Best New England Vacations With Dogs – Want to learn about the best hikes in New England?! Whether you’re looking for the highest mountains, the best views, a hike on the world’s most famous and longest hiking trail (the Appalachian Trail), less strenuous hikes, or kid-friendly hikes, you’ve come to the right place.
Given my decades of living and hiking in New England, and the way I plan my hiking weekends, these “must-sees” are sure to find amazing views and hikes you’ve probably never heard of. The rise of New England reserves.
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Here are 27 hikes that stand out from the rest, in my opinion, not one, but twice as hard or even harder!
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I’m always on the lookout for the best scenery while living in Connecticut and often travel to New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine for day or weekend trips.
You roam across several states and millions of acres of national parks and forests, but you’re not overwhelmed by the vastness of the New England wilderness. Instead, grab a notebook 🗒 and start making a list of New England hikes.
We are about to embark on a multi-state walking tour of New England. Lace up your boots and let’s start the adventure!
If ever there was a backpacker’s dream state in New England, it would be New Hampshire! When I think of New Hampshire, I think of a dozen mountains.
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Home to the rugged White Mountains (within the 800,000 acre White Mountain National Forest) that make up a quarter of the state and 100.9 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a place of amazing hiking!
There are so many things to do in New Hampshire that there are even two hiking lists; NH 48 (48 hills at 4000 feet) and 52 WAV (52 with a view!).
White Mountain, NH List 48, and WAV List 52 have some overlap, but all have great hiking in New England.
Having said all that (I hope I didn’t confuse you! ;)), let me list the best hikes in New Hampshire here:
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I had to complete this list of the best hikes in New England with the king of them all! The highest mountain in New England (6,288 feet) is Mount Washington.
As soon as you see the outline of this beauty from afar, you want to show it off. Mount Washington is close to the top of many other climbers on this list, and to climb it and say you’ve conquered it is quite an achievement!
A popular and good route to this bad boy is the Takeman Bay and Lion’s Head Trail. I don’t recommend doing this in the winter, but I think you’re probably new to hiking in New England and won’t be hiking the steepest hills in the harshest months! If so, be sure to do a lot of research, as the summit of Mount Washington is known for some of the worst weather in the world and the highest wind speeds ever recorded.
Check the weather here before you hike. And if you want to do it in the winter, check out my post on hiking Mt Washington in the winter!
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This hike deserves to be number two on the list of best hikes in New England. The infamous Franconia Ridge is probably the most popular (and challenging) mountain hike on our list.
Haystack Mountain takes you about 2.1 miles up and climbs nearly 2,900 feet, and from there, the Franconia Ridge offers breathtaking panoramic views for miles.
This trip is an unforgettable adventure that will take you to Haystack Mountain (first elevation 4,000 feet), the summit of Mount Lincoln (second) and the last on the ridge will be Mount Lafayette (third).
A fantastic New England tour that offers a true experience of New Hampshire’s stunning scenery and rugged hiking trails.
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And there will be plenty of scenes that will make you ooh and ahh. But don’t think it’s an easy hike!
Feel like a mountain goat as you tiptoe across steep rock slabs! But this hike is my favorite and should definitely be on your list of best hikes in New England!
Artist’s Bluff is 2.5 miles and is a very scenic, short and popular route in New Hampshire. One of the best short hikes in New Hampshire.
It’s an iconic sight you’ve already seen when searching for the best hikes in New Hampshire.
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Rt 93 and Rt 18 stretch ahead of you, perched on the ridge above Echo Lake. Be sure to come early on holidays or weekdays!
I wanted to include this moderate but short hike on our list of the best places to do in New England, and you might recognize the view.
After climbing about 900 feet, you’ll find yourself high up on Willard Mountain, which offers amazing views of the Crawford Notch Valley and Hwy 302.
And if you’re in the area, check out my post on 9 other amazing hikes in Crawford Notch State Park!
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Those views and the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire?! This hike should be on your New England hiking bucket list!
A 4.9 mile loop with about 1,700 feet of elevation gain, follow the trail counter-clockwise and you’ll first reach Frankenstein Rocks, an experience in itself.
Enjoy the view of Crawford Notch State Park stretching before you and head to Arethusa Falls, New Hampshire’s tallest waterfall (3.4 miles). Enjoy this beautiful day!
Although not at 4,000 feet, it is a very scenic hike with two distinct mountains and panoramic views.
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I have done a sunrise hike on both Northern Sugarloaf and Middle Sugarloaf. The Medium Sugarloaf is roomier, with almost 360 degree views, so if I had to pick one, I’d go with the Medium.
Fortunately, the 3.3-mile Sugarloaf Trail allows you to hike both the north and central sections with only about 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
Reaching the summit of Mount Pierce via the Crawford Trail is a 5.9 mile round trip hike with approximately 2,400 feet of elevation gain.
It’s a rocky trail and it won’t be an easy climb to the top, but if you want a bench with a west view of Mt Washington after sunset, check out the top of the docks!
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I call the Mount Crawford Davis Trail hike the best kept secret because I think it’s so overlooked!
It’s not the 4000 feet that confuses those obsessed with this NH48 list, and it’s not easy!
But the view of Crawford Notch State Park and the valley below rivals any at 4,000 feet! And it was nice not to meet many people on the route.
New Hampshire has many stunning mountains and epic hikes, but I want to include New England’s second highest mountain on this list.
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At 5.6 miles and 2,700 feet of elevation gain, this hike is quite the challenge! But once you reach the top, you will gradually forget everything and see the most stunning views.
It may not seem like a lot of height and miles, but as you approach the top you see two huge piles of rocks! that’s the best way to describe it.
It will be exhausting climbing everyone like a ladder and it never seems to end. But looking back and with these photos, I would love to try this hike again!
Vermont is home to the Green Mountains and more than 400,000 acres of Green Mountain National Forest.
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The Appalachian Trail (the nation’s oldest long-distance hiking trail) runs through Vermont for about 160 miles, intersecting part of the Vermont Long Trail.
While Vermont doesn’t have as many mountains as New Hampshire (only five are over 4,000 feet), it has plenty of hills, trails, and scenic drives. Many of the best hikes in New England are in Vermont.
Traveling to Mount Mansfield is definitely a journey, and it is not an easy one. But if you’re looking for an epic hike with some of the best views in New England, look no further than Mount Mansfield!
And there are a few different ways to get there, so check out my Mount Mansfield hike post for all the details!
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The only thing to do was to hike here to watch the sunset west of Lake Champlain.
I’ve written about three scenic trails that lead to the summit of Camel’s Hump, so take your pick and add this mountain to your New England hiking bucket list!
Just 4 miles round trip and about 1,650 feet of elevation gain, you’ll encounter several ridges where you’ll find yourself high above the sparkling waters of Northern Virginia’s Lake Willoughby.
The view of the lake is breathtaking as it is surrounded on both sides by the Vermont mountains. The water looks turquoise, Caribbean green in summer and deep blue in winter.
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This is one hike I will definitely be doing.
