A classic New Hampshire lake escape for the whole family

Check in at Purity Spring Resort and head straight for the sandy private waterfront on Purity Lake. The resort provides canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards for guests to explore the gentle shoreline without boat wake. Shallow entry zones make swimming easy for toddlers, while older kids can paddle out toward small islands. Watch for painted turtles sunning on submerged logs and listen for resident loons calling across the cove as evening settles in.

If mountain rain clouds roll over the Ossipee foothills, retreat to the heated indoor pool facility at the resort's Mill building. Large glass windows bring the pine forest indoors while kids splash safely away from passing storms. A relaxing hot tub lets parents unwind after the drive north from Boston or New York.

Follow the smell of woodsmoke to Rocky Point for a beloved Saturday summer tradition where resort cooks prepare eggs, crisp bacon, bagels, and hot coffee over outdoor burners by the water. After breakfast, step directly onto the adjacent Esker Trail in the NH Audubon Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary. The gentle one-mile loop winds through fragrant hemlocks and follows a sandy glacial ridge around No Bottom Pond, offering easy footing for little legs.

Just five miles from the resort, this 17-acre state park protects a massive block of granite dropped by melting glaciers fourteen thousand years ago. An easy, crushed-gravel forest trail leads a quarter-mile through the trees to the 83-foot-long, 5,000-ton boulder. The level loop keeps stroller-pushing parents and grandparents comfortable while kids gaze up at its towering face.

Drive west toward Holderness to explore this accredited open-air wildlife refuge set among mature hardwood forest. A three-quarter-mile packed gravel trail guides families past spacious enclosures housing non-releasable native animals, including black bears, mountain lions, and river otters that swim through underwater viewing tunnels. Hands-on interactive stations and forested playscapes keep younger children engaged at every turn.

If you prefer hiking along running water, head to Moultonborough to explore the 5,200-acre Lucknow Estate. The family-friendly Brook Walk follows Shannon Brook through a cool hemlock gorge, passing seven waterfalls including the fifty-foot Falls of Song. The trail is free to access, while optional tickets let you tour the 1914 Arts and Crafts mansion overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee.