The Northern Forest has long been thought of as a rural area that is heavily forested and filled with rural communities who specialize in forest based industries. What many people do not realize is that the Northern Forest was once a popular destination for wealthy citizens of larger cities. Railroads allowed travel to northern parts of New Hampshire and a desire for the luxuries of the city created a market for these grand hotels to be built upon. As demand increased, dozens of giant resort hotels sprung up around the region, each offering all the elegance of the city but in the adventurous wilds of the Northern Forest.
As technology advanced, wealthy people bought automobiles, and railroad travel quickly became a thing of the past. The Grand resorts of New Hampshire were no longer as appealing as they once were and many fell into disrepair or burned. The Grand Hotels of New Hampshire were almost forgotten. Today, a desire for high quality lodging experience has returned, and what many people do not realize is that the Grand Resorts of the past have come to life with even more luxuries than in the past. In the Northern Forest, three Grand hotels still offer all inclusive packages: Mount Washington Grand Resort, Mountain View Grand Resort, and the Balsams Grand Resort.
The real luxuries of the northern forest however, are not inside the hotels, but are found as “grand adventures” in the nearby forests. Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Samantha Kenney Maltais, the Northern N.H. branding project manager, who directed me through a new website designed to promote destination vacations in New Hampshire’s Northern Forest. The new website, found at www.nhgrand.com not only lists the Grand hotels, but a host of other local accommodations, activities, and places to dine in the Northern Forest. The website details these adventures and also lists the top 51 things to do in NH Grand. The list includes such things as the nostalgic Northern Lights drive-in in Lancaster, a steam engine ride up Mount Washington, and exploring Garfield Falls in Pittsburg.
For those that seek out a more outdoor experience, this site also has a list of campgrounds in the area as well as classic motels and hotels. There are many other options offered for lodging in the Northern Forest as well. Bed and Breakfasts and specialty lodges are found throughout the region. The lure of the grand hotels and grand adventures is attracting people from all over the country to explore the Northern Forest.
