Bretton Woods is an outdoors paradise. It is the top hiking, skiing, and golfing resort in the Northeast. It is surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest and sits in the shadow of the spectacular Presidential Range. It has maintained its wilderness character while being highly developed for a wide range of outdoor activities. You can find detailed local information on these activities through the Web and in guidebooks. While in Bretton Woods, good places to get information include:
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Alpine skiing and snowboarding
 | Bretton Woods is the largest skiing/snowboarding area in New Hampshire, with over 100 trails to satisfy all levels from beginner to expert, from the afficionados of wide easy cruisers to the fanatics of double-diamond glades. Bretton Woods receives the most and best snow in New Hampshire. The chairlifts are high-speed and there are generally no lines. There is a great ski/snowboard school and ski team for kids. There is night skiing from Christmas to March. Teenagers love the Friday Freestyle Frenzy on Friday evenings. If you want a change of scene you can also go to Cannon Mountain (20 min west), Attitash (30 min east), or Wildcat (45 min east). These mountains have longer steeps than Bretton Woods but nowhere near the diversity of terrain. And when spring comes along it's time to put your skis/snowboard on your pack and head backcountry to Tuckerman Ravine! |
Cross-country skiing
Bretton Woods has one of the largest X-C skiing centers in the Northeast. The reliable snow and the Fabyan Plain (stretching from the Mt. Washington Hotel to the Presidential Range) combine for an extraordinary experience. Expect a wide variety of terrain and spectacular views around every corner. Back-country skiing in the National Forest is also excellent. A favorite trail is from the Zealand parking lot to Zealand Falls. You can stay overnight at Zealand Hut. |  |
Hiking
 | The hiking in Bretton Woods is phenomenal. The area is surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest with breathtaking mountain scenery. There are literally hundreds of trails for hikers of all levels and inclinations. Go to the AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch (4 miles east of Bretton Woods) for detailed information, trail maps, guidebooks, etc. See our Mt. Washington Place Hiking Page for a listing and short descriptions of our favorite local trails. |
Fishing
Fish for brook and rainbow trout on the Ammonoosuc River, which runs along Mt. Washington Place. Drive up Base Rd. along the Ammonoosuc and you'll see a number of pull-out spots. Worms work well. Or go fly fishing. The pond in front of Mt. Washington Hotel is stocked with trout for fly fishing. |  |
Canoeing and Kayaking
 | For whitewater enthusiasts, the Pemigewasset river has reliable Class II-III rapids until July and after heavy rains; the classic trip from North Woodstock to Blair bridge takes about 4 hours. The Androscoggin river has dam-controlled Class II rapids throughout the summer. There is also excellent flatwater kayaking/canoeing with beautiful scenery throughout the summer on the Saco river. A number of outfitters provide equipment and/or shuttling services. |
Swimming
The canoeing/kayaking rivers mentioned above are the perfect place for a dip on a hot day. Very close to MWP, there are nice swimming holes in Lower Falls and Upper Falls of the Ammonoosuc river. Upper Falls are famous for jumping off the rocks. Echo Lake in Franconia Notch has developed beach facilities on its north side. And there are plenty of small beaches along the Saco river going into North Conway. To work up a sweat before a nice swim, hike up to Lonesome Lake (1 h) from Lafayette campground; there is a dock in front of Lonesome Lake Hut for a wonderful swim with views of Franconia Ridge. |  |
Biking
 | There is a large network of signed mountain bike trails in the Fabyan plain behind the hotel (the X-Country skiing trails in winter are converted to bike trails in summer). You can also take your bike up the Bretton Woods skilift (which operates in summer) and bike down along signed trails with jumping elements, etc. There are several other nice bike trips that can be started from your front door:
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Golf
On August 1, 2008, the Mount Washington Resort reopened the 18-hole Mt. Washington course – a Brian Silva renovation of the original Donald Ross design. Since its reopening, feedback from golfers has been incredibly positive. In addition to the 18-hole course, golfers can choose to play the beautiful, but challenging 9-hole Mount Pleasant course. Both courses offer spectacular views of Mt. Washington and the rest of the presidential range, Crawford Notch and of course, the Mount Washington Hotel. So, regardless of your level of play, a day of golf at the Mount Washington Resort will challenge and inspire you. Also visit our Golf at Bretton Woods photo album! |  |
Tennis
 | Mt. Washington Place has its own fine tennis court, and if you're looking for partners please contact our tennis club! There are also four (soon to be eight)clay courts behind the Mt. Washington Hotel. |
Wildlife watching
| There is plenty of wildlife around Bretton Woods and in fact right on the Mt. Washington Place grounds. A walk around the grounds (or just hanging out on your deck) can reward you with sights of bears, moose, foxes, turkeys, woodchucks, and smaller critters. Around sunrise and sunset are the best times, and the animals can be anywhere - just keep your eyes open and your camera ready. See our MWP wildlife photo album. You can feed the birds on your deck from Oct 15 to April 15 - the seasonal ban is to avoid feeding the bears. Common winter birds are chickadees, juncos, blue jays, grackles. grosbeaks, and woodpeckers. In the summer you can feed the hummingbirds. |  |