Fifty years ago, no one had heard of "the Mt. Washington Valley." Then this area of the White Mountains was known as the "Eastern Slope region." It wasn't until the 1970s that through the efforts of local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce that the name, Mt. Washington Valley, was born. Townspeople and visitors were quick to embrace the new identity, for in many ways, it is Mt. Washington that has defined us in the world's eyes. Mt. Washington, known for its weather and observatory, its unique vantage point as the "top of New England," and its unique history. The name had another effect, too: it united the communities in a new way with a consciousness of shared goals, values, problems and opportunities, and, most of all, a shared future.

Chocorua Eaton Effingham Freedom Madison Snowville Tamworth

These are the towns of the Mt. Washington Valley …off the beaten path. There's Snowville where sleighs were once built; and Eaton, where locals gather for each wedding in a church at the edge of Crystal Lake. In summer, sailboats skim across Chocorua Lake in Chocorua and Silver Lake in Madison, while, in winter, bobhouses dot the ice and snowmobiles and cross-country skiers leave tracks in the snow. There's so much history here and in nearby Tamworth, a town where President Grover Cleveland once summered in style. Further south are Freedom and Effingham. The former is a charming enclave of white clapboard houses and rolling farmland. In sleepy Effingham, country roads lead past summer homes and classic farms.

Albany Chatham Conway Fryeburg, ME North Conway

Conway and North Conway are today the best known towns of the Mt. Washington Valley, with good reason. Name brand outlet shops, lodgings, restaurants, and attractions line Main Street. While many visitors find so much to see and do right here that they rarely venture further, those that do discover scenic drives, routes to bike and hike, swimming spots, streams to fish, covered bridges, farmer's markets, Echo Lake State Park, and the White Mountain National Forest. All are worth the few minutes' trip from the towns’ centers. Two other towns well worth exploring: Albany, just south of Conway, is primarily a residential area; while Fryeburg, Maine, just across the border, is the home to a variety of inns and restaurants, and Maine’s largest agricultural fair.

Bartlett Glen Intervale Jackson Pinkham Notch

Of all the towns in Mt. Washington Valley, it is in Bartlett, Glen, Intervale, and Jackson, and along Pinkham Notch that the presence of the 780,000 acre White Mountain National Forest is most felt.. Here you are as likely to explore the area on foot, skis, or by horse-drawn wagon as you are in the family car. There's so much to explore, too: popular family attractions, golf courses, sports and recreation facilities, village shops, charming lodgings and some of the area's best restaurants. As popular as these towns are in spring, summer and fall, they seem made for winter. There are extensive cross country trail networks in Intervale, Bartlett and Jackson, back country trails throughout the towns and Pinkham Notch, plus three major alpine areas.

Bretton Woods Crawford Notch Hart's Location

Look in any direction along Route 302 as you travel west from Bartlett to Bretton Woods, and you'll see forest and mountains, dwarfing Hart's Location, which is so small in population that all its town meetings are held in a private home. Crawford Notch, a State Park with six miles of rugged natural beauty, sparkling waterfalls, scenic outlooks and hiking trails, is the gateway to Bretton Woods. Once a 3400 acre private preserve, today Bretton Woods contains one of the last of the state's legendary grand hotels, and a full complement of recreational offerings including golf courses, a ski area, and the world's first mountain climbing railway… plus mountains and forest as far as the eye can see.

Excitement and Relaxation Meet in the Lakes Region
View the continuously updated web cam (a view north to the Whites from Moultonborough)

The Lakes Region: the name alone evokes images of the blissful and lazy days of summer…the joyous exuberance of a child, knees to chest, cannonballing off a dock into crystal clear waters…and of camps, cottages and whole communities hugging the water’s edge. There are 273 lakes and ponds in the Lakes Region-Winnesquam, Newfound and Squam are quite popular-but one lake dominates it: 72-square mile Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in the state.

Lake Winnipesaukee is the sixth largest natural lake completely inside U.S. borders. Eight towns border the lake: Alton, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro. It covers 72 square miles, is 28 miles long and 13 miles wide, and has numerous islands; the number is said to be anywhere from 230 to 274. The largest of these islands are Long Island (1,186 acres), Bear Island (780 acres), Cow Island (522 acres) and Governor’s Island (504 acres).

Here the nation’s first summer resort was created, and today Wolfeboro remains a popular vacation area; other communities-Meredith, Laconia and Weirs Beach, and Gilford-are every bit as popular.

Water, as you might expect, is a big part of the fun here, from swimming and fishing, to waterparks, cruise ships, boat tours and nature centers. In winter there’s ice fishing, ice sailing, cross country and downhill skiing and snowmobiling, too.

To really get to know the Lakes Region, you also should explore communities like Sandwich, where the state’s crafts organization was born; Wakefield, with an impressive historic district; Melvin Village, a favorite stop for antique lovers; and Plymouth, home of Plymouth State College and the Silver Cultural Arts Center. Venture south to Rochester, “the Lilac City” at the gateway to the Lakes Region, or north to Madison and Snowville, a sleepy hamlet where sleighs were once made.