Free
Cathedral Ledge
A short road climbs to the top of a granite cliff over the valley.
White Mountains, New Hampshire
North Conway
A mountain town in the Mount Washington Valley: granite cliffs above Echo Lake, waterfalls, a scenic railroad and the drive over the Kancamagus Highway.
Photo: Hancock Overlook on the Kancamagus Highway in autumn, King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
North Conway sits in a broad valley below the Presidential Range. Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge rise straight up at the edge of town, with Echo Lake at their feet. It's a mountain playground.
The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) heads west from Conway across the White Mountain National Forest, past waterfalls and overlooks. Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast, has a toll road and a cog railway to the top. Be adventurous and pick your way up.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Kancamagus Highway
About 34 miles across the mountains on Route 112, with overlooks and waterfalls.
Cheap
Diana's Baths
Easy walk to a series of small falls and pools. Forest parking fee.
Paid
Mount Washington Auto Road
A steep toll road to the summit of the Northeast's highest peak.
Season Road season roughly early May–early Nov, weather permitting (check before you go).
Paid
Flume Gorge
Boardwalks through a narrow granite gorge in Franconia Notch. About an hour west.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Cheap
Weather Discovery Center
A small museum about Mount Washington's extreme weather.
Paid
Conway Scenic Railroad
Vintage train trips from the 1874 North Conway station.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Paid
Cranmore Mountain
Skiing in winter and a mountain adventure park in summer.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Mount Washington Cog Railway
A steam and biodiesel cog railway to the summit.
Season Summit trains roughly May–late Oct; trips to a lower station the rest of the year (check before you go).
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Conway Scenic Railroad Tickets
Part of our The White Mountains guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The Auto Road or the Cog Railway takes half a day.
- The Kancamagus and its waterfalls fill another.
- Fall foliage weekends book up early.
Nearby and worth the drive
Jacksonabout 15 min · Guide ↗
A covered-bridge village of falls and a historic ski mountain, about 15 minutes north.
Portland, MEabout 1 h 30 · Guide ↗The Maine coast.
Kennebunkportabout 1 h 30 · Guide ↗Beaches and Dock Square.
Ready-made trips with North Conway
3 days · Kennebunkport → North Conway
Southern Maine coast to the White Mountains
Lighthouses and lobster rolls, then granite ledges and the road up Mount Washington.
2 days · North Conway → Jackson
North Conway and Jackson
Granite ledges and the Kancamagus in North Conway, and, 15 minutes north, a covered-bridge village of falls and a historic ski mountain.
Good to know
- Tourism: visitnh.gov.
- Forest parking: Many trailheads in the White Mountain National Forest need a recreation pass.
- Mount Washington: Weather at the summit can be severe, even in summer. The Auto Road closes in bad weather.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Hancock Overlook on the Kancamagus Highway in autumn, King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Cathedral Ledge, North Conway, Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Echo Lake seen from Cathedral Ledge, Jllm06, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), Theletterm1973 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Photo: The Mount Washington Auto Road, EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: North Conway village and the mountains, Jay Burnham, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: A Conway Scenic Railroad locomotive, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0