Love this sweet little beach by Knowlton! The lake is shallow here and quite warm, but deep enough…read moreto get a good swim and even do some laps. It's surrounded by trees and the occasional kayaker meanders past, and the beach area has a lifeguard, picnic tables, and a nice sandy beach for lazing and kids playing. It's not overrun with folks and it's clean and relaxing and I love it. It's a good 1.5hrs from Montreal (not including traffic) and that prob keeps the crowds down. The best part might be the little casse croute run by a local dad and some kids. They make the hot dogs and burgers and things when you order them on a small hotplate and chat with you at the window while you wait. It's delicious and cheap and perfect.

This review is for the South Beach area and hiking trail as of July 2026. The area includes two…read morebeaches. One is the tiny South Beach which is visible from Route 5A. The second beach is hidden (about a 0.3 mile walk away) in the Southwest Cove, but is considered a nudist beach (off-peak hours). Parking is limited in the small lot (perhaps 15 spaces available). On weekends, you'll probably need to park up the hill (400 yards away) at the overflow lot. The hiking trail itself was peaceful with the sound of birds, a few babbling brooks, and tree-shaded canopy that made a pleasant afternoon hike (about 1 hour for a round-trip loop walk). If your time is limited for a full hike in the area, I would strongly recommend this South Shore Loop trail for a satisfying walk!

This place is like visiting heaven for a day - truly. The crystal clear water, serene atmosphere,…read moreover all vibes and sandy beach will have you falling in love with this place instantly. My husband and I were Flight Attendants for over a decade and saw many places in the world and one visit to this place and it was quickly our favorite. Absolutely stunning and a must visit. Now as for us, we'll be dreaming up a way to move here so we can visit all the time!

Nice, quiet town beach There is usually a food truck nearby…read more Great for kayaking and paddling

This beach is the reason I moved to Winthrop! Situated on the end of Maranacook Lake, this little…read moretown beach is my favorite local spot for a swim, float, picnic, and family outing! In peak summer days the shore is lined with families, food trucks, kids on bikes, boaters, kayakers, and all other species of lake lovers. The waters of Maranacook Lake are clear, pristine, and brisk! The beach is easily walked to from downtown Winthrop, which is lined with cool shops, a subway, couple of eateries. The town beach is clean, nicely maintained, trash receptacles are available, lots of green space to picnic and chill. The boat launch is nearby as is a lovely park with benches and a community gazebo. On the 4th of July this is THE place to be! Amazing fireworks food trucks, and of course the Winthrop PD regularly patrols so you can take your leisure in a safe, monitored location. As a local I love using the beach in the off season. There's always tons of free parking and the Winthrop peeps are just great, kind, people who don't mind sharing their gem of a beach with out of towners who respect and abide the rules. While at the beach take a stroll, explore the neato downtown area, and soak up the sun and fun vibes! Bring the fam and chill on the shore of the beautiful Maranacook Lake. Oh! And boaters if you put in the lake check your boat and trailers for milfoil (a nasty invasive plant) it's the law in Maine. No milfoil in or out of our water bodies. Enjoy!

What a beautiful and serene spot!…read more Echo Lake is approximately 15.7 acres. Two granite ledges called White Horse and Cathedral Ledge surround it. We went later in the afternoon so parking was ample. A short walk leads you to the picnic area and lake. It's about a 1 mile hike around the lake. The water was clear and cold. There were lots of mosquitoes at that hour. We enjoyed seeing the tadpoles in the water. My family enjoyed our time there and can't wait to go back to this picturesque spot!

m a local to the state of NH about 1.5hr drive from this beautiful place…read moreWill recommend Will return Check the bacteria site before heading up to make sure its swim able I have state park plates so I went to New Hampshire State Parks website and made a reservation for this particular day in Wood State Park plates you pay one dollar which is your processing fee Without state Park plates, the entry fee is eight dollars per car I recommend making reservations on the website rather than just rolling up in person. They do have a large parking lot, but it seems to fill very quickly. The beach is very family oriented. You can rent canoes. You can rent kayaks. You can rent paddle boats. The fees are very reasonable. They have tubes. You can also purchase for a small fee of six dollars. The beach was not overcrowded. They have many hiking trails and areas around that area as well. They have charcoal grills that you can use up off the beach with some grassy area that you could also camp at. There is also a bathhouse there that's open as well as a small store There are no lifeguards it's a swim at your own risk Very very clean

This is a cool spot to cool down when it's hot. I would Recommend going to this place.read more

Hurricane Irene really took a toll on 20 foot hole. Most of the stream (and much of VT for that…read morematter) was devistated from huge flash flooding and the swimming hole was filled in with mud, silt,and rocks. Some of the locals have been trying to restore the swimming hole by scooping out the mud with buckets. I will update more this summer on this progress.

Beautiful beach with lots of area for picnics. The view of the mountains off the lake is breath…read moretaking! Unfortunately, today the water was full of pollen so we didn't get in the water. The one downside that made us pack up and leave, was within 10 minutes of putting our blanket in the sand, we found 5 ticks! Obviously this is something out of the parks control, but definitely something to be aware of if u go, especially with small children like myself.

What can I say... At…read morefirst I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live with all that water underneath me and by my side... BUT THEN... I got on that boat, (no life jacket either!!), and then jumped into the water in the middle of the lake after being egged on by friends and lo and behold... I REALLY COULD STAND IN THE WATER!! Are you kidding me? I am in the middle of the lake and the water is only up to my chest, this is AMAZING, can I stay in here all day? I love water but am afraid of getting on boats, and much less JUMPING in the water...but this lake was amazing! Did I also mention that another it met my other large body of water criteria?? You could actually see down to the bottom of the lake where we were standing...um hmm...that's right...so clear, but of course it is! It's one of the 10 cleanest natural lakes in the WHOLE world! Imagine that, in tiny New Hampshire to boot! All this beauty surrounded by large trees, and cute lake houses. Even the islands in the lake looked like mini forests! P.S. Hate to harp on about how shallow some parts of the lake were, but I will because it was pretty amazing to see people standing in the water and playing catch in the middle of the lake, or a man pulling a nice sized boat with his fam on it with the water only up to his waist...it was practically like seeing Jesus walking on water or something!! I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't making this up!!. I've never seen anything like it!!

This is a fantastic public campground ($25/nt) and beach ($5/day). The water at the lake is clean,…read morewarm (in the summer), and the beach is well cared for. There are watercraft available for rental ($20/hr). The campground is professionally managed with DNCR staff ready to help. Firewood is sold on site (no outside firewood permitted) at $7/bundle. The patrons for the most part are kind and respectful (sadly, not all). Reserve online and come and enjoy this gem!

Be warned!! My family has been coming here for 60 years with no problems until last night. The…read moreranger came and said we were breaking the rules and had too many cars. We offered to move the cars in the morning and he said fine. 8am the next morning Jeremy the ranger shows up with the police and says we have to leave or we will be arrested for trespassing. This is absolutely insane and heartbreaking. My grandmother was crying. I don't understand how they can treat people like this for no reason. Read the other reviews and see that this is clearly a pattern and not a good place to stay anymore. We are heartbroken and not to mention out of hundreds of dollars we will never get back.

Me entire family went hiking together and it was beautiful!! The views, the climb, the weather,…read moreeverything. It was never overly crowded, so we were able to make quick stops along the hike for a snack or to take pics or even just stop to take in the view without feeling like a disturbance to anyone trying to pass. Hiking around Flume Gorge was also pretty lengthy which made for a camera roll loaded with pictures and a tired Sophie by the end of it. :) Such a fun place to check out. W the amazing views and variety of different elevations on this hike! Highly recommend!

Happy Earth Day again. You thought I was finished? HA!…read more Words fail to describe my love of Franconia. I am a Dartmouth alum - not one of the rich ones lmao so I did not have a car at college. If I did tho, you couldn't have pulled me away from the beauty of the White Mountains. I am however one of the old alums so I remember when there used to be an Old Man of the Mountain before his nose fell off lol. Anyways, this place has my entire heart and I only share it with people I trust. I took my friend here for a weekend getaway of rustic camping and hiking last April and I can safely say she also fell in love. We ran up and down I-93, I showed her the remnants of the Old Man, we stopped by the lake (lord it was cold), then we went to the Basin - beautiful in ALL seasons - and hiked a trail on-site. God I love Franconia so much. If you haven't gotten the chance to visit please make it a priority. It's stunning in all seasons! Things to know: -you can access The Basin from either side of 93. If on the far side you just need to cross under the overpass. -The Basin is paved. There are some stairs to get a closer look but it is largely accessible to view. -Still snow in some sections in late April - you're ok without spikes imo -parking was still free as of last year

This is a gem of a location. A little under a mile from viva fortuna resort, it is worth the trek…read more We ventured that way late afternoon and it was an easy, safe walk along the beach, except for one area that was a little bit of unstable sand and a rock scramble. One you arrive it is an amazingly calm, clear, warm shallow bay with a sandbar that extends far into the ocean. It's perfect for lounging in the water, playing with kids and just relaxing. It doesn't seem to get deeper than 2 feet in the entire stretch unless you venture quite a ways out. Pack a towel and some snacks and spend a few hours here further away from crowds for your own special experience.