The commercial center of New Hampshire’s White Mountains is the small but very well-equipped town of North Conway. Nestled along the banks of the Saco River in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, this consumer fantasy is one long swath of outlet shops and motels with a trim little village core at its heart. North Conway makes a great base for exploring the luscious White Mountains, but the town itself may quickly bore you.
North Conway is one of New Hampshire’s main hubs of activity. Two essential state highways intersect each other on the edge of town, and the outlet shopping along Routes 302 and 16 draws consumers from far and wide. The historic core of the city boasts a typical New England village green flanked by Victorian buildings.
The town’s charismatic 1874 train station also lies downtown, making the few blocks of this historic district into a pleasant place to stroll and grab a bite. However, if you head south of the old village, you will find that the scene quickly mutates into an endless strip of shopping malls, chain restaurants and motels. North Conway certainly serves a purpose in this region of New Hampshire, but it’s not necessarily to attract tourists.
Highlights
Conway Scenic Railroad: from April to December, visitors can embark on a wonderful one hour scenic train journey in the comfortable cars of this historic steam train as they ramble south of town through the valley.
Shopping outlets: people travel from all over New England to spend at this massive shopping hub south of town where more than 200 name brand stores are clustered into malls such as the popular Settlers’ Green Outlet Village Plus.
Cranmore Mountain Resort: this pleasant little ski resort is the oldest in New England and its gentle slopes make the ideal place to learn how to ski or snowboard.
Echo Lake State Park: just outside of North Conway is this picturesque lake surrounded by towering cliffs and forests. Visitors can take a swim in summer and use the trails for recreation.
Rock climbing: some of the East Coast’s finest rock climbing is found on the western side of the valley, where massive granite faces lure climbers from all around to routes like Cathedral Ledge and Whitehorse Ledge.