Our Area

The Upper Valley offers many activities including arts and entertainment, outdoor adventures, shopping, dining, and more. Our location near the Connecticut River gives you access to destinations across Vermont and New Hampshire. Below, we offer a list of activities in our immediate area as well as links to activities in the state. If you have any questions or would like more information for your stay with us, please contact us!

OUTDOORS •  THE ARTS   • DINING   • DRIVING ADVENTURES

KIDSHANDS ONNEWS & EVENTS   • UPPER VALLEY TOWNS

OUTDOORS

    • Franconia Notch State Park, 852 Daniel Webster Highway, Lincoln, NH 03251, (603) 745-8391
    • Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway which extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at the north. For eight miles, I-93 winds between the high peaks of the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges.
    • Mount Washington (NH)
      Mount Washington Observatory is a private, nonprofit, member-supported institution with a mission to advance understanding of the natural systems that create Earth’s weather and climate. It serves this mission by maintaining a weather station on the summit of Mount Washington, performing weather and climate research, conducting innovative science education programs, and interpreting the heritage of the Mount Washington region.
    • The Appalachian Trail (NH)
      The Appalachian Trail is a 2,180+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers. Appalachian Trail Map
    • Quechee Gorge/Quechee State Park (VT)
      Hundreds of thousands of visitors stop each year to take in the breathtaking views of the Quechee Gorge. The focal point of the park is Vermont’s deepest gorge, formed by glacial activity approximately 13,000 years ago. Visitors can look down at the Ottauquechee River, flowing 165 feet below viewing points along Route 4.
    • New Hampshire State Parks
      A comprehensive list of New Hampshire state parks.
    • Vermont State Parks
      Not outdoors but …
    • Hiking near Dartmouth
      Favorite hiking trails near Dartmouth
    • Kid Friendly Hikes in NH
      Favorite hiking trails near Dartmouth
    • Trail Finder
      Interactive map to find the perfect outdoor space for your kind of adventure (hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and more)!
    • Dartmouth Skiway, 39 Grafton Turnpike, Lyme,NH 03768, (603) 795-2143
      Dartmouth Skiway offers big-mountain challenges in a family-friendly setting with more than 100 skiable acres spread over two mountains and enough terrain variety to thrill any ski or snowboard enthusiast.
    • Ski New Hampshire
      A comprehensive list of ski locations in New Hampshire.
    • Ski Vermont
      A comprehensive list of ski locations in Vermont.
    • Upper Valley Land Trust
      Outdoor areas with trails and places to explore

THE ARTS

    • Opera North, 6041 Wilson Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 646-2422
      Founded in 1982 and based in Lebanon, NH, Opera North is the only full-time professional opera company serving the tri-state region of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Throughout its history, Opera North has focused on bringing classic musical theatre – in a myriad of styles – to the region, working with noted international artists, designers and directors.
    • The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 646-2808
      Dartmouth College has been collecting objects since 1772, just three years after its founding. There are approximately 65,000 objects in the care of the Hood Museum of Art to date. The collections are among the oldest and largest of any college or university in the country.
    • Hopkins Center for The Arts, 6041 Wilson Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 646-2422
      The Hopkins Center, designed by Wallace Harrison (architect of Lincoln Center and the United Nations Building in New York City), has served as the cultural hub of the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, NH since it first opened in November 1962. In 1988 the “Hop” was named by the National Endowment for the Arts as one of the Nation’s exemplary performing arts centers.
    • Lebanon Opera House, 51 North Park Avenue, Lebanon, NH 03766, (603) 448-0400
      Lebanon Opera House is the only community-based theater of its size in west-central New Hampshire and the cultural focal point of the greater Lebanon community. Throughout its colorful history – from meeting house, to movie house, to the active, year-round, fully-renovated performing arts facility it is today – the organization has honored its rich tradition of arts, education and community every day.
    • Northern Stage, The Barrette Center for the Arts, 74 Gates Street, White River Junction, VT 05001, (802) 296-7000
      Northern Stage is a regional, non-profit professional theater that seeks to entertain, challenge, and involve its audiences with ambitious productions and expansive educational programs. Based in the Upper Valley of the Connecticut River, Northern Stage brings national and area talent together on an intimate stage in diverse classic, contemporary, and new plays and musicals.
    • Nugget Theaters, 57 South Main Street, Hanover, NH, (603) 643-2769
      The Nugget Theater is a Hanover, NH movie theater with 4 screens showing first-run movies.

DINING

    • Ariana’s Restaurant, 1 Market Street, Lyme, NH 03784, (603) 353-4405
      Ariana’s Restaurant at the Lyme Inn is the new incarnation of Ariana’s Restaurant offering the same menus in a different venue. This new endeavor is the culmination of some 40 years of culinary adventures. Chef Martin’s passion is fresh, seasonal, high quality ingredients. He works closely with farms in the Upper Valley for our vegetables, dairy and some meats. While he still needs to source proteins from outside the local community, he sources healthy, sustainable and antibiotic-free ingredients for Ariana’s. Ariana’s Favorites menu will change occasionally, generally with the seasons. The Additions menu, changing weekly, and sometimes nightly, offers Chef the chance to play and you the opportunity to try new and varied ingredients and flavor combinations. Our food is family friendly and the atmosphere casual. We continue to offer our extensive wine list along with local beers, now on tap, and with the addition of a full bar.
    • Boloco, 35 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-0202
      Our mission is to better the lives and futures of our people. We use ridiculously delicious burritos to do it. And it’s literally the most important thing we do. We know…it’s hard to take a burrito this seriously. Super hard. And don’t worry, you don’t have to, that’s our job.
    • Base Camp Cafe, Hanover Park Building, 3 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-2007
      Come discover a higher concept of Nepali Cuisine. Traditional food from all regions of Nepal with a beautiful refined America’s presentation. Every delectable dish are making a piece of art with every plate.
    • Dirt Cowboy Cafe, 7 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-1323
      The Dirt Cowboy Café has been serving freshly roasted and individually brewed coffees to the
      Hanover community since 1993 and has been voted the “Best Gourmet Coffee Shop” in our region for 7 consecutive years. We know coffee!
    • Jesse’s Restaurant & Tavern, 224 Lebanon St, Hanover, NH 03755-3224, (603) 643-4111
      Our philosophy is simple. We believe that the recipe for an amazing restaurant has two key ingredients: great food and genuine hospitality. That’s why we use quality ingredients from reputable vendors. We source local produce when possible. We buy fresh seafood and have it delivered daily. Recipes at Jesse’s are made from scratch. Steaks are graded USDA choice or better, aged in house for four weeks and hand cut by our team. Burgers are ground in house every day. Our culinary team understands that the quality of food preparation is their opportunity to show hospitality and they deliver!
    • Jewel of India Restaurant, 27 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-2217
      The Jewel of India has been Hanover’s favorite Indian Restaurant since 1992, family owned, featuring traditional North Indian food.
    • King Arthur Flour, 135 US Route 5 South, Norwich, Vermont 05055 (802) 649 3361
      We believe that good food starts with good ingredients, and we carefully select the best of the best. We support local farms. We search for creameries with the finest dairy. We source responsibly raised meat from nearby butchers. We bring unique, creative, small-batch specialty ingredients to Vermont. Our pasta is fresh. Our honey is local. Our sandwiches and salads are created to highlight the best of the region, from fresh Vermont basil in our pesto to sweet Vermont berry jam on our toast.
    • Latham House Tavern, 9 Main Street, Lyme, NH 03768, (603) 795-9995
      Latham House Tavern has been serving Hearty American Fare at affordable prices, sourcing much of its product from local farms, or cultivating fruits, vegetables & herbs in its own gardens. Along with its plentiful menu, the Latham House Tavern serves 18 draft beers through English Beer Engines – a modern throwback to the days of cask beer.
    • Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery, 30 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-3321
      A certified green restaurant Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery has been a Hanover institution since 1947. Offering delicious baked goods and catering services Lou’s has a restaurant offering breakfast and lunch daily.
    • Molly’s Restaurant & Bar, 43 S Main St, Hanover, NH 03755-6015, (603) 643-2570
      Molly’s is a popular gathering place, a favorite of Dartmouth students and locals alike. At Molly’s, guests enjoy thin crust pizzas and entrees cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, pasta dishes, the best burgers in the Upper Valley, fresh salads, wonderful finger food and appetizers, and homemade desserts. Molly’s is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
    • Murphy’s On the Green, 11 S Main St, Hanover, NH 03755-2048, (603) 643-4075
      Murphy’s accepts all reservations, large parties up to 40 persons are accommodated, children’s menu all the time,To Go food all the time, Late Night Menu, Nightly “Beer on Tap” Specials, and Special Food Events
    • Peyton Place Restaurant, 454 NH Route 10, Dartmouth College Highway, Orford NH 03777, (603) 353-9100
      Peyton Place Restaurant offers a diverse dining experience for all occasions. Diversity starts in the kitchen, where Chef James Hand makes everything on your plate. The Chef combines cuisines into a tapas style menu that is vegan and gluten free accessible. Influences from around the world meet locally sourced ingredients in a fusion.
    • Pine, Two East Wheelock, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 646-8000
      Located in scenic Hanover NH, across from the Dartmouth Green, PINE is an American restaurant incorporating a farm-to-table philosophy, utilizing the bounty of ingredients available in and around New England. Created by acclaimed Chef-Restaurateur Michael Schlow, PINE features approachable, well-executed dishes that focus on local and sustainable New England products. The kitchen is run under the watchful eye of talented chef, Justin Dain.
    • Salt Hill Pub, 7 Lebanon St, Hanover, NH 03755-2170, (603) 676-7822
      Salt Hill Pub has been offering their inspired blend of honest Irish-American comfort food, perfect pints, good humor and living music since June 2003 at the pub in Lebanon. In February 2007 they opened Salt hill Pub on Main Street in Newport, and their pub in Hanover followed, in February 2010. December 2014 saw the introduction of Salt hill Pub in Sunapee.
    • Stella’s Italian Kitchen and Market, 5 Main St, Lyme, NH 03768, (603) 795-4302
      Stella’s goal is to give customers the opportunity to turn off the stove, get out of the house and enjoy a great meal. Please feel free to join us any time for a quick bite at the bar or sit down for a meal with friends and family in our cozy dining room. You are always welcome!
    • Tapas Candela Lounge, 15 Lebanon Street, Hanover NH, (603) 277-9094
      Candela focuses on providing simple food and good drinks. Restaurant owner James Van Kirk said he created a simple menu so as to emphasize the purpose of tapas — bringing people together. Light dishes shift diners’ focus from food to conversation, enabling tapas restaurants to create a warmer dining experience.
    • Thai Orchid, 44 S Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-0300
      The Thai Orchid is the vision of Pim Pinitmontri, whose main goal is to introduce our guests to the outstanding Thai food of her native country. Our mission is to provide the highest-quality traditional Thai Cuisine. Our cooks strive to achieve a harmonious balance of the four tastes that has made the Thai culinary tradition so popular world-wide— sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. All of our dishes are made to order to ensure the highest degree of freshness. Thai is well known for being hot and spicy, but we also offer dishes that are mild and just plain healthy.
    • Three Tomatoes Trattoria, 1 Court St # 100, Lebanon, NH 03766-1358, (603) 448-1711
      Three Tomatoes has been serving decadent pastas, hand-tossed thin crust pizza, refreshing antipasti and innovative specials for 25 years. We believe in sourcing local ingredients and supporting our community in an effort to sustain our town and our planet while providing outstanding quality and service to our patrons. For twenty-five years we have been buying local, knowing that supporting our farmers and producers is good for us, good for you, and good for our community.
    • Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine, 5 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 277-9192
      Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine offers a family tradition of Thai food made daily from the freshest ingredients.
    • Ramunto’s Brick & Brew Pizzeria, 9 South Street, Hanover, NH 03755, (603) 643-9500
      Ramunto’s Brick and Brew is dedicated to the highest-quality, New York pizzas. Our hand-crafted pizzas, calzones and stromboli require the freshest dough, which is made daily along with our signature sauce and fresh-grated, premium whole-milk mozzarella. Our authentic wood-fired and seasoned slate ovens finish the process with our skilled cooks monitoring the process. The Brick and Brew is located in the heart of Hanover, NH, just a short walk from the Dartmouth College campus. Join us for lunch or dinner in a great family atmosphere inside by the charming brick oven or on our fresh, mountain-air patio.

DRIVING ADVENTURES

    • The Ultimate New Hampshire Waterfall Road Trip
      The White Mountains are packed with natural beauty including stunning waterfalls. But to find New Hampshire’s best gems, and most beautiful waterfalls, you have to know where to look. Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you, compiling New Hampshire’s Ultimate Road Trip.

HANDS ON

    • Blackberry Hill Art Center 33 Blackberry Hill Road, Orford, NH 03777 (603) 353-4312
      Tucked away in a quiet little New Hampshire town, the perfect location for an art destination. The property currently houses a gallery gift store, ceramic studio, multi-purpose art building, and a large sculpture studio. Check out Blackberry Hill’s workshop and class offerings.
    • King Arthur Flour 135 U.S. 5 south, Norwich, VT 05055 (800) 652-3334
      Welcoming all bakers, no matter your skill level. Classes range from introductory demonstrations for beginners to intensive week-long professional courses, with a wide variety of hands-on classes for adults and children. Our expert instructors will teach you to master any baking technique with ease.

KIDS

    • Montshire Museum of Science, One Montshire Road, Norwich,VT 05055, (802) 649-2200
      The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on museum located in Norwich, Vermont, with more than 140 exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. The building is located on a 110-acre site near the Connecticut River, and the Museum’s outdoor environment is a large part of the visitor experience.
    • Billings Farm & Museum, Route 12 & River Road, PO Box 489, Woodstock, VT 05091-0489, (802) 457-2355
      Explore one of the finest operating dairy farms in America and a museum of Vermont’s rural past – your gateway to Vermont’s rural heritage. Billings Farm features many aspects of farm work, including care of the Jersey cows and other livestock, milking of the herd, crop rotation, and feed production. Get to know our Jerseys, sheep, horses, oxen, and chickens through interactive programs and activities. Explore the barns and calf nursery and watch the afternoon milking of the herd. Visitors will experience a first-hand sampling of actual farm work, animals, and agricultural processes. The authentically restored 1890 Farm House, the center of the farm and forestry operation a century ago – features the farm manager’s office, family living quarters – and creamery, where butter was produced for market. Interactive programs in the farmhouse for visitors and students interpret 19th century agricultural improvement, butter production, and domestic life. Engaging exhibits housed in 19th century barns depict the annual cycle of rural life and work, as well as the cultural values of Vermont farm families a century ago.
    • VINS – Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 149 Natures Way, Quechee, VT 05059, 802.359.5000
      The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a nonprofit, member-supported, environmental education, research, and avian rehabilitation organization headquartered at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee, Vermont. Open year-round, the 47-acre campus features state-of-the-art raptor enclosures, exhibit spaces, classrooms, and interpretive nature trails. VINS places a priority on bringing high-quality, compelling, and engaging education programs to people at the Nature Center, in the community, and in schools throughout the region.
    • Area Summer Camps

UPPER VALLEY TOWNS

The Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont is a destination rich with activities for those of all ages and interests.
The Upper Valley region straddles the Connecticut River and is bounded to the east by the White Mountains; to the west by the Green Mountains of Vermont; by Cornish, NH, and Windsor, VT, to the south; and by Piermont, NH, to the north.
The Upper Valley includes many towns all offering their own unique charms. A partial list of Upper Valley towns includes:


Hanover, NH has a population of over 11,000 and is home to Dartmouth College. The heart of Hanover is the Dartmouth Green. Dartmouth College wraps around the Green and Main Street extends from it, offering many options for dining and boutique shopping. The Green hosts many events including the Hanover Area Farmers’ Market, the Dartmouth Winter Carnival, Hanover’s July 4th Celebration, the annual CHaD Hero Race, and the Dartmouth Homecoming parade and bonfire. The Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth offers a wide range of performances year round and the Hood Museum has arts exhibits and programming.


Lebanon, NH, and it’s unincorporated counterpart West Lebanon, comprise one of the biggest towns in the Upper Valley with a population of approximately 16,500. West Lebanon, located on the Connecticut River draws shoppers from Vermont for its sales tax-free shopping and variety of shopping options, including several department stores. Home to a number of dynamic and diverse businesses (including Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Timken Aerospace, and Hypertherm) and easily accessible from major interstate highways 89 & 91, Lebanon is a source of employment for many communities in the Upper Valley.
The Lebanon Green also hosts a thriving Farmers’ Market during the summer months which includes a summer concert series. Located just across from the Green the Lebanon Opera House pulls in performers from around the country and the World. AVA Gallery, also just across from the Green, offers art exhibits and classes.


Hartford, VT, lies just on the Vermont side of the Connecticut River and is comprised of several small villages: Hartford, West Hartford, Quechee, White River Junction, and Wilder.
White River Junction is home to Northern Stage, the Center for Cartoon Studies, Main Street Museum, the Briggs Opera House, and the Tupelo Music Hall, to name a few. Several dining and boutique options are available as well.
Quechee, in addition to offering unique dining and shopping opportunities, is home to Quechee State Park. Quechee Gorge, with its beautiful views and hiking, is a highlight of the park.


Lyme, NH, is located on the Connecticut River, just north of Hanover. The Lyme Common is surrounded by history. The Lyme Inn, originally built in 1809, was a stop for stagecoaches traveling in the 1830s. Also on the common is the town’s 200-year-old Congregational Church, whose original bell was cast by Paul Revere. Next to the church is a row of 27 antique horse sheds—the longest contiguous line of horse sheds in New England (and possibly in the United States). Lyme offers several dining options, a wealth of outdoor activities, and quick access to surrounding activity centers such as White River Junction, Hanover, and Lebanon.

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