A Quick Traveler’s Guide to Lincoln New Hampshire

March 27, 2026

Lincoln, New Hampshire is located in the middle to northern region of the state, specifically where the White Mountains run through it. Lincoln is a GREAT, central location for hikers, especially if you are interested in hiking all the 48 High Peaks. It’s located not too far from many of New Hampshire’s ski mountains. Basically, if you love the outdoors and live on the east coast or in the northeast, Lincoln, New Hampshire is somewhere you should check out or re-visit. 

I have stayed in Lincoln many times, specifically, to hike. I grew up in upstate New York and have hiked almost everything within the Adirondacks and have completed the Adk 46er Challenge. Now, I am trying to hike all the 48 high peaks in New Hampshire. I found Lincoln when I was driving to North Conway, New Hampshire, and thought it was a perfect town. It has restaurants, shops, a grocery store and is almost an hour closer of a drive than North Conway (coming from the capital region of New York). So, I hope this article convinces you too why Lincoln is the most central location to stay in for hiking in New Hampshire.

In this article, you will read about Lincoln New Hampshire hotels, Lincoln New Hampshire things to do, Lincoln New Hampshire ski resort, Lincoln New Hampshire skiing, Lincoln New Hampshire to Boston, Lincoln New Hampshire train, Lincoln New Hampshire Airbnb, Lincoln New Hampshire fall, Lincoln New Hampshire resorts, Lincoln New Hampshire population, Lincoln New Hampshire restaurants, and more.

This article is all about Lincoln New Hampshire.

Lincoln New Hampshire:

Lincoln is home to a very small number of people, we’re talking under 2,000 people. So, it’s truly a small town. However, it is a great small, hiking/ski town. As mentioned, Lincoln is located in the middle to northern region of the state where the White Mountains run through. North Conway is about an hour east of Lincoln and is also a great option for hikers and skiers. Their population is a little bigger, being home to about 2,000 people. They also have a little bit bigger of a down town area and more shops and restaurants.

Either city is a pretty central location for hikers and skiers. I prefer Lincoln because it’s a closer drive coming from the capital region of New York. North Conway is about an hour longer of a drive. However, it is about 30 minutes closer to some mountains. So, it really depends on what you want to hike/ski and anything else you want to do. From Boston, Lincoln is only about 2 hours and North Conway is about 2 and a half hours.

Lincoln New Hampshire Hotels

Lincoln and North Conway have some hotels and AirBnB’s located throughout the downtown and surrounding areas. My first time in Lincoln, I stayed at the Lodge at Lincoln Station, which is basically a resort complex next to Loon Ski Mountain. They have a lot of different activities available here like indoor and outdoor pool, arcade room, and a fitness center. The past couple times I’ve stayed at the Hampton Inn and I’ve had no issues. It’s right along the strip of down town Lincoln.

I prefer this place. It’s your average hotel room but it’s a little more modern than the Lodge and it has a better location. Also, the Hampton Inn has free breakfast (not the best but is something) and one of the nice, censored water bottle re-fillers. Really, all I care about when I stay somewhere is a clean room with a decent shower. I don’t really care about the extra stuff, like a pool or fitness center but if that’s something you’re interested in, then maybe check out the lodge. I did find the lodge a little outdated. Thus, if you want something more modern, here are links to other hotels and here is a link to AirBnBs within the area. Overall, Lincoln is a pretty economically place to stay.

In North Conway, I recommend the North Conway Inn. When I stayed there it was pretty economical, clean, comfortable, and had a good location. But there are also other AirBnBs and other hotels here that look good as well.

Lincoln New Hampshire Things to Do &  Lincoln New Hampshire Fall 

Okay, if you like the outdoors then Lincoln is the place for you. Hiking is by far the most popular thing to do here. Along with hiking, there are many different places to camp, kayak, fish, backpack/thru-hike, and white water rafting. These are all great things to do in the summer and fall time. The Granite State Railway is also a great fun way to see the Pemigewasset River in the summer and fall time.

In the winter Lincoln is close-by several different ski resorts and mountains. Such as, Loon, Cannon, Waterville Valley, and Bretton Wood. Another fun activity located outside of Lincoln in Woodstock, are seeing the ice castles. They have a whole bunch of activities setup here like snow tubbing, sleigh rides and more. Also, they have loads of backcountry skiing (Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mount Washington), tons of cross-country ski trails, winter hiking, and ice skating.

Lincoln New Hampshire Hiking

As previously stated above, the main activity to do in Lincoln is hiking, camping, and or backpacking/thru-hiking. A major part of the Appalachian Trail runs through the White Mountains. Thus, Appalachian Mountain Club, the White Mountain Chapter, has so many hiking trails, huts (you can stay at), activities, and events.

Since there is SO much hiking available in Lincoln, I want to list all the amazing trails and popular hiking challenges that you can do if you visit. The most popular hiking trails are the New Hampshire 48 4,000 Footers and 52 With a View. Now, ONLY attempts these if you are in shape. Even in shape, you will still get winded. The White Mountains have VERY difficult elevation gains and the 4,000 footers are the tallest and toughest peaks to hike within the state.

That being said, most of the views are worth it. And many of the trails are very easy to get to and have parking right off the road. The Fire Tower Challenge is a good hiking challenge for beginners. Then, I would hike the 52 With a View hiking challenge if you are an intermediate/moderate hiker. Then, finally I would hike the New Hampshire 48s. Okay, here are the hikes that I recommend in New Hampshire. I have listed the easiest hikes first and the more challenging ones last.

  1. Milan Hill Fire Tower
  2. Great Hill Fire Tower
  3. Artist’s Bluff
  4. Magalloway Fire Tower
  5. Iron Mountain Trail (52)
  6. Mount Willey (great winter hike too)
  7. Mount Pemigewasset Trail
  8. Prospect Mountain Trail
  9. Potash Mountain (52)
  10. Mount Major via Brook and Main Loop Trail
  11. Sugarloaf Mountain Trail (52 with a view)
  12. Mount Success (52 with a view)
  13. Middle Sister (52)
  14. Mount Osceola (only do east if completing the 48)
  15. Baldface Circle Trail (52)
  16. Mount Webster (can add Jackson which is a 48)
  17. Any of the 48’s (all are super difficult) apart from Owl’s Head, Mount Waumbex, & Mount Hale (only complete if want to finish all 48 peaks and get patch)
  18. Backpacking/thru-hiking and staying from hut to hut in the White Mountains
  19. Places to Camp in the White Mountains
  20. Places to Kayak in the White Mountains
  21. Places to White Water Raft in the White Mountains

Lincoln New Hampshire Skiing

New Hampshire has some great ski resorts. I’ve skied at Cannon and Bretton Woods. I must of hit Cannon on a bad day because not a lot was open but I did enjoy the lower mountain. Also, in the fall I hiked Cannon and it was stunning. It’s a super difficult hike because of the elevation gain, but has an outstanding view. Now, Bretton Woods I hit on a great day and loved it, I highly recommend skiing/snowboarding there. The famous Bode Miller olympian skier has a run there called Bode’s Run because that was his home mountain. Here are other mountains I recommend.

  1. Cannon Mountain
  2. Bretton Woods
  3. Loon Mountain
  4. Gunstock Mountain
  5. Wildcat Mountain
  6. Waterville Valley
  7. Attitash Mountain
  8. Places to Backcountry Ski
  9. Places to Cross-Country ski
  10. Places to ice-stake
  11. Any of the hikes listed above could easily be turned into winter hikes

Lincoln New Hampshire Restaurants

I would say Lincoln again, is more known for their hiking rather than food. However, there are some restaurants that I recommend. I really like the Common Man, Black Mountain Burger Company (if you like burgers), and Pemi Public House (Woodstock, 5 minutes from Lincoln). Some other restaurants that look good are the Lincoln Diner, Gypsy Cafe, and Basecamp Brewing Company.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I really like Lincoln. Again, I think it is a prefect and central location for hikers. It’s good for skiing but I’ve mostly stayed there for hiking and I’ve had no issues. It’s got a great small down town area, grocery store, local stores for souvenirs, and gas stations nearby. I think it has everything you need for a hiking and or skiing town if you choose to stay there. I hope this article was helpful and you visit Lincoln, New Hampshire if you haven’t done so. Thank you for reading and take care.

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