The Best Winter Hikes in NH

New Hampshire has some of the best hikes in New England any time of year, but winter hiking in New Hampshire is special. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some of the best winter hikes in the Granite State (in no particular order).

1. Arethusa Falls

Distance: 3 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Easy

This is a fairly easy hike with an incredible reward at the end. Arethusa Falls, New Hampshire’s tallest waterfall, is a sight to behold when frozen. The trailhead is located in Crawford Notch about a 15 minute drive south of the Mt. Washington Hotel.

Distance: 5.8 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Moderate

This is one of New Hampshire’s easier winter 4,000 footers and provides the best chance to encounter the always-audacious gray jays of the White Mountains. People often combine Mt. Tom into a three-summit day hike with Mt. Willey and Mt. Field, but if you’re not feeling that ambitious (particularly in the winter), then doing Mt. Tom alone is a much more manageable option.

Read More: Best Hikes in New England

3. Falling Waters Trail

Distance: 3 miles (out and back to Little Haystack)

Difficulty: Moderate

The Falling Waters Trail is part of the Franconia Ridge loop that traverses the summits of Lincoln and Lafayette. Weather up on the ridge can get dicey quickly so it is generally wise to stick to the first leg of the trail below the treeline in winter unless you’re a very experienced winter hiker. Even if you only venture a couple miles up the trail, you will quickly understand how the trail got its name.







Distance: 5.2 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Moderate

This is probably an even easier 4,000-footer than Mt. Tom and it also happens to be home to Waterville Valley Ski Resort. There are rewarding views at the summit, but it is much less exposed than many of the taller/more difficult 4,000-footers.

Distance: 4.8 miles (out and back)

Difficulty: Moderate

This is one of our go-to New Hampshire hikes and the view of Lake Solitude in the winter is one of the best views south of the White Mountains. The lake is located on the back side of Mt. Sunapee and is only a short hike from the summit.

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