Western White Mountains

Lincoln/Woodstock

Welcome to the Lincoln/North Woodstock area, where there is something to do – indoors or in the great outdoors –every summer. Hiking and bicycling trails….dining choices… nighttime entertainment…trendy shops and mountain scenery are all reasons to visit the towns.

In 1764, this area of the mountains was granted to settlers. It was a wild, remote region and it took time for visitors to be lured to the natural beauty and possibilities of the northern part of NH.

By the mid to late 1800s, tourists were venturing to the region for the scenic beauty. The area became known for its accessibility to the Kancamagus Highway, which was completed in the 1950s. Loon Mountain’s ski resort soon followed, and the world was suddenly at the doorstep of Lincoln and Woodstock.

Lincoln is known as the second largest town by area in NH (Wikipedia.org), although the year-round population is not huge.

Clark’s Trading Post is beloved by generations who return year after year to this unique attraction. The history of Clarks is a story unto itself and as unique as the White Mountains.

In 1928, Ed and Florence Clark opened a roadside business in Lincoln, NH. It fascinated those traveling to and from the area and was known as Ed Clark’s Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch, offering a visit with the Clarks’ purebred Eskimo sled dogs. It also offered a display of artifacts from the far north and the Trading Post had souvenirs, tonic and maple candy. All in all, it was a popular and unusual place to add to a tourist’s to-do list. By the early 1930s, Florence and Ed added their first Black Bear to the business and this made Clarks even more unusual. In 1949, the couple’s sons, Ed and Murray, began training the bears and the Bear Show was started. The business grew, but some things are the same: the love and care the Bear Show bears receive.

Woodstock, with a population of around 1,500, sits next

NH’s door to Lincoln; it was granted in 1763. In its early days, logging and lumber mills were king in the town, rivaled only by the tourist trade that brought visitors to see the wilderness beauty of the area. It joins neighboring Lincoln as a lodging and dining spot for sightseers, hikers and many others.

Franconia/Sugar Hill

Two little-known facts of the Franconia/Sugar Hill region are that movie star Bette Davis vacationed in the area and poet Robert Frost resided in Franconia for a few years.

The area has many beautiful views and a lot of businesses and special spots to recommend it to any visitor, whether poet, movie star, or just someone who wishes to relax and spend time in NH’s peaceful mountains.

Franconia and Sugar Hill are nestled on the western side of the glorious White Mountains and the tranquility and beauty of the area is unsurpassed. Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth granted the town of Franconia in 1764. It is interesting to note the town sits on a rich iron deposit, and iron was once mined in the area to make farm tools.

Bette Davis was vacationing in the area when she met and fell in love with Arthur Farnsworth, an employee of a local ski school, according to Wikipedia.org. They married and Davis had a plaque installed to commemorate her husband after his death; the plaque was placed on a rock on the Bridal Veil Falls trail.

Poet Robert Frost lived in a small farmhouse in Franconia, which he purchased in 1915. Frost found peace and quiet on the farm, which today is a cultural center, drawing poets from near and far. The site is called the Frost Place, and it was founded in 1976 when the town of Franconia purchased the farm. The property was restored and given its name.

Franconia also is home to Franconia Notch State Park and popular Cannon Mountain and the White Mountains sit in part of the area. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the area as well.

A trip to the area wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Polly’s Pancake Parlor, which has been around for years, starting as a small tearoom and today is a bustling business. Just up the road from Polly’s is the scenic and peaceful village of Sugar Hill, with summer and autumn events and the charming Harman’s Cheeses & Country Store in the village.

The historic Iron Furnace visitor’s site in Franconia is a fascinating look at the iron industry that once thrived in the town.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem was first established in 1774 as Lloyd’s Hill, the last of the provincial land grants. Voters changed the name to Bethlehem in 1799. In the early 1800s, Bethlehem was a stagecoach way station for those going to Crawford Notch and Portland, Maine. Taverns and blacksmith shops lined Main Street to accommodate the steady stream of travelers passing through. The beauty of Bethlehem was obvious and people began to stay permanently. Residents took in summer boarders and built tourist homes. The town became a popular mountain resort known for its clean, crisp air. More than 30 luxury hotels and boarding houses catered to summer guests. Magnificent private cottages adorned the hillsides.

Today, with its “just north of Franconia Notch” location, Bethlehem has a small-town atmosphere, while welcoming many artists and musicians. Because of this, it was recently become known as “an arts community.” The Colonial Theatre, located on Main Street, is a beautiful and historic building where all sorts of programs and shows take place, including lectures and movies.

The Rocks is a place visitors won’t want to miss when visiting Bethlehem. The estate was built in the 1880s by John Jacob Glessner, co-founder of the International Harvester company. Glessner built a 19-room mansion on the site and it was a beloved family summertime retreat for years. The Glessner family donated the property to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests in 1978.

In the summertime, there are a variety of hiking trails in a 360-degree radius around Bethlehem, and the Appalachian Trail is just up the road. Catch a film at the Colonial Theatre, or grab a bite to eat at one of Bethlehem’s charming restaurants. Whatever your reason for visiting Bethlehem, you will want to return again and again.