Today is one of the few days during the year that U.S. National Parks are free. For a complete list of no-fee entry days, click here. In the spirit of exploring parks, I thought it appropriate to review my recent hiking trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
Overview
Location: Woodstock, Lincoln, and Sanbornton, New Hampshire
What: Hiking
Accommodations: Grandma’s House (a.k.a Airbnb) or, if you’re in the mood for luxury, Omni Mount Washington Resort
Season: Fall
Transportation: Car
Lesson Learned: It is possible to make pancakes without oil and not burn them. This makes them a little healthier, yet still delicious. We stumbled upon this cooking method out of necessity when we realized we did not buy cooking oil. We went with it, and hoped for the best.
I was traveling with an international group of friends. It was a girls’ weekend made up of two friends from the Netherlands, one from Norway, and another from the U.S.
We piled bags full of hiking gear into my car on a Friday evening in late October and headed toward our Airbnb house in Woodstock, NH.
The town of Woodstock is filled with forests with great hiking trails. Hiking areas include a section of The Appalachian Trail, a portion of the White Mountains, Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, and Lost River Reservation.
The fact that Hubbard Brook is an “experimental forest” caught my interest. What exactly makes a forest “experimental”? It turns out this forest is an outdoor laboratory for ecological studies. Some areas of research at the experimental forest are hydrology, tree growth, acid rain, the effects of pollution on minerals, deforestation, and reproductive health in birds in relation to environmental changes.
Prior to arriving, we made a pit stop at the famous NH State Liquor Store (tax free, people!). We purchased red wine. My favorite was Casillero del Diablo, a cabernet sauvignon from Chile. Read a 2014 review of this wine in the Telegraph here.
Upon seeing our Airbnb, we dubbed it “Grandma’s House” because it was like stepping into the 1950’s. Flowered curtains hung from every window, light wood-paneled cabinets made up the kitchen, and the TV and radio were extremely large. The TV would have required an army of people to help move it to a different location.
The house was laid out in an open air format, yet it felt cozy at the same time. It also had a ski lodge theme to it with paintings of snow-covered mountains dotted with skiers. While the décor needed updating, it was a perfect fit for the five of us.
We opted for a day exploring two trails: Mt. Pemigewasset Trail and Artist’s Bluff. For my review on hiking the nearby Falling Waters Trail, read “When in New Hampshire…”.
Mt. Pemigewasset Trail was the longer of the two trails, which took about 2 hours to complete. The hike had little foot traffic, giving us free reign over the trail. In preparation for winter, the leaves were in colorful transition due to their chlorophyll breaking down. The hike was moderately difficult. We had to navigate our footing around large roots.
The pinnacle of this hike is reaching a granite cliff overlook. If you walk to the edge, do not lose your balance because you will fall to your death. We watched as two people posed for photos with scary proximity to the edge.
The second hike at Artist’s Bluff was a short drive from the first trail. It was a tiny distance in comparison to our first hike, however it provided beautiful views of Lake Echo and the surrounding mountains.
A day of two hikes did not tire us out, so we continued to Mt. Washington. The top was closed due to inclement weather. Instead, we enjoyed hot chocolate and view from the Omni Mount Washington Resort. The Omni is quite a luxurious hotel in comparison to “Grandma’s House”. Then again, Grandma has more character and is arguable more interesting.
We topped off our leaf peeping trip with a stop in Sanbornton at Surowiec Farm to purchase in-season produce. We enjoyed hot apple cider donuts, a view behind a horse stall, and admired the interesting shapes of gourds and pumpkins.
Overall, I recommend Woodstock as a basecamp for hiking the White Mountains. Falling Waters trail is a must if you are in good health and love waterfalls. Mt. Pemigewasset trail is a good half-day hike with an excellent view. Artist’s Bluff is an easy add-on to any trip as you can quickly reach a pleasing view of Lake Echo. Surowiec Farm is a great pit stop to grab healthy ingredients and is very picturesque. We had a wonderful weekend in the White Mountains full of friendship and nature.
Now, get out there and create your own adventure! Save money by planning your next trip in coordination with free entry to U.S. National Parks.
Travels With Alison 