A New Hampshire college town, home to Dartmouth College since 1769. The historic Main Street has independent bookshops and cafes near the scenic Connecticut River.
Hanover, New Hampshire, stretches along the Connecticut River with Dartmouth College at its core. You can walk brick sidewalks shared by Appalachian Trail hikers, study José Clemente Orozco’s murals in Baker-Berry Library, or paddle past 19th-century covered bridges on the river. The town center includes independent bookstores, restaurants serving global dishes, and the Hopkins Center for the Arts, where performances take place. Cross-country skiers glide through pine forests in winter, and climbers scale granite outcrops at Velvet Rocks when autumn leaves turn red and gold. Dartmouth’s academic environment intersects with forests, rivers, and small-town New England life here.
Trails and Waterways Near Dartmouth
Follow white trail markers through downtown Hanover to hike part of the Appalachian Trail, which continues east toward granite boulders at Velvet Rocks. Rent a canoe from Ledyard Canoe Club, established by Dartmouth students a century ago, to paddle around islands in the Connecticut River. At the Dartmouth Skiway, 30 downhill runs range from gentle slopes to black diamond trails, with night skiing available on weekends. Twenty miles of cross-country ski paths at Oak Hill loop through maple and birch groves, free to use with your own equipment. Hike Moose Mountain’s northern peak for views of Vermont’s mountain ridges across the valley.
Dartmouth Campus Museums and Events
Baker-Berry Library holds Orozco’s floor-to-ceiling frescoes illustrating historical conflicts, open to the public during regular hours. The Hood Museum of Art displays Australian Aboriginal art, African masks, and modern American paintings across five galleries, all with free entry. Attend plays or classical music recitals at the Hopkins Center, designed by the architect behind New York’s Lincoln Center. Rauner Library exhibits original manuscripts like Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and early printings of Moby-Dick. Join students for tea and scones at Sanborn Library on weekday afternoons, surrounded by antique bookshelves.
Restaurants and Shops on Main Street
Tuk Tuk serves steamed Nepalese dumplings filled with spiced lamb, while Umpleby’s Bakery offers Brazilian chocolate truffles and espresso. Buy fresh produce like purple carrots or apple cider doughnuts at the Hanover Farmers Market, held weekly from May to October. Dartmouth Bookstore stocks trail maps for local hikes alongside academic textbooks, and White River Music sells vintage rock albums on vinyl. Morano Gelato crafts flavors like salted caramel and blood orange using milk from Vermont dairy farms.
Seasonal Festivals and Town Traditions
Each February, Dartmouth Winter Carnival brings ice carving competitions and ski jump exhibitions to the town. In September, the Upper Valley Apple Festival features pie-baking contests and tractor rides through orchards. Summer outdoor movie nights on the Hanover Green draw crowds with classics like The Goonies projected on a large screen. The Hopkins Center hosts touring jazz ensembles and student-directed plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream throughout the year. Local committees maintain hiking paths and protect historic structures like the 1799 Dartmouth Hall.
Day Trips Within 30 Minutes
Visit the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, where children build dams in water exhibits or watch honeybees in glass hives. Watch glassblowers shape vases at Simon Pearce’s workshop in Quechee, then walk the footbridge above a 165-foot-deep river gorge. The Saint-Gaudens Historic Site displays bronze sculptures in flower gardens and an outdoor gallery near Cornish, New Hampshire. In Lebanon, catch improv comedy at the renovated Lebanon Opera House or view abstract paintings at AVA Gallery inside a former textile mill.
Getting Around and Staying Overnight
Free Advance Transit buses run hourly between Hanover, Lebanon, and White River Junction, stopping near most hotels. The Hanover Inn sits directly on Dartmouth’s campus, with rooms facing the central green. Trumbull House Bed & Breakfast provides budget-friendly stays in a Victorian home with homemade breakfasts. Trails on Moose Mountain may close during spring mud season—check the town website before hiking. Download offline maps for rural areas like Gile Mountain, where cell service is unreliable.
