The blog
News and notes from the lodge
Foliage timing, quiet ski weekends, where we eat in town: the things we tell our guests, written down.
Photo: “Kancamagus Highway October 2021 HDR” by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0. Enhanced by Cavmir (light, sky and colour changed; cropped). This enhanced version is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Featured · Seasons · 20 min
Visiting for the leaves: timing a foliage trip to the White Mountains
Peak color near Lincoln isn't a single day — it rolls downhill for about three weeks. From a base inside the mountains, almost any trip in the window can find full color within a short drive, if you know where to point the car.
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Area guide · 15 min · 2026-09-06
Where to walk while the Lincoln Woods Trail is closed in 2026The flat railbed into the Pemigewasset Wilderness, 9 min from the lodge, is shut from June to November for riverbank repairs. Here is what is affected, the detours, and the easy walks that fill the gap.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-09-06
Parking in Franconia Notch: the lots, the rules and the 2026 hiker shuttleLafayette Place fills by eight, the parkway shoulder is a ticket at any hour, and the state runs a five-dollar shuttle from the Cannon lot on weekends. How to get a spot at the trailheads without an alarm set for five.
Seasons · 16 min · 2026-09-06
Black fly season in the White Mountains: when it is, and how to hike through itMid-May to late June in the valleys, into July at the ponds and on the high trails. They carry nothing, they bite in daylight, and a head net beats every repellent. The month the locals hike anyway.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-09-06
The hikeSafe card: what it is, what it costs, and whether to buy oneTwenty-five dollars a person, thirty-five a family, good for the calendar year, and it spares you a New Hampshire rescue bill unless you were reckless. The shortest explanation of the state's odd little law, and our advice.
Seasons · 16 min · 2026-09-04
The week the leaves turn: a foliage diary from LincolnA week-by-week diary of how fall color moves through Lincoln and the White Mountains, and how to see it without the crowds.
The Lodge · 19 min · 2026-08-28
Mornings at the lodge, from first coffee to a slow startA morning at our adults-only inn in Lincoln, from the first coffee in the lounge to provisioning, and an unhurried start in town.
Area guide · 17 min · 2026-08-21
Seeing the White Mountains without a hikeA practical guide to seeing the White Mountains by scenic drive, gondola, railway, and short boardwalk, with clear notes on access.
Seasons · 18 min · 2026-08-14
A summer evening in Lincoln, after the day-trippers leaveHow to spend a long White Mountains summer evening in Lincoln once the day-trip crowds have driven home, from a late swim to the stars.
The Lodge · 17 min · 2026-08-13
Booking all six suites: what a Total Hotel Takeover looks likeHow the house works when one group books all six suites.
Seasons · 14 min · 2026-08-11
November in Lincoln: the quietest monthThe leaves are down, the snow isn't here, and half the mountains belong to whoever shows up.
The Lodge · 17 min · 2026-08-07
Unplugged evenings by the fire at the lodgeWhat a night at a small, mostly TV-free inn in Lincoln feels like, from the dusk walk home to sleeping in mountain air.
The Lodge · 20 min · 2026-07-31
What a boutique inn meansWhat a six-suite adults-only inn in a restored 1902 house is, how it differs from a hotel or rental, and who it's for.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-07-28
Bear Notch, Crawford Notch, and the drives beyond the KancamagusThe Kanc is the famous one. These are the three roads to add once you've done it.
Couples · 18 min · 2026-07-24
A weekend with no plan, and how to spend itThe case for an unstructured two-night couples weekend in Lincoln, with a loose menu of things to do if the mood strikes.
Couples · 20 min · 2026-07-17
A honeymoon in the White MountainsHow to plan an unhurried honeymoon or minimoon at our adults-only inn in Lincoln, season by season and day by day.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-07-15
Sunrise and sunset near Lincoln: where the light is bestA few spots, most of them an easy drive from the door, worth setting an alarm for.
Couples · 19 min · 2026-07-10
The midweek escape, and why we quietly recommend itWhy couples who can steal a Tuesday and Wednesday get emptier trails, easier dinner tables, calmer roads, and better light.
Couples · 17 min · 2026-07-03
A milestone-birthday weekend in the mountainsHow to plan a relaxed, celebratory milestone-birthday getaway for a couple or small group at an adults-only White Mountains inn.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-06-30
Cell service in the Whites, and what to download before you drive upThere is none on the Kancamagus. 5 min of preparation at the lodge saves the afternoon.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-06-26
The short walks we love: under an hour, big rewardA roundup of short, easy walks near Lincoln, with plain notes on which are truly flat and which involve a real climb.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-06-19
Waterfalls near Lincoln you can reach in an afternoonA roundup of waterfalls within easy reach of the lodge, ordered from roadside stops to real climbs, with notes on access and difficulty.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-06-18
Mount Washington from Lincoln: the three ways upTrain, car or boots — what each one involves, and the weather rule that governs all three.
Area guide · 17 min · 2026-06-12
The drives we take on a free afternoonShort scenic drives and half-day loops from the lodge for when you have three open hours and no plan.
Area guide · 21 min · 2026-06-05
Stargazing in the White Mountains: where the dark skies areOur guide to dark-sky stargazing from the lodge, with real spots, seasons, and the safety details that matter after dark.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-06-03
What to pack for a White Mountains weekendThe short list — including the three things people always forget.
Area guide · 15 min · 2026-05-28
The Franconia Notch bike path: nine paved miles through the notchOne of the easiest good days in the White Mountains, and the one most visitors never hear about.
Seasons · 19 min · 2026-05-15
The shoulder seasons are the local secretWhy late spring and late fall are the best weeks to visit the White Mountains, when the trails and overlooks are nearly empty.
The Lodge · 16 min · 2026-05-12
Why most of our suites are TV-freeIt is the question we get most, and the answer is the whole point of the place.
Couples · 15 min · 2026-04-28
The quiet argument for an adults-only innWhy we keep the whole house calm on purpose — and what that buys you.
The Lodge · 19 min · 2026-04-24
Your first evening: arriving, checking in, and settling inA start-to-finish walk through the arrival day, from timing the drive to keyless check-in, a walkable dinner, and setting up tomorrow.
Area guide · 18 min · 2026-04-09
What we tell every guest before they hikeThe White Mountains are not a theme park. The official code takes 2 min to read, and it works.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-03-12
Where to see a moose near Lincoln — and how not to hit oneThe two roads people watch, the hour that matters, and how to share the road with moose safely.
Area guide · 16 min · 2026-02-19
Lincoln, North Conway or Bretton Woods: where to base yourselfA comparison of the three obvious bases in the White Mountains — including when ours isn't the right one.
Winter · 19 min · 2026-02-13
Night skiing at Loon: an evening on the mountainWhat a winter evening at Loon is really like 6 min from the lodge, from the quiet late runs to night tubing and dinner in town.
Winter · 17 min · 2026-02-06
The warmest way to spend a cold day near LincolnA cozy, indoor-leaning plan for a cold or stormy winter day near Lincoln, with one short burst outside.
Winter · 16 min · 2026-02-05
Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing near LincolnYou don't need a lift ticket to spend a good day in the snow. Start about 4 min from the lodge.
Winter · 18 min · 2026-01-23
A no-ski winter weekend near LincolnA relaxed two-night winter weekend near Lincoln built around ice, snowy walks, scenic drives, and warm rooms instead of downhill skiing.
Winter · 16 min · 2026-01-22
Driving the Whites in winter: what to expectThe roads that close, the roads that don't, and the short list of things worth having in the car.
Winter · 15 min · 2026-01-09
Ice Castles in North Woodstock: what to know before you goTimed tickets, what it's like at night, and why the last entry slot is the one adults should book.
Seasons · 17 min · 2026-01-09
The first snow in LincolnHow the first snow arrives in the White Mountains, what's open before full ski season, and why the quiet weeks suit a couple.
Winter · 15 min · 2025-12-11
A quiet ski weekend: Loon, Cannon, and coming home warmTwo mountains, 6 min apart, and a soaking tub at the end of it.
Couples · 14 min · 2025-10-16
An anniversary weekend, hour by hourOne couple's two nights, written down because guests keep asking us to plan theirs.
Couples · 15 min · 2025-10-02
Where to propose in Franconia NotchFour spots we have watched work, ranked by how much walking they ask of you.
Seasons · 16 min · 2025-09-18
The two-night foliage plan for LincolnHow to spend a color weekend in the Notch without spending it in traffic.
Area guide · 16 min · 2025-09-01
Dinner in Lincoln and North Woodstock: where we send guestsA short list from the people who eat here all year.
Area guide · 15 min · 2025-08-21
Franconia Notch in a day, without rushingThe Notch holds a week of walking. Here is how to do the best of it in one unhurried day.
Area guide · 17 min · 2025-07-14
The Kancamagus, slowlyThirty-four miles, no gas, no towns — and every reason not to hurry.
The Lodge · 15 min · 2025-06-05
Adults only, and why we mean itThe single decision the whole house is built around.
The Lodge · 17 min · 2025-05-20
How self check-in works at LaunchpointArrive, unlock, unwind, and keep the whole evening for yourselves. Here is exactly how it goes.
Seasons · 16 min · 2025-04-24
Mud season is underratedLate April and May are the White Mountains' best-kept secret. Here is what to do.The trail and area guides
Detailed guides to the hikes, waterfalls, drives and seasons of the Whites, written from the lodge.