Best Things to Do in North Conway NH in Summer: Your Complete White Mountains Guide

As much as I love flying off to the other side of the world for adventures, there is something to be said for how much New England has to offer, especially in the summer. I’ve spent my whole life taking trips to the White Mountains in New Hampshire, specifically the North Conway area, and I never tire of going back to visit. My family still visits every summer and I love getting to see my niece and nephews experience it now as well!

North Conway has something to offer in every season, but given today is the first day of June and temperatures are starting to creep up, I’ll focus on the best things to do in North Conway NH in the summer!

DisclaIimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Best Summer Things to do in North Conway NH

Swimming & Relaxing:

There are so many great lake & river options if you’re looking for a relaxing day to chill in the water. See options below!

White Lake –

If you’re looking to swim & relax with a stunning view of the mountains White Lake is the perfect spot. Off of Rt 16 in Tamworth, White Lake offers a sandy beach with picnic tables and a bunch of trees if you’re looking for shade. The water is clean and usually really warm for a mountain lake. There’s bathrooms and a little store that sells snacks, drinks, etc.

You can also rent canoes, paddle boats and paddle boards! They also have charcoal grills and plenty of room to set up cornhole and other games. It’s a great spot to spend a day at while up in North Conway. Follow the link for buying parking passes ahead of time.’

Echo Lake –

Echo Lake is another good spot if you’re looking to relax on the sand and swim. Echo Lake is closer to downtown North Conway and has a great view of Cathedral Ledge. It’s a bit smaller with less parking than White Lake, so get your parking passes early, especially during July & August. There’s sandy beach with plenty of shade from the trees. You can also walk the paths around the lake if you want (it takes less than an hour)

Covered Bridge Beach –

If you take the Saco River Covered Bridge leading from Conway into North Conway immediately to the right at the end of the bridge is the Davis Park Recreation area with tennis and basketball courts. There is a also a little sandy beach on the Saco River right there that is a hidden gem. The sand is a great spot to set up and the river tends to be a little deeper and less rocky here so it’s perfect for swimming and watching all the tubers pass by!

Exploring & Adventures

If you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous you’ll also find that in North Conway. Check out the list below!

Tubing the Saco –

If you’ve never done it before, tubing the Saco is a must for any North Conway trip, just make sure the river is high enough or it will be a long day of walking during various stretches where the river is too low! You can rent tubes and create your own river trip, but it requires a lot of planning to have one car where you want to drop in and one where you want to get out.

A great alternative is to use a company like Saco Canoe and Tube Rental Company that will provide drop off and pick up at various access points, as well as tubes and life jackets. They have different access points depending on how long you want your tubing adventure to be! Their site also has river conditions you can check out if you’re planning your own.

This is mostly pretty safe and the rapids don’t get too bad unless there has been a lot of rain, but you should still be careful and make sure everyone is comfortable in the water. Please enjoy these photos of me and my nephew tumbling into the river. Don’t worry no one was hurt except my sunglasses

Lower Falls –

My favorite place in North Conway hands down is the Lower Falls area off the Kancamagus Highway. It’s on the Swift River, although most people (myself included) refer to it as the Kancamagus river. It’s a stretch of the river with deep pools for swimming, big sunny rocks for laying out, and natural rock slides in the rapids, my personal favorite part. It’s an awesome place to spend a day or a few hours!

Cathedral Ledge –

If you’re looking for stunning mountain views of the White Mountain valleys, a trip up to the top of Cathedral Ledge is a must. You can hike the Cathedral Ledge + Echo Lake Loop or you can drive about a mile up to Cathedral Ledge and explore the various views. You can have a great view of the rock climbers who climb the face of the ledge up from the top!

Diana’s Bath –

Diana’s Bath is another great easy trail for exploring. The hike in is about a mile and brings you to a series of cascading waterfalls. There are trails along the side for hiking or you can climb up the falls themselves. There’s also little pools in at the bottom of the falls for swimming! Spots are limited and this area gets super crowded so I recommend heading over there early morning or late afternoon.

Head to the Top of Mt. Washington

Driving to the top of Mt. Washington is not for the faint of heart! The windy roads are narrow and there are cars full of anxious drivers going both ways, but once you’re at the top you’ll be glad you made the trek. The views are incredible on a clear day! If you’re not interested in driving, you could take the Cog Railway to the top. The three hour round trip offers stunning views & saves you from having to drive!

Shopping

• Downtown North Conway – Downtown North Conway has a bunch of little shops if you’ve had enough swimming and hiking and are looking for something a little more low key! Don’t miss the Five & Dime candy store, or Zeb’s, the old timey general store packed with homemade jams, marinades, soaps, candy + all the NH tourist gear you’d ever need.
• Settlers Green Outlets – For clothes & shoe shopping, don’t miss the Settler’s Green Outlets, an open air mall with tons of options for tax free New Hampshire Shopping!

Things for Kids to do in North Conway

Kids will 100% enjoy all the swimming, exploring, rock slides, adventuring & more mentioned above, but if you’re looking for some more kid-geared activities to fill a day there are two great kid themed amusement parks in the North Conway area!

• Story Land – Targeted towards kids of all ages Story Land is the perfect amusement park for kids. There’s a log ride, kids roller coaster, tons of play areas for smaller children and more! It’s only about ten minutes north of North Conway. Definitely buy tickets in advance!
• Santa’s Village – Santa’s Village is a North Pole & Christmas themed amusement park located in Jefferson NH (about an hour from North Conway) This amusement park was one of our favorite spots as kids – Christmas in the summer! Meet Santa, feed reindeer, ride the Christmas themed rides, decorate ginger bread cookies & more!

Where to Eat & Drink in North Conway

I’ve put together a full blog post on all the best restaurants in North Conway that you can check out, because there really are just so many great options, but the highlights are below.

Best Bars & Breweries

• Shannon Door, Jackson – The Shannon Door is my favorite bar up in the North Conway area. It’s a cozy Irish pub built with great live music and delicious single-serving bar pizzas! The vibe is always very lively and friendly
• Moat Brewing – situated right in downtown North Conway Moat Brewery offers a great beer selection and a fun, lively atmosphere. They also offer a large menu of barbeque fare.
• Ledge Brewing – A great spot off of Rt 16 to grab a beer. They have a nice outdoor patio where they have live music and they often bring in food trucks on weekends
• Delaney’s – Delaney’s Hole in the Wall has a large bar that is almost always packed and offers and upbeat and friendly environment if you’re looking to grab a drink. They also offer an extensive food menu!
• Full list of best bars in North Conway

Best Restaurants

• Red Fox – The Red Fox is definitely my top restaurant recommendation for North Conway. We’ve never had a bad meal there and it’s a place my whole family consistently agrees on liking. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
• Tuckerman’s Tavern – This is another one of our favorites, there is a large menu with plenty of options for steaks, pizzas, appetizers, plus, a great beer menu!
• Jalisco – The best Mexican food in the North Conway area hands down. Plus, their menu is huge!
• Boston Brother’s Pizza – if you’re just looking for a quick spot to grab pizza and subs for takeout, Boston Brother’s pizza right in downtown North Conway is a great option. Best pizza around!

Where to Stay in North Conway

Downtown North Conway

If you want to be closest to most things I’d recommend staying in downtown North Conway. There are tons of hotels, motels and VRBO options in this area across a range of budgets. Plus most come with killer mountain views

• Golden Gables Inn – The Golden Gables Inn off Rt 16 is right in downtown North Conway and a great lower-priced option. They have a variety of rooms, including suites for those travelling as a family, an outdoor poll & fire pit, and lovely views of the Mt. Washington Valley. We’ve stayed here many times over the past twenty years and have always enjoyed our stay.
• North Conway Grand – The North Conway Grand is a beautiful hotel right in Settlers Green. It’s a bit more on the pricy side, but they have an awesome outdoor and indoor pool. a restaurant & bar, and are walking distance to all of Settler’s Green. We love staying here!

Jackson

A bit North of the North Conway area you’ll find the quaint town of Jackson. If you’re looking to be somewhere a little less busy and away from some of the action of North Conway this is a great option. Or checkout out my Full post on best places to stay in North Conway

• The Wentworth – The Wentworth Inn is a stunning inn on the Golf Course and a stones throw from Jackson Falls, a lovely place to hang by the river for the day or hike and explore. The grounds are beautiful with lovely mountain sunsets + there’s an outdoor pool!
• VRBO – There are tons of great rental options in this area. We stayed in a condo overlooking the Golf Course and the mountains last year in Jackson and we loved it!

More North Conway Travel Guides

See all my North Conway guides below for planning your perfect trip!

• 9 Best Bars in North Conway
• Best Restaurants in North Conway
• Ultimate Guide to Fall in North Conway
• Planning a Trip to North Conway: Complete Travel Guide