About the Area

Discover the beauty of Bretton Woods and the surrounding White Mountain National Forest and adjacent towns!

Our homes are in the Northwest corner of the White Mountains, tucked between the beautiful Crawford and Franconia Notches, and extending into the Southern edge of the Great North Woods. The area includes 2 amazing ski resorts, Bretton Woods and Cannon, both very easily accessible from I-93, just over 2 hours from Boston. Our vibrant neighboring communities include Littleton, Bethlehem, Franconia, Carroll/Twin Mountain/Bretton Woods, Whitefield, Jefferson and Lancaster, and a short drive from the Mount Washington Valley/North Conway area through beautiful Crawford Notch. For more information on the area, we recommend the following websites: the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Twin Mountain/Bretton Woods Chamber of Commerce, and White Mountains Attractions.

Local Communities

BRETTON WOODS

Bretton Woods is a local resort community best known for its world class skiing, a large network of nordic ski trails, mountain biking, golf course and of course the fabled Omni Mount Washington Hotel, the picturesque AMC Highland Center, the incredible Cog Railroad and tons of outdoor activities. Originating in the 1700’s, when King George III granted a large area of the White Mountains to Sir Thomas Wentworth of Bretton Hall, from which the name “Bretton Woods” was retained as the name for the Southeast corner of this parcel. In 1944, Bretton Woods rose to international fame as the site of the UN Monetary and Financial Conference that gave rise to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Today, it is a thriving community, primarily composed of vacation homes spread out around 302 and the pristine Ammonoosuc River in a number of different developments.

This map shows the various developments within Bretton Woods:

• Irving gas station has an ATM, newspapers, a wide assortment of necessities, souvenirs, food staples, drinks, wine and beer, ice cream, breakfast and lunch items, pizzas, and more. They also sell propane; bring the empty tank and leave with a full one.
• Drummond’s Mountain Shop (phone 603-278-7547, across from Irving) provides sales and rentals for your skiing/boarding needs as well as tuning for your equipment.
• The AMC Highland Center (4 miles going East on route 302 in Crawford Notch) sells outdoor gear, maps and guidebooks of the area, etc.

TWIN MOUNTAIN

5 miles West of Bretton Woods, at the intersection of Rt 3 and Rt 302, Twin Mountain is also part of the Town of Carroll.  Twin Mountain used to be a “snow-machine” (aka snowmobiling) paradise, and in its hay days was home to a number of hotels, restaurant and entertainment venues. A slowdown in the snowmobile industry caused many of those to cease operating, but the town is slowly seeing a renaissance, driven by an increasing number of visitors attracted by the beautiful scenery and its central location to innumerable outdoor recreational opportunities – from skiing to snowmobiling to hiking, fishing, golfing, and much more. Visit twinmountain.org for more information! 

BETHLEHEM

Located on Rte 302 between Twin Mountain and Littleton, Bethlehem is a historical village with shops and antique stores and several great restaurants, plus the very popular Rek’lis Brewing Company brewery/pub.  The Maplewood Inn hosts a popular golf course, and the town also has a very nice public swimming pool. Visit bethlehemnh.org for more information!

WHITEFIELD

Just North of Carroll on Rte 3 sits a small local community with plenty of basic amenities. The Whitefield Market at the center of town is a good option for guests staying in Twin Mountain/Bretton Woods who don’t want to travel to Littleton, Lancaster or North Conway for a grocery store. 

FRANCONIA AND SUGAR HILL

Right off of 93 and near the base of Cannon Ski Area, just North of stunning Franconia Notch, are the towns of Franconia and Sugar Hill.  They boast small local communities and tourism brought by their beauty and the local mountain. Sugar Hill is often pictured in magazines as a quintessential New England town, especially in the early summer, when lupines blanket Sugar Hill and turn it into a photographer’s dram.

• Take the tramway at Cannon for unbeatable views of Franconia Notch and surroundings
• Flume Gorge, The Basin and several caves are popular destinations
• Franconia Market for groceries
• Garnet Hill factory store for linens
• The Sugar Hill Sampler for New England gift and home items.
• Make sure to go during the Lupine Festival (early-mid June) for an amazing visual treat.

JEFFERSON

Northeast of Whitefield/Carroll, on Rte 2, you will find the small but eye-catching town of Jefferson, just below the Presidential Range.  Jefferson is home to Santa’s Village, a popular attraction for visitors.

LITTLETON

Along I-93, Exits 41 & 42, you will find Littleton, named the “Glad Town” for its historical ties to Pollyanna, written by Littleton author Eleanor Porter in 1913. This is a beautiful New England town as well as the major regional shopping resource. Main Street is a walking street and a stroll will take you past historical buildings and a variety of shops and restaurants. There is a restored mill on Ammonoosuc St. and a beautiful covered bridge over the river.

• Visit Chutters for the Guinness Book of Records’ “World’s longest candy counter”.
• Meadow Road (Exit 43 on I-93) has Wal-Mart, Shaw’s, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Staples, a NH Liquor store, major auto dealerships for multi brand sales and service, etc.
• The Littleton Coop sells interesting and organic food and many local owners swear by it. It’s kind of like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. Just off I-93 Exit 42.
• Many, many restaurants, including the very popular brewery Schilling Beer Co.

CONWAY VILLAGE & NORTH CONWAY

32 miles East of Bretton Woods on Rte 302 via BEAUTIFUL Crawford’s Notch in the town of North Conway. Consistently rated as one of America’s Best Ski Towns, North Conway boasts various activities, museums, restaurants, and other cultural and entertainment venues, including several great mini-golf courses. There are also beautiful scenic and natural areas, from Echo Lake to Cathedral Ledge to Diana’s Baths. The options for things to do are endless – far too many to list!

Many people prefer Conway to Littleton for shopping due to a wide assortment of factory outlet stores at Settlers Green. In addition to the outlets, there is a Wal-Mart, Shaw’s, Hannaford, EMS, LL Bean, NH Liquor store, Lowe’s, and a lot more.

Note:  Beware that North Conway traffic is often very congested due to the highly popular factory outlets and attractions. To bypass some of the traffic, we recommend taking West Side Road (Take a right off Route 302 after Attitash Ski area and a few miles West of the Rte 16 intersection) which connects to downtown Conway at River Rd. just North of the Eastern Slopes Inn and Joe Jones ski store.