- Conway Lake is ideal for boating; you can rent a rowboat or canoe at the waterfront recreation area or just sit on the quarter-mile sandy beach. The lake is cold most of the year but warms to 75 degrees in July and August, making it ideal for swimming.
There are also scenic waterfalls on the outskirts of North Conway along Route 16, Route 302 and the Kancamagus Highway. They include the 64-foot Glen Ellis Falls on Route 16 at Pinkham Notch, the Flume Cascade and Crystal Cascade along Route 302 and the Sabbady Falls along the Kancamagus Highway. - There are several historic covered bridges in and around North Conway. The Saco River Bridge in Conway just off Route 16 is a 235-foot-long covered bridge built in 1890. The Swift River Bridge in Conway was built in 1870 and is 135 feet long. The Albany Bridge located six miles west of North Conway on the Kancamagus Highway was built in 1858 and spans a 120-foot section of the Swift River. The Bartlett Bridge four miles outside of town on Route 302 is 167 feet long. It has been closed to traffic since 1939.
- Mount Washington is about 25 miles from North Conway, but it is well worth the drive. At 6,288 feet it's the highest U.S. peak east of the Mississippi River and is the site of the highest wind speed ever recorded on earth, a 231-mph gust in April 1934. You can drive to the Mount Washington Observatory along a windy mountain road or take the Old Cog Railway, 140-year-old rail line that winds through steep gorges and grades to the top. The round trip takes three hours, including a 20-minute stop at the summit, and costs $59 for adults and $39 for children.
If you plan on hiking, be prepared for cold and windy weather near the top even in midsummer. Mount Washington is infamous for harsh and drastic changes in weather.
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