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Highest-rated free things to do in New Hampshire by visitors

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valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in New Hampshire.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in New Hampshire using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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#30. Black Cap Hiking Trail

Tripadvisor

1 / 30

#30. Black Cap Hiking Trail

- Rating: 4.7/5 (76 reviews)
- City: North Conway Conway New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (151 reviews)
- City: Meredith New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Portsmouth Harbor Trail

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Portsmouth Harbor Trail

- Rating: 4.4/5 (48 reviews)
- City: Portsmouth New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Riverwalk Covered Bridge

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Riverwalk Covered Bridge

- Rating: 4.5/5 (280 reviews)
- City: Littleton New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Crawford Notch State Park

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Crawford Notch State Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (166 reviews)
- City: Hart s Location New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. West Rattlesnake Mountain

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. West Rattlesnake Mountain

- Rating: 4.9/5 (218 reviews)
- City: Holderness New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Merrimack Premium Outlets

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Merrimack Premium Outlets

- Rating: 4.3/5 (537 reviews)
- City: Merrimack New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Hampton Beach State Park

Tripadvisor

26 / 30

#5. Hampton Beach State Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,398 reviews)
- City: Hampton New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Cathedral Ledge

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Cathedral Ledge

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,044 reviews)
- City: North Conway Conway New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. Diana's Baths

Tripadvisor

29 / 30

#2. Diana's Baths

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,614 reviews)
- City: North Conway Conway New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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