountain National Forest

4.9 ★★★★★ (7,859 reviews)

800px-white mountains panorama

Credit: Yourcelf, License, Wikimedia commons

Location: 71 White Mountain Dr Campton NH

Tel:  603 536 6100

Web Address:   http://fs.usda.gov/whitemountain/

Final Words:

Thank you for reading our list of the best things to do in Franconia, New Hampshire! We hope it helped you plan the perfect itinerary for your next trip to this fantastic destination. Happy travels!

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