Lake Winnipesaukee Day Trips
Fun filled Lake Winnipesaukee day trips for the whole family to enjoy while vacationing in New Hampshire....
This page is filled with wonderful things to do outside of the Lake Winnipesaukee area of New Hampshire. We'll keep adding fun things to travel to, so check back often.
There are many places to visit that aren't right on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Some can be done in a few hours and some take a whole day. Some of these attractions are worth the visit. Relax and enjoy our Lake Winnipesaukee day trips throughout New Hampshire.
We'll take you to northern New Hampshire, west central New Hampshire all the way out to the seacoast. We hope you'll enjoy our Lake Winnipesaukee day trips page and check back often.
Lake Winnipesaukee area day trips:
Canterbury Shaker Village
288 Shaker Road
Canterbury, NH
(603)783-9511
Canterbury
Shaker Village portrays what life was like for the Shakers. You will
learn about the shaker ideals, values and their history. Check out the
different programs and workshops held throughout the season.
Castle in the Clouds
Route 171
Moultonboro, NH
(603)476-5900
Castle in the Clouds
is a great place to visit and get a little history lesson about the
eccentric millionaire Thomas Plant. As you drive up, there's a great
place to stop and take pictures by the waterfall. Stop then because you
don't go by it on the way down. There are some great scenic views of
the Ossipee Mountain range in New Hampshire. This is one of the enjoyable Lake Winnipesaukee day trips.
Once you're at the castle, you'll get a semi-guided tour. The guide explains about the rooms and gardens and then your walk through on your own. It's a very interesting place to learn about the amenities used in the past.
After you finish the tour there's a gift shop you can purchase New Hampshire
made souvenirs. There's a cafe located in a refurbished horse barn.
You can enjoy lunch or have a late snack and watch the spectacular
sunsets. On your way out, there's a fish pond with huge fish. Kids
really like this part.
Northern New Hampshire day trips:
Clark's Trading Post
Route 3
Lincoln, NH
(603)745-8913
Clark's Trading Post
offers good family entertainment. This is where you get to enjoy the
famous bear show where they perform antics and tricks. Take a ride on
the railroad where you learn some history and you might get to see the
"Wolfman" lurking in the woods. You can also enjoy a family circus show
with extraordinary performances. In between it all check out the
museums, gift shops and other things along the way.
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Route 302
Bretton Woods, NH
1-800-922-8825
Taking
a trip up the Cog Railway in the summertime is fantastic. In the
winter its totally awesome. The Cog Railway brings you up to the top of
Mount Washington in New Hampshire, over 300 feet high.
You'll
enjoy some spectacular views and feel how a real steam locomotive
operates. In the winter, there are groomed trails to ski down.
When I was young, my family went on the Cog Railway as one of the Lake Winnipesaukee
day trips. We really enjoyed it. Be sure to bring something warm to
wear when you're at the top. Waumbeck Platform is a nice place to warm
up before you head back down the mountain.
Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves
1712 Lost River Road, Route 112W
North Woodstock, NH
(603)745-8031
This is the place for a wonderful time where everyone can enjoy the adventures of the river winding through the caves in this gorge. You'll find steep gorges and boulder caves. Listen to the sounds of the river gurgling through the caves. You can explore Lost River by just walking the boardwalk or trying to squeeze through some tight spaces. There's only a couple of tight spaces, the rest are fairly open and easy to get through. Kids absolutely love it. At the end, you can pan for gemstones. You'll alwasy come away with something even if its just wonderful memories.
Read reviews of the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves
Mount Washington Auto Road
Route 16
Pinkham Notch
Gorham, NH
(603)466-3988
Do
you ever feel like just taking a long drive? I know gas prices aren't
the greatest, but sometimes you just need to go and do something
different.
Driving the Mount Washington Auto Road, you'll see some spectacular views of the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
When you get to the summit, there's museum and other buildings to
visit. During the winter, check out the Snow Coach tours as a way to
view the scenery.
Polar Caves
Plymouth, NH
(603)536-1888
The Polar Caves is a fun place to bring the kids and a good choice for one of the Lake Winnipesaukee day trips. You can also cool off on a hot summer day. There are five sections in the park to visit.
- The caves, where granite blocks have formed polar caves
- The Rock Garden where you can walk around the rocks and view them from different angles
- The Sugar Museum where you learn about how maple sugaring began and how they've changed sine the 1800s.
- The Nature Trails - a natural area with walking trails
- The Petting Zoo - an exciting place for the younger children
Ruggles Mine
Grafton, NH
(603)523-4275
Ruggles
Mine was once a working mine but is now open to the public. Explore
the 200 year old mine's tunnels and rooms. Drive to the top of
Isinglass Mountain for excellent views. You can collect minerals while
touring. Beryl, mica, amethyst, quartz, garnet, etc. can be found in
the mine. We chose Ruggles Mine as one of our Lake Winnipesaukee day
trips because kids love to collect rocks and minerals.
Santa's Village
Route 2
Jefferson, NH
(603)586-4445
Santa's
Village is a treat for your children. They get to see Santa, go on
rides, check out the reindeer shoe shop and play games. You can even
visit at Christmastime and go on most of the rides
Six Gun City
1492 Presidential Highway
Jefferson, NH
(603) 586-4592
Enjoy the wild west at Six Gun City. Watch the Deputies' Posse and Frontier Show. Fort Splash Water Park
is a place to cool off while having fun on the waterslide or wading
pool. Don't forget to check out the Go-Karts and other rides too. This
is definitely one of the cool Lake Winnipesaukee day trips.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
Holderness, NH
(603)968-7194
The
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is a place to view animals in a
natural environment. It's a terrific educational experience for people
of all ages. You'll find marshes, open meadows and forests where many
native animals live such as black bears, deer, mountain lions and more.
Plus you can enjoy a Science Center Lake Cruise. This cruise explores
Squam Lake and the nature within. There are many events throughout the
seasons where there's something for everyone. This is one of the Lake Winnipesaukee day trips that you keep going back to.
Storyland
Route 16
Glen, NH
(603)383-4186
This
is a fantasy filled, amusement park geared towards children. Storyland
brings fairy tales to life for the children. After entering, you'll
find Humpty Dumpty, the Old Woman in the Shoe, Cinderella's Castle (a
favorite for the little girls) and many fun rides just for the kids.
It's just the right size theme park for young children. It's among our
favorite New Hampshire Lake Winnipesaukee day trips.
Whales Tale Waterpark
481 Daniel Webster Highway
Lincoln, NH
(603)745-8810
Come and experience some fun in the water without sand and salt. Whales Tale Waterparkhas countless water slides, pools, waterfalls and more. In the evenings the park turns into a night time paradise. It includes live entertainment, food, drink and just plain old fun.
Read reviews of Whales Tale WaterparkSeacoast area of New Hampshire day trips:
Hampton Beach
New Hampshire's seacoast has some great beaches. Hampton Beach is the most popular. There are evening concerts at the Sea Shell Stage and fireworks every Wednesday night. Enjoy the warm sands and walk around to all the shops across the street. There are many local attractions such as the Seacoast Science Center, Strawberry Banke Museum, arcades and tours.
There's
a terrific bike trail that goes along the beach up to Odiorne Park. If
you're in the mood for exercise, this is a great activity that can
include the whole family. For more information about this Lake
Winnipesaukee day trip, you can contact the Hampton Beach New Hampshire
Vacation Guide 1-(800)438-2826 or (603)926-8717.
Isles of Shoals Steamship Company
315 Market Street
Portsmouth, NH
(603)431-5500 or (800)441-4620
If
you're looking for an oceangoing sightseeing cruise, Isles of the
Shoals is the place to go. You'll see light houses, Portsmouth Harbor
and be able to go ashore to historic Isles of Shoals. This is well
worth the trip to experience the Great Bay area.
Strawbery Banke
Portsmouth, NH
(603)433-1100
Strawbery
Banke is a way to experience how people lived in the past. There are
several houses built in different centuries with different
architectures. This museum presents an authentic neighborhood with some
reenactments in the various houses. It's a very enjoyable learning
experience for one of the Lake Winnipesaukee day trips.
Water Country
Portsmouth, NH
(603)427-1111
Come
and cool off on a hot summer day. Water Country has many "water"
rides. River ride, super fast tube rides, slides, wave pool, rapids,
whirlpool and more. Bring the family and enjoy yourselves. Don't
forget the sunscreen.
Southern New Hampshire day trips:
America's Stonehenge
105 Haverhill Road
Salem, NH
(603)893-8300
America's
Stonehenge is probably the oldest manmade construction in the United
States. No one knows who built it. It's similar to England's
Stonehenge, but in a wooded area. There are some structures erected to
help determine the calendar. You'll find a maze of manmade chambers,
inscriptions and more.
Canobie Lake Park
Exit 2
Salem, NH
(603)893-3506
A
fun amusement park in southern New Hampshire that offers over 85 rides,
games and more is at the top of the list of Lake Winnipesaukee day
trips. Canobie Lake Park has been a family entertainment place for over
100 years. You'll find exciting rides in several categories. There
are Black Diamond rides for those who like a thrill. Blue Square rides
are for those who like rides but not the extreme. The Green Circle
rides are rides for those that want to take it easy and slow. Of
course, there are plenty of kiddie rides, fun games to test your skills
and lots of food as well.
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
2 Institute Drive
Concord, NH
(603)271-STAR (7827)
This
is the place to enjoy the night sky inside the planetarium theater.
Learn about astronomy, rockets, space shuttle and more. There are many
different show where you can learn about the solar system, early space
exploration, black holes as well as other awe-inspiring programs.
Western New Hampshire day trips:
The Fort at No. 4
267 Springfield Road
Charlestown, NH
(603)826-5700
The
Fort at No. 4 is a historic site where you can travel back in time to
the 1740s and see how the settlers lived. Learn about churning butter,
trade and barter, 18th century games and crafts. It's a wonderful way
to experience history through reenactment.
Check back for future Lake Winnipesaukee day trips that are added.
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