Let's be plain first: Launchpoint Lodge is adults-only — no guests under twelve — so if you are traveling with children under twelve, you will be staying somewhere else in the valley, and we say that without a hint of apology. But we know the town well, and Lincoln is one of the best family destinations in New England: it has a bear show, a waterpark, two tourist railroads, a boulder-cave gorge, ziplines and an aerial park, a summer gondola, a state-park beach and a walk-through gorge, all within about 15 min of Main Street.
So this is the plain area guide, by age and appetite, with the numbers we have and links to the operators for the ones that change. Use it, stay somewhere with a pool, and come back to us for the anniversary.
The headliners, by age
Under six: Clark's Bears (the bear show, the steam train with the Wolfman, the water rides — 2026 gate $37, $33 online, ages 1-3 free), the Granite State Railway's 80 min river ride and December Santa Express, Whale's Tale's kids' area, and Echo Lake's shallow roped beach ($4). Six to twelve: all of the above plus Lost River Gorge's boulder caves (the Lemon Squeezer is a rite of passage; $24-25 online), the Flume Gorge's boardwalk (kids 6-12 $16 online), Loon's gondola to the summit caves, and Alpine Adventures' Tree-Top Canopy Tour and Thrillsville aerial park.
Teens: Alpine Adventures' SkyRider zipline (1,500 feet, 240 up, ~60 mph), Whale's Tale's big slides, the real hikes — Artist Bluff, Lonesome Lake, Mount Pemigewasset — and the Loon bike park in summer. Every operator's page on this site has the current details.
The free and nearly-free list
The Basin (free), Georgiana Falls (free, 5 min, a real little hike), Sabbaday Falls ($5 forest pass), Lower Falls on the Kancamagus for river wading when it's low ($5), Echo Lake ($4), the Franconia Notch bike path (free; rentals in the notch), the Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza (free), and the Kancamagus overlooks (free). A family can do a full, spectacular day around Lincoln for the cost of a forest pass and a cooler.
Our rainy-day-and-free-things guide goes deeper on the no-cost list.
The rainy-day family kit
Lost River Gorge (better wet — the caves are covered and the stream roars), the Flume (rain-or-shine tickets, thinner crowds), Alpine Adventures' indoor-adjacent aerial park, the Granite State Railway's enclosed cars, Clark's museums, and the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center's animal trail 40 min south. Polar Caves in Rumney is another cave day. The North Conway outlets are the 40 min retail fallback.
Where families stay
The resort properties around Loon Mountain with pools and condos; the family-oriented hotels along Route 3 near Clark's and Whale's Tale, some with their own pools and arcades; the campgrounds in the notch and along the Kancamagus. That is the answer, and any of them will suit a week with kids far better than a six-suite inn curated for adults — which is exactly what we set out to be.
The grown-up version
If you are reading this because you are the adults in a multi-generational trip: the family stays with the pool, and the two of you stay with us — an easy drive from all of the above, quiet, adults-only — and meet them at the bear show. It happens more than you would think, and it works.
Where to stay
Everything above is within about 15 min of our door — which is why the grandparents-stay-here, family-stays-with-the-pool arrangement works so well. We are happy to point you at the family-friendly properties in the valley; ask.
Sources & official info: clarksbears.com · lostrivergorge.com · nhstateparks.org · alpinezipline.com
— Launchpoint Lodge, From the lodge
