A Spring & Summer Guide to New Hampshire Adventure Travel

Pack away your winter coats and pull out your life jackets. With a new season comes new adventure. Jump head first into the New Hampshire outdoors with adventure travel excursions to feed your inner adrenaline junkie. From standard adventures like whitewater rafting to new wave, gravity-defying activities like indoor skydiving, these New Hampshire adventure travel destinations will really help you understand the appeal of New Hampshire's state motto, “Live Free or Die.”

Zip Through The Mountains

Channel the spirit of the bald eagle and the flying squirrel and soar through the White Mountains. Described by many as a pure adrenaline rush, zip lining has become one of New Hampshire’s most popular sports since Alpine Adventures introduced New England's first Zipline Canopy Tour in 2006. First timers can get a taste of the action in southern New Hampshire with a trip to Mount Sunapee’s Canopy Zip-Tour. Descend from the summit along a series of ziplines and rope bridges as you travel as distance of almost ¾ of a mile above the forest floor. Once you’ve got the taste for flight, the year-round zip lining course at Gunstock Mountain Resort will send you zooming through the air at up to 70 miles per hour. With the wind in your face and a thrill in your heart, this New Hampshire adventure will let you see the state of a drone's-eye view.

The Original New Hampshire Adventure

When we talk about whitewater rafting, we’re not talking a little splish and a lot of splash in a stream. The winding rivers of northeastern New Hampshire offer big thrills on whitewater rafting excursions. Historically used for logging, these bodies of water now fuel the adventurous spirit of locals and tourists alike. Families can get their feet wet by floating down the comparatively gentle Class II sections of the Androscoggin River. For more experienced rafters, traverse the Class III/IV rapids of the Magalloway River. Due to the high water levels from snow melt, we suggest planning this New Hampshire adventure for spring. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYk5DNWmng[/embed]

Skydiving (Minus the Sky)

Your fear of heights is no longer an issue. At Skyventure in Nashua, N.H., just a half hour outside of Manchester, skydiving requires no plane, no parachute, and no ripcord. Step inside their indoor skydiving chamber and experience the freedom of flying, minus the feeling of falling. Even children as young as three can float through the air (with an instructor present). However, don’t let the flying toddlers fool you — this adventure destination can be kicked up a notch. Experienced flyers can perform acrobatic flips and tricks in the air and professional divers often use this indoor skydiving facility to train for the real thing.

Spelunking: More Than Just A Funny Word

Within the cold caves of New Hampshire, you'll discover how the Granite State got its nickname. Dip your toes into the world of caving with a trip to the 200-plus-year-old Ruggles Mine, open May through October. Take a tour of the mines' tunnels and keep an eye out for quartz, amethyst, and topaz along the way. Journey deeper into the earth with a trip to Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves in Kinsman Notch. Stay on a ¾-mile boardwalk through the gorge, or enter the cave network and witness spectacular boulder formations and a 35-foot waterfall. While both of these make great, family-friendly adventure destinations, New Hampshire's 200 cave systems also offer caving for the more adventurous spelunkers. Some of our favorites are the Devil’s Den in Alton, a 30-foot-long cave with great views of Winnipesaukee, and the small boulder caves of Pawtuckaway.

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