Concord, NH Outdoor Activities

Adventurers glide past pine and deciduous trees, navigating branches at 200 feet above the ground. As they reach a treetop platform, guides wave them along onto a bridge that swings high above the forest floor. This nerve-racking scene is the norm at Alpine Adventures, where professionals have led guests soaring through the woodlands of New Hampshire's White Mountains since 2006. Today, in addition to leading guests on three distinct canopy tours, each testing adventurers' courage with swinging bridges and fast speeds, they captain off-road adventures in six-wheeled Swiss Pinzgauers. Up to 11 passengers sit protected by seat harnesses and an overhead roll cage as guides narrate and charge through fall foliage, winter flurries, or summer volleyball games. An aerial park invites thrill seekers to explore cargo nets, rope ladders, ziplines, a treehouse, a climbing tower, and many other elevated obstacles.

During the summer, Whaleback reverberates with the echoes of paintball players, mountain bikers, and BMX riders. But, when winter’s blustery winds sweep across the peaks, the homey lodge welcomes skiers and snowboarders with 85 acres of fresh powder.

More than 30 trails run down from various heights and slopes at this family-friendly resort filled with the rustic, laid-back vibes of old New England. Beginners practice their mountainside maneuvers on the gentle magic carpet level; more advanced riders can take advantage of the kickers in the terrain park, or the whoosh down the 1,800-foot descent from the mountain’s towering summit. Such feats of wintry derring-do aren’t bound by the constraints of sun—the resort also lights up the mountain for night excursion. Post-ride, visitors can decamp to the resort’s on-site pub, a no-frills joint often filled with the friendly racket of live music.

A fleet of sleek, futuristic-looking vehicles awaits drivers at Let’s Ride Rentals, where an able staff distributes motorcycles and snowmobiles for all-season recreation. They partner with Profile Powersports to rent out Spyder three-wheeled motorcycles with manual and semi-automatic transmissions to riders aged 21 and older. Renters are then free to roam throughout Mount Washington Valley including all of its lakes, mountains, and leprechaun-infested forests. During the winter, the staff doles out snow-centric vehicles, including Ski-Doo snowmobiles comfy enough for families meandering through snowy woods and sleek enough for zookeepers pursuing an escaped snowman.