There’s a lot to love about New Hampshire. From the mountain peaks to the deepest lakes to the small, but wonderful beachy shoreline – you’d be hard pressed to not find something you like. And while we’ll happily write articles about all the things we love to do, every so often we like to think about the creepier side of things. And, well, there are a fair few things that terrify us! In fact, New Hampshire just might be the spookiest state in the country. Here are our reasons:
- One of the worst murder stories ever comes from just off our shores.
corpsnewengland / Flickr The Isle of Shoals is famous for being the haunted islands where the most gruesome murders in New Hampshire took place. In 1873, the island was the scene of a gruesome ax murder of two women. A third barely escaped with her life, hiding in a seaside cave until her attacker disappeared. It is said that sometimes visitors still hear her screams. Learn more about it here.
- We have one of the most haunted hotels in America.
Kathryn Mantia / Google The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods was built in 1900 by Joseph Stickney. He died a just after it was opened leaving his widow to remarry. Rumor has it she stills roams the halls and her room is one of the most haunted places in the hotel. The best part? You can choose to sleep there! Learn more about it here.
- The Mills in Dover are still creepy.
mybeautifularpeggio / Flickr Despite a fire roaring through it, this structure is spooky as can be. If you go inside the reconstructed version you might see bright flashes of light mixed with machines turning on and off. For those in search of more spooky things, you should take our terrifying road trip. The Mills are just one of the stops along the route. You can learn more about it and get directions here.
- Some of our restaurants bring a creep-factor, too.
Country Tavern NH / Facebook The The Country Tavern in Nashua is terrifying if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and willing to recognize that those cold spots you feel aren’t just coincidental. Without getting into too much detail, let’s just say there were some pretty gruesome murders here and you might want to avoid it after dark. Or, you might want to dig in! The food is actually great. They’re located at 452 Amherst St., Nashua. Learn the full story here.
- We’ve got some seriously old hotels, including this one.
TheBealHouse / Facebook The Beal House Inn, located in Littleton, is undeniably lovely today. With it’s renovated rooms and 3-star restaurant, it’s a great place for a weekend getaway. But, you should be prepared from some spine tingles. The building goes back to 1833, and visitors have reported strange occurrences including doors slamming and moving objects. Check out some of our other haunted hotels here.
- We’ve got a cursed bridge.
Dawn Munson / Google New Hampshire is chock full of covered bridges, but not all of them are created equal. This one, with a fire and a drowned horse in its history, is said to be cursed. Learn more about the reasons here. here.
- Even our hikes are haunted.
btonevibes / Flickr The Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Lake of the Clouds Hut allows hikers to stay overnight in a gorgeous, but fairly simple setting. It was originally built in the same spot as another shelter that was erected in response to the death of two hikers. More than 150 hikers have died on the mountain and some say their spirits can be felt in the hut. Read more about it here.
- We’ve got some of the creepiest urban legends.
natestedman / Flickr Including that of the “wood devil.” Up along the Canadian border, deep in the woods you might just find this creature. It’s said to look like a skinnier, faster Sasquatch with its two legs, 7 foot-tall stature and light gray fur. Curious about what else lurks in our woods? Check out these other urban legends.
- We have some of the scariest haunted houses to visit at Halloween.
Susan Barnes via Haunted Overload / Facebook It might not be the season right now, but rest assured that when October rolls around you’ll be in good hands. Some have been around for ages and others are newer and even more spooky. But each one seems to dial up the fear every year. Check out a few of our favorites by clicking here.
- And, last not least, a random morning photo can send chills down your spine.
aliarda / Flickr Nope, this spot isn’t haunted. Not that we know of, at least. But there’s something about a misty morning in New Hampshire that has its very own fear-factor. This isn’t the only example. Check out these other spooky shots of totally un-haunted places in New Hampshire.
Okay, okay. Enough scary stuff. To lighten the mood, you might want to check out these 8 farms where you can cut your own flowers.
corpsnewengland / Flickr
The Isle of Shoals is famous for being the haunted islands where the most gruesome murders in New Hampshire took place. In 1873, the island was the scene of a gruesome ax murder of two women. A third barely escaped with her life, hiding in a seaside cave until her attacker disappeared. It is said that sometimes visitors still hear her screams. Learn more about it here.
Kathryn Mantia / Google
The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods was built in 1900 by Joseph Stickney. He died a just after it was opened leaving his widow to remarry. Rumor has it she stills roams the halls and her room is one of the most haunted places in the hotel. The best part? You can choose to sleep there! Learn more about it here.
mybeautifularpeggio / Flickr
Despite a fire roaring through it, this structure is spooky as can be. If you go inside the reconstructed version you might see bright flashes of light mixed with machines turning on and off. For those in search of more spooky things, you should take our terrifying road trip. The Mills are just one of the stops along the route. You can learn more about it and get directions here.
Country Tavern NH / Facebook
The The Country Tavern in Nashua is terrifying if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and willing to recognize that those cold spots you feel aren’t just coincidental. Without getting into too much detail, let’s just say there were some pretty gruesome murders here and you might want to avoid it after dark. Or, you might want to dig in! The food is actually great. They’re located at 452 Amherst St., Nashua. Learn the full story here.
TheBealHouse / Facebook
The Beal House Inn, located in Littleton, is undeniably lovely today. With it’s renovated rooms and 3-star restaurant, it’s a great place for a weekend getaway. But, you should be prepared from some spine tingles. The building goes back to 1833, and visitors have reported strange occurrences including doors slamming and moving objects. Check out some of our other haunted hotels here.
Dawn Munson / Google
New Hampshire is chock full of covered bridges, but not all of them are created equal. This one, with a fire and a drowned horse in its history, is said to be cursed. Learn more about the reasons here. here.
btonevibes / Flickr
The Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Lake of the Clouds Hut allows hikers to stay overnight in a gorgeous, but fairly simple setting. It was originally built in the same spot as another shelter that was erected in response to the death of two hikers. More than 150 hikers have died on the mountain and some say their spirits can be felt in the hut. Read more about it here.
natestedman / Flickr
Including that of the “wood devil.” Up along the Canadian border, deep in the woods you might just find this creature. It’s said to look like a skinnier, faster Sasquatch with its two legs, 7 foot-tall stature and light gray fur. Curious about what else lurks in our woods? Check out these other urban legends.
Susan Barnes via Haunted Overload / Facebook
It might not be the season right now, but rest assured that when October rolls around you’ll be in good hands. Some have been around for ages and others are newer and even more spooky. But each one seems to dial up the fear every year. Check out a few of our favorites by clicking here.
aliarda / Flickr
Nope, this spot isn’t haunted. Not that we know of, at least. But there’s something about a misty morning in New Hampshire that has its very own fear-factor. This isn’t the only example. Check out these other spooky shots of totally un-haunted places in New Hampshire.
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