North Conway: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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The Kancamagus runs about 55 km west from Conway to Lincoln over a 870-metre pass, with no houses, shops or petrol on the way. It is named after Kancamagus, a 17th-century sachem of the Pennacook people, and was only completed across the mountains in 1959. In foliage season, from late September to mid October, it is one of the most driven roads in New England. Go early, picnic at the falls, and come back the same way or loop home through Franconia and Crawford Notches.

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A short history of North Conway

North Conway lies in the Saco River valley, at the foot of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In the 1850s landscape painters such as Benjamin Champney came here, and their paintings drew tourists from the big cities. The Victorian railway station in the centre of the town was built in 1874 and is still used by a tourist railway. In 1934 a wind of 372 km/h was measured on the summit of nearby Mount Washington, a record that stood for many years. In 1939 the Austrian ski instructor Hannes Schneider came here, after being arrested following the Nazi annexation and released under American pressure, and set up the ski school at Cranmore Mountain.

The ten best sights in North Conway

1
Albany Covered Bridge
Just off the Kancamagus near Conway; you can walk through it and picnic by the river
2
Russell-Colbath House
The only old farmhouse left on the Kancamagus, staffed in summer and fall
3
Omni Mount Washington Hotel
You don't have to stay here: walk in for a drink on the long veranda facing the mountain
4
Kancamagus Highway
No petrol, food or phone signal for about 55 km; fill up in Conway before you start
5
Mount Washington Auto Road
Steep, narrow and unfenced at the top; use low gear coming down, and check the summit weather first
6
Cathedral Ledge
A road climbs to the top, so you get the cliff view over the valley without hiking
7
Echo Lake State Park
Small lake under the cliffs with a beach; calm water for children
8
Diana's Baths
Flat 1 km walk to cascades on smooth granite; the rocks are slippery when wet
9
Glen Ellis Falls
A short walk down stone steps from Route 16; easy to combine with the Auto Road
10
Arethusa Falls
About 2 km each way uphill through the forest; worth it after rain

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Tours in North Conway →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in North Conway:

Free walking tours in North Conway

The Kancamagus Highway

Albany Covered Bridge · Built in 1858 over the Swift River, it was rebuilt after a storm blew the first version down. The wooden trusses are a Paddleford design, a type invented in New Hampshire.
Lower Falls · The Swift River here pours over wide granite ledges into pools, and in summer this is the most popular swimming spot on the highway. In fall the same rocks are where the foliage photos with water are taken.
Rocky Gorge · The river squeezes through a cleft in the granite only a few metres wide, worn down by the river over thousands of years. A footbridge crosses it to a short trail round Falls Pond.
Russell-Colbath House · In 1891 Thomas Colbath left the house saying he would be back shortly. His wife Ruth kept a lamp in the window every night for 39 years; he came back, the story goes, only after her death.
Sabbaday Falls · Local tradition says the falls were named because early settlers found them on a Sunday, the Sabbath day. The water drops through a narrow flume in the rock, with a wooden walkway above it.
Kancamagus Pass · At about 870 metres this is the highest point of the road. The overlooks on either side face the Pemigewasset Wilderness, the largest roadless area in the White Mountains, logged bare a century ago and now forest again.

Mount Washington

At 1,917 metres Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern United States, and it has some of the worst weather on earth: storms from three directions meet over it. You can reach the summit by car on the Auto Road, by the cog railway on the other side, or on foot. This day goes up one way and comes round the mountain to see the other, with waterfalls and a grand hotel on the way. Check the summit forecast in the morning; on a cloudy day the view is a wall of white.

Glen Ellis Falls · The Ellis River drops about 20 metres in a single chute here. From the car park the path passes through a tunnel under Route 16, so you never cross the road.
Pinkham Notch Visitor Center · The Tuckerman Ravine Trail starts here. Every spring, long after the ski resorts close, skiers carry their skis up it to ski the steep snowfield of the ravine's headwall.
Mount Washington Auto Road · Opened in 1861, the 12-km road is often called the oldest man-made tourist attraction in the United States. Drivers who make it get the famous 'This car climbed Mt. Washington' bumper sticker.
Mount Washington summit · On 12 April 1934 the weather observatory on the summit measured a gust of 372 km/h, for decades the highest wind ever recorded on the earth's surface. The record is still the highest measured by a person on site.
Mount Washington Cog Railway · Sylvester Marsh opened it in 1869, the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. On the steepest trestle, Jacob's Ladder, the grade reaches about 37 percent.
Omni Mount Washington Hotel · In July 1944 delegates from 44 Allied nations met in this hotel for the Bretton Woods conference, which created the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The hotel itself opened in 1902.

Through Crawford Notch

Crawford Notch is a deep pass cut by glaciers through the mountains north-west of town, and the railway through it was one of the great engineering feats of 19th-century New England. You can ride it on the scenic train from North Conway or drive Route 302 beside it. This route mixes both ideas: the cascades near town, the trestle and the cliffs, a high waterfall, and the story of a family lost in a landslide. Half a day by car; a full day if you take the train.

Conway Scenic Railroad · The yellow station with its two onion-like towers was built in 1874 and is still the railway's ticket office. The longest trip climbs through Crawford Notch on the old Maine Central line.
Diana's Baths · Lucy Brook runs over a series of smooth granite basins here. In the 1800s a sawmill stood beside them, and its stone foundations are still in the brook.
Frankenstein Cliff · The cliff is named not after the monster but after Godfrey Frankenstein, a German-born painter of the White Mountains. The iron trestle at its foot carries the railway about 25 metres above the ravine.
Arethusa Falls · At about 43 metres it is one of the tallest waterfalls in New Hampshire. It is named after a nymph in Greek myth who was turned into a spring.
Willey House site · In August 1826 a storm set off a landslide above the Willey family's house. The family ran out to escape and all of them were killed, while the house itself was left standing: a boulder behind it split the slide.
Crawford Depot · The small yellow station of 1891 stands at the top of the notch beside Saco Lake, the source of the Saco River that flows through North Conway. Today it is an information centre for hikers.

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Getting to North Conway and getting around

Conway Scenic Railroad · Excursion trains, not transport; for the Crawford Notch run, book the dome car early in foliage season
Mount Washington Cog Railway · The steam and biodiesel trains sell out on clear foliage days; book a timed seat online

Cheap eats in North Conway

North Conway feeds skiers in winter and leaf-peepers in fall, so the food is hearty: big breakfasts, chowder, burgers and pizza. Maple syrup goes on everything from pancakes to bacon, and apple cider doughnuts appear in every shop in the fall. Out on the Kancamagus there is nothing to buy, so pick up lunch in town.

Peach's · Breakfast in a small house on the main road, about $12-18
Frontside Coffee Roasters · Coffee roasted in town and pastries, about $4-10
Flatbread Company · Wood-fired organic pizza, about $16-25
Zeb's General Store · Fudge, maple candy and tastings, about $5-15
Elvio's Pizzeria · Pizza by the slice, about $4-8
Muddy Moose · Chowder and burgers, about $15-25

Museums in North Conway

Willey House site · Site of the 1826 landslide in Crawford Notch
Russell-Colbath House · 19th-century farmhouse on the Kancamagus
Conway Scenic Railroad · The 1874 station and old engines in the yard
Omni Mount Washington Hotel · Grand hotel with a room on the 1944 conference

Nature and day trips near North Conway

Cathedral Ledge · Drive to the top for the valley view; climbers below
Echo Lake State Park · Flat walk round a lake under the cliffs
Diana's Baths · Easy walk to granite cascades
Glen Ellis Falls · Short walk to a single big drop
Arethusa Falls · Forest walk to a high waterfall

Things to do in North Conway with kids

Story Land · Fairy-tale theme park for under-tens
Cranmore Mountain · Summer adventure park and winter skiing in town
Echo Lake State Park · Sandy beach and shallow water
Conway Scenic Railroad · Short train rides along the valley
Mount Washington Cog Railway · Ride a steep train to the top

Where to eat in North Conway

Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing · Smoked meats and its own beer
Horsefeathers · Busy pub-restaurant in the village centre
Delaney's Hole in the Wall · Pub food and sushi, an odd but popular pair
Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub · Steaks and a ski-bum bar in Glen
Black Cap Grille · Comfort food and local beer

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Frequently asked questions about North Conway

What is there to see in North Conway?

The top sights in North Conway are Albany Covered Bridge, Russell-Colbath House and Omni Mount Washington Hotel. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in North Conway?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of North Conway without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in North Conway?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in North Conway, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Kancamagus Highway.

How do you get to North Conway and get around?

The main ways are Conway Scenic Railroad and Mount Washington Cog Railway. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in North Conway, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in North Conway that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in North Conway for your dates?

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