Littleton, New Hampshire has become one of our favorite places in New Hampshire to visit. With less crowds, up and coming restaurants, a cute downtown and access to so many outdoor activities it is the perfect weekend getaway for us.
We left Southern New Hampshire early on a Friday morning with the goal to hike to Franconia Falls outside of Lincoln. This is a 3.2 mile hike to the falls. This is a great swimming hole for those who are good swimmers. For those who have a little adventure in them there is a natural water slide that is not for the faint of heart.
After the almost 7 mile round trip hike we took the drive up to Littleton. Before checking into our cabin for the night we stopped at Schilling Beer Company. Located on Mill Street in Littleton is this fun brewery. We did not have to wait for a table and were able to sit outside. They had a adorable set up outside, which was nice as the inside was on the smaller side. They had a great selection of beers. Their primary food is pizza with a couple other menu items. Their pizza was amazing.
After a wonderful dinner in a relaxing atmosphere we checked into our cabin at the Littleton KOA. We do have a small pop up camper, but opted to try out a cabin.
These cabins are adorable. With a full size bed, a bunk bed and additional sleeping in the loft it provided plenty of room for the three of us. There was also a kitchen table, mini fridge and fan. Some of the cabins have a bathroom, but ours did not.
This KOA did not offer as many of the options for activities as some of the others we have seen or stayed in. There was a small pool, river access and tubing when there is enough water. There was not enough water the weekend we stayed. There was also a playground, camp store and a variety of activities. If our goal was to just stay at the campground I am not sure there would have been enough to keep us busy. The staff were very friendly and the campground was quiet. They had the nicest bathrooms we have ever seen in a campground. The only negative was the beds were very hard. I wish we would have brought a mattress pad with us.
Saturday morning we got up early and grabbed a quick break from Inkwell Coffee and Tea Shop. This is a cute little coffee shop, they did not have a lot of breakfast items, but it was enough to start our day. Their ice teas were excellent.
Our first activity of the day was a ride up The Mount Washington Cog Railway. We have driven up the Auto Road in the past and many years ago by husband and I did The Cog. This has been on my daughters to do list for some time. This is not a cheap activity, but so worth it especially if it is a nice day. Reservations in advance are highly recommended.
It takes about 45 minutes to get to the top of Mt. Washington. Once there you have about an hour to explore the various views, gift shop and cafe.
The day we visited the sky’s could not have been more clear.
It is hard to share just one photo of the beautiful views.
After our adventure on The Cog we stopped at our favorite swimming hole, Upper and Lower Ammonoosuc Falls. There are two different areas to jump off various size rocks, we prefer the Lower Falls because it is usually less crowed and the rocks are not as high to jump from.
After spending some time swimming and sun bathing we drove to the Mt. Washington Hotel to check it out. Of course now my daughter wants to stay there.
Next was a stop at Littleton Freehouse for some delicious food. Their Mexican Street Corn Dip was to die for.
After an early dinner we walked along Main Street and made a stop at Chutters, the worlds longest candy counter for a sweet treat.
After our full bellies we headed to the Echo Lake area for a short hike.
Artists Bluff is one of the easiest hikes to get a great view in the White Mountains. This short, but steep hike is worth it for the view.
I was hoping to get a swim in at Echo Lake, but you need to book reservations ahead of time. That was a little disappointing.
Through a friend we learned that Franconia was having their Old Home Days with fireworks. We spent the evening enjoying ice cream, music and some amazing fireworks.
Sunday morning we got up early and headed home. First we had to stop at White Mountain Bagel for some breakfast.
We had a wonderful busy weekend around Littleton and can not wait for our next trip.
