4 Days in Franconia, New Hampshire: A Family Friendly Getaway
Franconia, NH is a perfect spot for families looking to unplug and explore. This 4-day itinerary highlights hikes, local dining and family friendly activities that we loved.
Day 1: Pancakes, Scenic Views & Brewery
Polly’s Pancakes for Breakfast - very popular spot for good reason. Lots of menu options for all ages. Be sure to get there early and be prepared for a wait, even on a weekday we waited 15 minutes
Cannon Mountain Tram / hiked around the summit trails and checked out the views
Explored a swimming hole along a nearby river
Rek-Lis Brewing for an afternoon drink and snack. The beer and nachos were both 10/10!
Day 2: Amusement Park
We spent the day at Santa’s Village. This isn’t our “normal” outing but the kids loved it. The park is clean, well managed and you can easily spend the whole day there. The water park was a real perk as it was very warm when we visited.
Day 3: Bike, Swim, Beer + Ice Cream
Biked part of the Franconia Notch Bike Path - it was a great off-road, wide, paved path with some gentle hills and excellent views.
Visited Littleton for lunch at Schilling Brewery (right on the river, family friendly with great beer & pizza!). Got candy at Chutter’s (world’s longest candy counter, SO many options for candy lovers!)
Echo Lake State Park for a swim
Visited Super Secret Ice Cream for a post dinner treat. They have unique flavors and offer ice cream flights!
After the kids went to bed, I went on a solo adventure out to the Sugar Hill Overlook. It’s a great spot to check out the views and the drive to and from the lookout was equally as amazing!
Day 4:
Hiked ~3 miles round trip up Middle Sugarloaf. This trail starts off along a river, gradually climbs up past some really neat boulders and ends with a wooden ladder that takes you to an excellent view! My 5 year old hiked the whole thing and we carried my 1 year old for most of it.
Played in the river at the trailhead post-hike
Lunch at the Mount Washington Hotel
Drove home!
Where to Stay:
We stayed at this Airbnb. The views were excellent, there were plenty of kids’ toys and books and it was 10-15 minutes to everything we wanted to do (photos below). The only con of this house for us was the steep walk from the car into the house since we were usually carrying our 30 lb. toddler!
We have also camped at Lafayette Place Campground in the past and really enjoyed it’s proximity to the hiking trails for Lafayette, Cannon, etc. The sites are private, reasonably priced and the location really can’t be beat.
