Why spring is the best time to visit New Hampshire’s White Mountains

From above, the White Mountains in New Hampshire look like the jagged spine of an ancient reptile. When the last Ice Age had the area in its grip 12,000 years ago, massive glaciers buffed the mountains’ peaks into the rugged, rounded summits we know today. They carved out deep U-shaped valleys, ravines, and chasms, creating today’s famed Tuckerman Ravine, Franconia Notch, and the Flume Gorge. Relics of this icy age persist: The 6,288-foot Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the Northeast, is home to the so-called “world’s worst weather.” In 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded wind speeds of 231 miles per hour, which held the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth for over 60 years. 

Today, the area hosts the White Mountain National Forest, a more than 800,000-acre national park that draws over four million hikers, adventurers, and outdoor lovers every year. People flock to the area for major attractions, including the Appalachian Trail and the Crawford Path, the oldest continuously maintained hiking trail in the United States, which has allowed hikers to summit Mount Washington since its inception in 1819. The Mount Washington Cog Railway, the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway dating to 1869, also summits the peak in historic steam and biodiesel-powered locomotives.

There are also dozens of small historic towns and villages packed with inns, breweries, and maple syrup houses connected by scenic roads.

While the summer and fall months are the area’s busiest thanks to its favorable temperatures for outdoor activities and some of the most beautiful fall foliage in the northeast, spring is usually overlooked. The weather may be unpredictable, at least earlier in the season, but spring is “a great time for folks who are looking for a quieter time, a time to actually have the leisure to explore, to be the only car in the parking lot at the overlook,” explains Colleen Eliason, the communications and sales coordinator of the White Mountains Attractions Association. She adds that accommodation tends to be more affordable, too. “While not everything is open this time of year, it's certainly a great time to get outside and see what we have to offer for scenic beauty.”

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Where to find waterfalls

A drive along the 34.5-mile-long Kancamagus Highway, a National Scenic Byway, provides access to a number of waterfalls that are available via a short walk. While the waterfalls in the area are scenic year-round, they’re truly something to behold in the spring as melting snow creates great gushing cascades. 

“You’re definitely going to get some muddy boots, but that’s all part of the adventure,” says Rudy Glocker, the founder of local apparel brand Burgeon Outdoor. Sabbaday Falls, Diana’s Baths, Glen Ellis Falls, and Jackson Falls are among the most scenic, family-friendly, and accessible falls in the region. 

Where to go hiking

The White Mountains are home to more than 650 trails that snake out over 1,200 miles, and spring is a great time to take in their beauty without the crowds. “While the trees don't have leaves on them, you can actually see so much more. The area changes so much with each season, and that’s part of the beauty of the place,” explains Glocker. “ It’s not the same landscape 365 days a year.”

Popular trails like Artist Bluff, which in the fall is so packed that lines form up the mountain, are virtually empty, providing unfettered views over Echo Lake. There’s also the glacier-cut Tuckerman Ravine, which is “unlike anything else in the Northeast,” says Dan Houde, founder of Mt. Washington Valley Vibe Magazine. 

The amphitheater-like valley is popular with backcountry skiers, which earned it the nickname of the “birthplace of extreme skiing in the US.” Hikers can hike up to a certain point and watch the skiers take on the glacial cirque, but the trail requires advance preparation. The hike, which evolves through different Alpine zones, is often marked by dramatic weather changes. “It’s quite the experience to be part of. You won’t ever forget it because of the natural beauty of the ravine,” explains Houde.

Spring foliage

Second foliage is the term that locals use for when mid-to-late spring rolls around and the trees don a coat of lush leaves and wildflowers bloom across the valleys.

In June, the fields in Franconia, Sugar Hill, Easton, and Bethlehem are painted with swaths of purple, pink, and white blossoming lupine flowers. Around the same time, another blooming event takes place—at roughly 5,000 feet of elevation. In the Presidential Range of the White Mountains are the Alpine Gardens, where various species of Arctic-like shrubbery and plants—particularly Diapensia lapponica, Lapland rosebay, and Alpine azalea—bloom annually in brilliant hues of purple, pink, and yellow around mid-May to mid-June. 

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“These three species are commonly found on the [Presidential Range], but are exclusively alpine bloomers, all being arctic in origin. They are rare or non-existent on other alpine peaks of the northeast and otherwise cannot be found outside of the arctic regions,” says Houde.  

These annual blooms, which release a delicately sweet smell and carpet the rocky terrain for as far as the eye can see, can be reached by hiking along the rocky Alpine Garden Trail or by driving up the Mount Washington Auto Road, a winding road open since 1861 that summits Mount Washington and is largely considered to be America’s oldest human-made attraction. It tends to open to vehicles around late April or early May. The blooms are easily accessible from the road via well-marked trails. “It’s a special opportunity to be able to see these arctic bloomers holding on here as relics from the Ice Age climate,” says Houde. 

Where to eat

Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill is beloved among locals and tourists alike, and it often has lines out the door. It’s been serving up pancakes and waffles, slathered in New Hampshire maple syrup, for over 75 years.

Over in Lincoln, Rhythm Tap & Grille offers wine and local cider tastings, while Alpine Pizza, part of the Alpine Adventures conglomerate that also offers zip-lining and off-road adventures, specializes in wood-fired pizza. The famous Woodstock Inn Brewery in North Woodstock is a brewery (with tours), restaurant with a ridiculously large menu, and quaint inn all rolled into one. In Waterville Valley, newcomer Kalki Indian Cuisine is worth the visit.

Where to stay

The White Mountains weren’t settled until the late 18th century, but just a few decades later the region was welcoming tourists, first at small taverns that later transitioned into grand hotels. Only three of these originally hotels remain standing, including the Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa, located right at the base of Mount Washington. Built in 1902, it features two golf courses, a 25,000-square-foot-spa, four restaurants (and a cocktail bar) as well as seasonal activities like zip-lining, skiing, and fishing.

The boutique hotel The Glen House in Gorham sports panoramic views of Mount Washington and is almost fully sustainable thanks to electric vehicle charging stations, geothermal heating, and extensive solar panels. If you’re looking for something quaint that’s still elevated, the Christmas Inn Farm and Spa in Jackson has roots as far back as 1778. The property’s rooms are spread out across cozy carriage houses, barns, and cottages, and there’s also an on-site restaurant and spa. 

While many of the area’s more than 20 campgrounds open later in the year, glampers can choose from stays such as Lumen Retreat, a series of mini Nordic-inspired cabins and safari tents overlooking a babbling brook, and the lakeside wooden chalets and ready-to-camp tents of Huttopia.

What to know before visiting 

Preparation is key when visiting the White Mountains, which is infamous for its extreme weather changes. Houde recommends hikers always pack items like a headlamp, good shoes, compass, an extra jacket, and water. He also suggests not relying on cell service as certain areas, like the Kancamagus Highway, are dead zones. 

Websites like HikeSafe, which features various articles covering everything you need to know before going on a hike, and the Mount Washington Observatory has a Higher Summits Forecast that provides weather conditions for if you’re planning to go above 2,000 feet.

There’s also Wildly Responsible, a relatively new program launched by the state that includes weather conditions, packing tips, and other ways to stay safe when outdoors while also being mindful of the environment. “These three platforms will give you a great way to get the most out of your day and to do it safely,” explains Houde.

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