On our summer vacation we did not have a lot planned. We camped for a couple days, but nothing else was scheduled. My daughter really wanted to go to Whales Tale Waterpark which is one of our favorite waterparks. My husband wanted to spend one more night away so we started looking for hotels in the Lincoln area. We searched and searched and had difficulty finding one that we could agree on. After numerous Google searches I stubbled across Waterville Valley. I have only been there once many years ago to hike the Cascade Waterfall Trail. Since we have not spent much time in that area I decided that was where we would spend the night.
Waterville Valley is located southeast of Lincoln, NH. It is a small town nestled in the White Mountains that focuses on outdoor fun. We arrived at 2pm and was able to check into our hotel early. We stayed in Town Square Condos. These condos were directly above the shops and restaurants in Town Square.
Our room was on the 3rd floor and there was not an elevator up to this floor. Luckily we travel light. We had a pleasant surprise when we opened out door. We thought we were getting a one bedroom with a pull out couch. When we opened the door we had a nice two floor, three bedroom, two bathroom condo with a full kitchen. It is nice when we are traveling to have our own bedrooms and a full kitchen i I apologize i forgot to take pictures of our condo.
At check-in we were provided with a Freedom Pass for each of us. This pass offers a variety of activities in the area. Since we only had until 9am the next morning we wanted to get the most out of money. Below are the activities we did.
Chair Lift up Snow Mountain: This is a smaller mountain in the area. The chair lift is older and only two people are allowed on at once. It is about a 10 minute ride to the top. From the top you can hike down the various hiking trails or play disc golf. There is not much of a view from the top. On the way down there is an ok view. I am not sure i would have paid for this scenic lift. The staff were extremely friendly.
Bike Rentals: Waterville Valley is a biking community. I felt there were more bikers than cars, which is a good thing. There are several trails in the area for all levels of bikers. We do not ride bikes a lot so this was a perfect opportunity to get some riding in. We rode around town and then took one of the easier dirt bike paths. With it being later in the day we did not go out for more than an hour, but were able to get in almost 5 miles in. The trails are nice and well marked.
After biking we were hungry, unfortunately there was not a lot of restaurants open. In Town Square there was a Mexican Restaurant and a Pizza Shop, I believe there was a restaurant open at the golf course and there was another restaurant at the Athletic Club. Since we had to drop our bikes off in Town Square we decided to eat at the Mexican Restaurant, La Hacienda. It was actually pretty good. Some Mexican Restaurants you can tell it is is a lot of hot plate food, but this food tasted fresh and it was large portions. The margarita’s were also pretty good. They had outdoor seating in the square which was nice.
White Mountain Athletic Club: After dinner it was time for a swim. “The Athletic Club offers a lot of activities outdoor pool and splash pad, indoor pool & hot tub aquatic center (outdoor pool open seasonally), whirlpools (saunas & steam rooms currently closed), indoor walking/running track, and weight & cardio rooms. Other amenities such as racquetball or massage available for an additional fee.” We were disappointed that the steam room was closed, thank you COVID, but we were just as happy to use the two pools and hot tub. The views from the outside pool were nice.
After staying at the Athletic Club until they closed at 8pm we headed back to our condo to relax. The next morning we had breakfast in our condo and then walked around the Village until we have to leave for the water park.
I was disappointed that the Paddleboard Rentals were not open when we were there. There is a small pond that you can rent boats at, but while were were visited they were only open on Wednesday and Saturday. At the pond is also a small beach for sunbathing and swimming.
My husband wished he would have brought his golf clubs as he would have loved to do a round of golf. There is also a Tennis Court available. Unfortunately many of the stores were closed so we could not browse them. There was a trolly available to take you around the village, but we did not use it.
We spent less than 24 hours at Waterville Valley and packed in a lot of fun. There were very little people there, but we were told that it has been fairly busy all summer. The Freedom Pass was a nice surprise and they also do something similar in the winter. At check out the women was very friendly as I asked about cross country skiing. She was able to find me a map and told me if we came again to call the reservation desk as we would get 10% off our stay moving forward. I forgot to ask if that was just at Town Square or any of the other over night accommodations available.
I fell in love with Waterville Valley, the beauty of the area, the array of outdoor activities and how friendly everyone was. I am usually more of a lake girl, but the vibe in this town had me. i cannot wait to go back and do more outdoor adventures.
