New Hampshire Camping
Our New Hampshire camping included a day in the amazing White Mountain National Forest while visiting Mount Washington and a delightful day in the charming town of Wolfeboro. This stop exceeded my expectations.
Wolfeboro
The town brochure references itself as “ The Jewel of Winnipesaukee” and it did not disappoint. It is picturesque because of quite a few lovely Victorian homes, many nice restaurants, beautiful flowers everywhere, and great views of the lakes. It is said to be “ The Oldest Summer Resort in America” because it was the summer retreat for John Wentworth, the last colonial governor of New Hampshire, in 1763.
New Hampshire Camping at Wolfeboro Campground
We had three nights at Wolfeboro Campground in a woodsy, slightly mountainous setting. Our site was large, private, and mostly level. This campground offered the most value we have seen on our trip with $39 a night for full hookups in a very desirable location. A quarter was required for a shower, but the bathhouse was immaculate. Warren, the campground owner, has owned and operated it for fifty years. We enjoyed talking to him.
Mount Washington
Mount Washington, at an elevation of 6,288 feet, is the highest point in the Northeast. It was a ninety-minute drive from our campground and we visited it on the day we had the best weather. The drive to the top can be very rough on a vehicle’s brakes, so we opted for the Cog Railroad to take us to the summit. Operating since 1869, the railroad uses diesel-powered locomotives to push single rail cars up the mountain and to slow descent from the front going down. The trip has an average grade of 25% with a maximum of 37%.
The best seats are definitely in the front and on the three-seat side. Our seats were not the best because we only booked the day before, but I’m still glad we were able to do it.
We learned that it is clear at the top only 33% of the time, so it is not surprising that this is what we got. The temperature was 54 degrees with winds at 20 mph. I was so glad to have a light jacket.
Mount Washington has the worst weather in the world because of its height and high winds. Winds of 231 mph have been recorded there.
Mount Washington Omni Hotel
A highlight of our New Hampshire camping was a visit to the Omni. This beautiful hotel was completed in 1902 at a cost of $1.7 million and has 200 rooms and suites with breathtaking views of the Presidential Mountain Range. It is physically commanding, but it also has historical significance.
The Bretton Woods Agreement
The hotel was the site of a conference in 1944 of all the World War II Allied Nations that resulted in the Bretton Woods Agreement. The nations agreed to peg their currencies to the dollar and the dollar was pegged to gold. Everything was pegged to dollars because the United States held three-fourths of the world’s supply of gold. This led to the International Monetary Fund and dominance of United States in the world economy.
The Rosebrook Bar
The Rosebrook Bar in the hotel serves food and drinks on the enormous back deck and we were able to score a couple of seats with a view. I had a rock star martini and my husband had sangria and grey goose. My martini was different and delicious. We sat and enjoyed the warm and breezy weather and astonishing views.
From our seats, we were facing Mount Washington and the lower part of the Cog Railroad.
The Wright Museum
The Wright Museum is dedicated to World War II and to the war years. It is a very cool museum. Unfortunately, we did not get there early enough to properly see it, but I would love to come back and see it with more time to take it all in.
There was a dog tag display representing the 1,203 New Hampshire residents who lost their lives in the war.
The museum has many rooms representing the times of the era. Each year of the war, starting in 1939, has a room with information about what was going on in American culture. This room reminded me of many movies and my early childhood.
Lake Winnipesaukee
Wolfeboro borders six different lakes and ponds including Lake Winnipesaukee. Two large boats also offer scenic cruises on the lake. Oneis a paddle boat. We wanted to do one of the cruises, but neither was operating on our one day that was available. One can also rent jet skis. We walked around the lake because it was so beautiful with a wide walking path.
New Hampshire Food while Camping
Our best meal on our entire trip so far was at Morrissey’s, which we tried because it was recommended by the owner of our campground. The restaurant was also beautifully landscaped with all kids of flowers.
I had my first lobster roll and it was so good. My husband had the fried seafood platter, but I helped him get through the enormous plate of food. It was outstanding! We were so bad for this meal and also shared the white chocolate bread pudding. So delicious!
Another great meal was in North Conway at Chef’s Bistro. We stopped on our way back from Mount Washington.
New Hampshire Camping in Conclusion
This was one of my favorite stops! Although we had three nights there, I felt there was much more to do. For example, we did not get to go inside the three historic buildings in the Clark House Museum Complex. I would have loved a week in this location. If interested in our travels to other states, please see our page States Visited, a Campsite Resource.
Happy camping!
