If you’re wondering where to take your next vacation, just follow the smiling guests who return year-after-year to Newfound Lake in central New Hampshire. With 22 miles of shoreline, the lake is about two-and-a-half miles wide, six miles long, and its maximum depth is 183 feet. Surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains, There are a variety of vacation rentals in Newfound Lake, including houses, cottages, condos, and cabins. Look for vacation rentals that include town and wilderness units, such as unique tiny houses, cozy country cottages, inviting apartments, and quaint log cabins throughout Grafton County. While you’re in the planning mood, look over this list of the best locations for vacation rentals near Newfound Lake.
1. Bristol, New Hampshire
Summer gives you the perfect reasons for a lakeside getaway. Long days, warm and lazy, invite you to kick back and relax as you bask in the mountain vistas and lake views. The ideal vacation rentals for your perfect getaway include waterfront cottages and condos, secluded lake houses, and cute cabins. Many of these are pet-friendly and include private docks leading to your back door. Choose a vacation rental near Wellington State Park on the lake’s west shore in Bristol to enjoy the largest swimming beach in the state, complete with a bathhouse, picnic tables, and a place to launch your boat. Enjoy snorkeling with the kids at the beach or right off your own dock.
2. Bridgewater, New Hampshire
Get your adrenaline fix on a jet ski, or opt for more serene activities, such as a quiet kayak tour of the lake, fly-fishing for trout, or an evening stroll by the lake. A summer lodge vacation rental right on the water with a backyard deck, a fire pit, and charcoal grill makes a perfect place to return after your daytime adventures. As dusk approaches, light a fire, gaze at the stars, and share some cool ghost stories.
3. Alexandria, New Hampshire
When you aren’t keeping your eyes peeled for moose and other critters that share your wooded paradise near Alexandria, make your way three miles to the lake for unlimited water recreation, including paddle boarding, canoeing, and kayaking. Your vacation rental options include charming summer cottages to classic log cabins, and some even come with personal ATVs for off-roading adventures on the trails around the woods and lake.
4. Hebron, New Hampshire
Plunk your luggage down and sink into the big easy chair by the window in your rustic log cabin in Hebron, just a half mile from the lake. Or, choose a different kind of vacation rental if you prefer a modern house or guest cottage. Take the kids tubing on the lake for an afternoon of exquisite silliness and fun. Rent a boat and a boat slip from Newfound Lake Marina on the lake in Hebron for all-day lake access.
5. Plymouth, New Hampshire
Settle into a cute tiny house vacation rental in Plymouth, just seven miles from Newfound Lake, or choose an upscale apartment or full-size home. Plymouth is the home of Plymouth State University’s Museum of the White Mountains, which is housed inside a former church. Enrich your family’s knowledge of the area’s history with historic exhibits suitable for adults and teens, while the little ones enjoy the coloring room.
6. Rumney, New Hampshire
Find a wide variety of year-round family activities in Rumney, situated just 10 miles north of the lake. Stay in a cozy vacation rental cabin or a comfortable mountain chalet. Enjoy rock climbing at Crows Nest, or make a winter vacation complete by bringing your skis and snowmobiles. Tenney Mountain Ski area is five minutes away, and the Waterville Valley ski area is only 30 minutes away.
7. Grafton County
Hideout almost in plain sight in Grafton County farmlands, just a couple of miles east of the lake. Choose a remodeled chicken coop vacation rental, a cute cabin, or a farm house for a private, peaceful stay near a 1790s sheep farm. Create a special bond with the kids when you take them fishing at the lake to catch their first fish.
8. Campton, New Hampshire
Vacation rentals in Campton give guests a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life as they reconnect with nature. Experience solitude in a wilderness setting just 12 miles to Newfound Lake to the south and 16 miles to the White Mountain National Park to the north. Take some time to enjoy moose spotting and the opportunities to take once-in-a-lifetime photographs. Look for pet-friendly vacation rentals that include fireplaces and hot tubs.
9. Ashland, New Hampshire
Experience staying in a tiny house, or go for a spacious home just 10 miles from the lake in Ashland. Be sure to visit Livermore Falls on the Pemigewasset River in town. Enjoy the beauty of the falls, but realize that the cascades are wide and swift through the gorge and not suitable for swimming above the falls. A nice, small swimming beach down below the falls makes a good place to take the kids, and if you explore to the right of this beach, you get the most scenic view of the falls.
10. Hill, New Hampshire
Escape the humdrum of the daily grind and soothe your jangled nerves in the beautiful bluffs of Hill. Fall in love with an exquisite vacation rental chalet close to a waterfall, or set up your family in a spacious apartment that sleeps four. Just eight miles to the lake, Hill is situated a couple of miles southeast of William H. Thomas State Forest where you can enjoy hiking the scenic trails. Bring your binoculars to get the best views of birds and small wildlife, and you might even get to take a picture of a hawk or an eagle.