New Hampshire · Local Guide

Conway
Hidden Gems

The White Mountains gateway where climbers and swimmers share granite slabs below Cathedral Ledge. Quieter swimming holes at the base of towering cliffs, with perspectives on the rock face that no guidebook publishes and no main beach angle offers.

5 Verified Gems

2 Categories

About This Guide

Swimming & Water Trails & Hiking

All 5 Gems

Conway, New Hampshire

GEM·001

Swimming & Water

Big Eddy — Swift River Swimming Hole

A deep, quiet pool on the Swift River off the Kancamagus Highway, about 2 miles east of Lower Falls. While every tourist stops at Lower Falls and Rocky Gorge, B...

Easy Late Jun-early Sep

→

GEM·002

Swimming & Water

Diana's Baths — Upper Falls (Past the Crowds)

A series of upper granite cascades and pools above the main Diana's Baths tourist area, reached by continuing past the point where 95% of visitors turn around. ...

Easy to Moderate Jun-Sep

→

GEM·003

Swimming & Water

Echo Lake — Cathedral Ledge Swimming Hole

A quieter swimming area at the base of Cathedral Ledge where a faint social trail leads down to granite slabs and crystal-clear water at the edge of Echo Lake S...

Easy Late Jun-mid Aug

→

GEM·004

Trails & Hiking

Green Hills Preserve — Middle Mountain Summit

A 1,857-foot summit with panoramic views of the Mount Washington Valley, Conway Lake, and into Maine, accessed through The Nature Conservancy's Green Hills Pres...

Humphrey's Ledge — Bouldering Field

A granite bouldering area scattered below a south-facing cliff on West Side Road, just past Cathedral Ledge. While tourists crowd Cathedral and Whitehorse, clim...

Easy approach, V0-V8+ climbing Mar-Nov

→

More Destinations