A buzzing town on the Connecticut River
Home to Dartmouth College, Hanover in New Hampshire is heralded as one of the USA's best college towns. Featuring a buzzing downtown with varied shops and restaurants, cultural attractions such as the Hood Museum of Art and a beautiful campus to explore, Hanover offers a rural New Hampshire vacation with a difference. You can get your fix of outdoors here too – with plenty of hiking and biking trails close to town. In winter, head to the Dartmouth Skiway for family-friendly skiing and snowboarding fun.
Hanover's cultural attractions
The Dartmouth campus houses a number of cultural treasures that are well worth exploring when staying in one of the Hanover vacation rentals. At Hopkins Center for the Arts you can catch theater shows, cinema and live music performances. The expanding Hood Museum of Art has an extensive collection, edgy exhibitions and a program of public art across the campus. If you're staying at your Hanover vacation rental with kids, the Montshire Museum of Science is a fun, family-friendly day out. Just across the Connecticut River, on the Vermont side, it has interactive exhibits that encourage your little ones to explore the natural and physical sciences, ecology and technology.
Seasonal adventures in Hanover
Winters in Hanover are cold and snowy. In these months, the trails around town are great for snowshoes and cross-country skis. Or, head to the Dartmouth Skiway for plenty of powder-caked acres spread over the mountains. Late spring, summer and early fall are warmer and sunnier. Summer temperatures can reach into the early 80s. On sunny days, you can head to nearby Mascoma Lake where you'll find the Dartmouth Yacht Club, lakeside trails and a beautiful stretch of calm blue water perfect for water sports and fishing – or ice fishing in the winter.
Get outdoors in Hanover
You don't have to step far from Hanover vacation rentals to find some green and pleasant space to enjoy. Hanoverians can indulge in seasonal outdoor activities at the Storrs Pond Recreation Area, just minutes from downtown. May through September, visitors can enjoy its scenic woodlands, shimmering pond and sandy swimming beaches, as well as a heated swimming pool, tennis courts and picnic areas. College Park is another tranquil green space close to the campus and downtown areas. The park is home to Bartlett Tower, the Shattuck Observatory and a bronze statue of poet alumnus Robert Frost.
Traveling to and around Hanover
The nearest airport is in Lebanon, NH (LEB-Lebanon Municipal), located 5.5 mi (8.8 km) from the city center. If you can't find a flight that works for your travel itinerary, you can also fly into Springfield, VT (VSF-Hartness State), which is 27.5 mi (44.2 km) away.