Everybody needs a little get-away every once in a while. For me, the White Mountains of New Hampshire is my go-to spot to escape the madness of home, even if it’s for a few hours. This past week, I made the trip up there with a few friends, and it was the perfect reset! After going up north many times, I’ve come up with the perfect day trip routine. Here’s what we did!

Travel North Up I-93
I-93 Through Franconia Notch. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Excuse the snowy pic, I didn’t take one while driving (safety first). However, this scene is just as good in the summertime. We took I-93 through Concord and eventually got to Franconia Notch State Park. The highway goes right through this awesome place with Cannon Mountain on the left. There are plenty of swimming holes in the Franconia Notch area, along with hiking trails and the perfect spot to park the car and take in the views.
Rock Jump Into The Ammonoosuc River
Ammonoosuc River Rock Jump. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Bridge Crossing The Ammonoosuc River. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Once you’ve made it to the mountains, a great first stop after gassing up the car and some lunch is this rock jump into the Ammonoosuc River. Check out the link below for the exact location, but the road leading up to this cool spot has a great view of Mount Washington. Once you’re at the spot, walk a few feet down the path and you’ll see a big drop into the water below. If I had to guess by the looks of it, the jump is about 25 feet, but for those who aren’t that big of risktakers, there are many other ‘levels’ you can jump off at. Additionally, there’s a nice spot with no jumping required where you can swim and relax in the water.

Directions To Rock Jump
Jefferson Notch Road
Jefferson Notch Road. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Jefferson Notch Sign. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Head further up the same road you took to the Rock Jump (Base Station Road) for about two miles and you will find yourself at an intersection. If you’re up for an adventure, take a left onto Jefferson Notch Road. It is an unpaved road that cuts right through the New Hampshire wilderness. Just make sure you have enough gas in your tank, as this is about a ten mile road, and you won’t find much out there. What you will find however is that this road is gets you to Jefferson Notch, which is the highest elevation accessible by a public highway in New Hampshire. It’s at 3,009 feet and there is a cool sign commemorating it.

Directions To Jefferson Notch Road
Mount Washington Auto Road
Mt. Washington Auto Road Sign. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

Mt. Washington Summit Sign. (Photo Credit: Ben Beaulieu/Beasley Media Group)

This is one of my favorite places in the world: Mount Washington. I think it is so cool that a road was built all the way to the highest point in New England. On this particular trip, we pulled up to the toll booth at the start of the road and the attendant walked over. I said “three of us please.” The attendant goes, “you can go up, but there are 70mph winds and zero visibility.” I wasn’t in the mood for getting blown off the top, so we didn’t go up this time, but I have many times before. It might be smart to check the Summit Conditions before you head to the Auto Road. If you can get there with nice weather, do it!
And that was the trip!
There’s what we did on our road trip that day, but that’s just a fraction of the things you can do in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. If time allowed for it, we were going to swim in the Saco River, but there’s always another day. Be prepared, there’s a lot of driving if you are going to fit everything into a day, but it is definitely manageable.