100 Things to do in New England
New England is a picturesque area of the country filled with endless opportunities for recreation, entertainment, and education. Whether you are into history, sports, photography, great dining, or the outdoors, you are bound to find more than a few things to do. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont all have one thing in common: beautiful natural forested lands.
As you will see, many of my favorite activities include those which provide both scenic views and great exercise, most of the time at no cost! Check out my list of 100 fun things to do while visiting New England. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments below.
1. Walk the historic Freedom Trail
Boston’s famous 2.5 mile journey takes you through 16 sights of historical significance, from America’s oldest park, Boston Common, to the USS Constitution in Charleston. A brick pathway guides you along the way. You will want to bring the camera along as you will pass some of the country’s oldest cemeteries, most beautiful architecture and parks, and most important landmarks. A trip to Boston is not complete until you embark upon the Freedom Trail.
Additional information on the Freedom Trail
Location: 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108 (Starts at Boston Common’s Visitors Center)
2. Take in gorgeous ocean and mansion views along Cliff walk
Newport’s most extraordinary views can be found along 3.5 mile oceanfront path known as Cliff Walk, conveniently located just behind the famous Newport, Rhode Island mansions, nonetheless, often overlooked by tourists who fail to notice this wonderful, free attraction. This breathtaking walk features spectacular views of both the ocean and the mansions. If you only have time for one Newport attraction, this is bar none the one to pick.
Additional information on Cliff Walk
Location: Cliff Walk, Newport, RI 02840
3. Hike the Mt. Battie trail at Camden Hills State Park
This beautiful coastal Maine state park includes over 30 scenic hiking trails, including the Mt Battie trail, which offers elaborate views of Penobscot Bay and the surrounding mountains. Camping, picnicking, hiking, and winter sports such as snowshoeing and cross country skiing trails are also available within this 5500 acre park. Tip: A hiking stick comes in handy for this hike as well as any others in the area.
Additional information on Camden Hills State Park
Location: 280 Belfast Rd, Camden, ME 04843
4. Get tickets to a Red Sox game
A visit to Boston would not be complete without catching a Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park, the oldest ball park in America. 2012 marked the 100 year anniversary! Every fan should experience sitting in the Green Monster (the nickname given to the 37 foot tall left field wall) section at least once!
Location: 4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA 02215
5. Take a picturesque ocean view hike at Sachuest Point Wildlife Refuge
Middletown’s waterfront refuge provides a one of a kind view of the coastline. Deer sightings are very common, unfortunately so are ticks, so be sure to check yourself after your hike! The scenic 2.5 mile ocean loop trail includes peaceful ocean and marsh views. This is an extraordinary place for photography and wildlife viewing. After Cliff Walk, it ranks as the 2nd best place to take a nature walk in Rhode Island. Be sure to pack a camera!
Additional information on Sachuest Point Wildlife Refuge
Location: 769 Sachuest Point Rd Middletown, RI 02842
6. Ride the tree-lined Minuteman Bikeway
One of Massachusetts’ top bike paths, the Minuteman Bikeway, runs north of the city from Bedford to Cambridge along the route of a former railroad. The 10 mile paved path is flat, well-marked, and tree-lined for the entire route. Fall is an incredible time to visit; in fact, some of the best fall foliage in the area can be spotted along this gorgeous trail.
Additional information on the Minuteman Bikeway
7 comments
Your welcome – glad you enjoyed the list! I try to focus on the beautiful natural attractions that most people forget about like all the serene nature preserves, hiking trails, bike rides, beaches, etc! The historical and city attractions are great too though. Yes, there are so many fantastic bike trails – definitely a must do for anyone who loves the outdoors! I’ll probably be updating the list sometime soon with a few new additions! Thanks for reading.
Thank you so much for this list. My boss just approved a 10 day “vacation” (I’ll still be working remotely from the road) this summer as I wanted to tour around New England camping with my dog. Your list is fantastic for someone who doesn’t want to stay in a city hotel and see city sights all the time. Your list has pointed out to me that I should bring my bike along too. Now to just plan the route we will take from Buffalo, NY through New England.
P.S. Nowadays you can’t please everyone and I’m sorry to see the nay-sayers’ comments. I, for one, am much appreciative of an insider’s guide to cheap, outdoorsy travel.
love your pictures of Vermont and Maine, love all the places one could visit if in that part of the world. Thank You for taking time to share such treasures.
Thanks for sharing your tips! 🙂
(Not sure if you knew this or not…)
I’d have mentioned other options for tickets, especially for Fenway. The MLB site sells fast, so third-party sellers like http://www.fenwayticketking.com/ and others are kind of important to get tickets from (plus, some of them sell cheaper than MLB).
^Big Red Sox and Fenway fan just looking out for newbies, don’t mind me! 😉
Yes, I am sure there are hundreds upon hundreds of things to do in the area that I did not include, however, in no way did I mean this list to be a top things to do in New England. My goal was to provide a list of fun attractions and activities that I personally enjoyed.
What happened to Vermont and Maine in the 100 things to do in New England there was 1 that I saw in vt and a few more in Maine. What about a visit to a sugar house in Vermont during sugaring season in the spring or a trip to Burlington.