New Hampshire's Great North Woods (Winter)

Much of New Hampshire’s largest town, Pittsburgh, is covered by the four Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, which become white expanses of solid ice during most of the winter. The lakes and the old logging roads that criss-cross the snow-filled woods make this region a paradise for snowmobilers. Snowshoe and cross-country ski tracks join those of winter animals in the woods and across the frozen lakes. Ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country and downhill skiing all bring winter guests to The Balsams, a historic grand hotel high in Dixville Notch. The Balsams has its own ski mountain and a cross-country trail system through its ...

Much of New Hampshire’s largest town, Pittsburgh, is covered by the four Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, which become white expanses of solid ice during most of the winter. The lakes and the old logging roads that criss-cross the snow-filled woods make this region a paradise for snowmobilers. Snowshoe and cross-country ski tracks join those of winter animals in the woods and across the frozen lakes. Ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country and downhill skiing all bring winter guests to The Balsams, a historic grand hotel high in Dixville Notch. The Balsams has its own ski mountain and a cross-country trail system through its 15,000-acre estate, where locals and visitors take advantage of the abundant snowfall of this far north location. In late February, sap begins to rise in the maple trees and local sugar houses welcome visitors to see how it is boiled into syrup. The covered bridge in the heart of the village of Stark is one of the state’s prettiest, and sits next to a white-spired church that turns the town into a perfect Christmas-card scene when it’s covered in snow. More covered bridges are in Groveton, Columbia and Pittsburg, where there are three. Although many of the natural wonders of this wilderness region are hidden in the winter, one becomes even more dramatic: 35-foot Beaver Brook Falls is a cascade of ice.

About the Expert

Lura Seavey is the author of Fun with the Family in Vermont and New Hampshire and she has contributed to several Thomas Cook guidebooks, including Drive Around Catalonia, Travellers Mallorca, and Travellers Barcelona.