New Hampshire's Quirkiest Town Is A Quaint Hamlet With Eclectic Shops And Riverside Trails

If touring small storybook towns is your favorite pastime, a visit to New Hampshire is the ideal vacation. Teeming with rustic towns that feel stuck in yesteryear, you don't need to travel far to find a delightfully cozy community. As you pass the unique shops and dining of the city of Concord on U.S. Route 202, continue on until you reach Henniker. This 44.1-square-mile town is certainly quaint, but also tops World Atlas' list of the quirkiest towns in New Hampshire, thanks in part to its variety of shops, nostalgic main street, and captivating history.

To see it for yourself, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is the closest airport at 37 miles away, or you can find it on U.S. Route 202 close to I-89. The town was incorporated in 1768, but its storied past can be traced back to 1720, when a ship carrying Irish immigrants was bound for America. Supposedly, a baby was born onboard, but when pirates took over the ship, one pirate named Don Pedro decided not to kill the passengers and crew on one condition: They name the newborn after his mother, Mary. Her parents obliged.

One of Mary's grown sons, Robert Wallace, settled in Henniker. An enterprising fortune-seeker named Louis Roy later purchased Robert's home, christening it the Ocean-Born Mary House. He gave tours of the building, which Mary had never actually resided in, and claimed pirate treasure was buried there. Roy also conjured up some of the enduring stories about the house being haunted, and Ocean-Born Mary remains a significant part of the heritage for what is known as the "Only Henniker on Earth."

From its interesting history to its lively present, Henniker has much to explore. Both Pats Peak and New England College are located there, creating an atmosphere that's part college town, part ski resort. The tables scattered around the white bandstand on Main Street make perfect picnic spots in summer, and the area provides the most picturesque photo backdrop in fall, when burnt orange foliage is everywhere. Henniker's impressive covered bridge is another autumnal favorite for camera-carrying travelers. One Tripadvisor reviewer said, "This is one of the more scenic covered bridges in New Hampshire as there are no powerlines or roadsigns in the way of photos!"

In town, get your caffeine fix at Henniker Coffee House & Café, breakfast at the well-rated Intervale Farm Pancake House, and traditional American eats for dinner at Country Spirit Restaurant. If you have any room left, indulge in SuperScoops ice cream or a seasonal tipple at Henniker Brewing Company.

Shopping enthusiasts can browse Henniker's old-fashioned pharmacy, housed in a building constructed in 1889. Its offerings include specialty foods and lots of fun gift items, such as garden-themed decor. You can also search for pre-loved goodies at New Life Thrift Shop and wander two floors of novels at The Old Number 6 Book Depot on Depot Hill Road, which one Tripadvisor reviewer called "a treasure trove of old books of all types!" The Henniker Farm & Country Store has been a fixture in the town for over 20 years, so don't leave without taking a peek inside. In addition to handmade soaps, local honey, old-fashioned candy, and hand-painted farm animal toys, it sells everything from pet food to garden supplies to footwear, so you can get what you need for a walk along Henniker's riverside trail.

The Contoocook River winds through Henniker, offering many places to watch the rushing waters from the banks and even do some fishing. Proctor Hill is considered an easy 3-mile meandering hike through land belonging to the local college. The ropes course is prohibited, but anyone can walk there. You can also take the Henniker Rail Trail along the river, which, although not well signposted, is a calm retreat into nature. Pats Peak Green Circle Snowshoe Loop is another easy route that winds through the forest, past ponds, and leads to a unique vantage point for watching skiers on the slopes.

Weather makes or breaks a hike, so keep in mind that the average temperature can exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the warmest months, sometimes reaching around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in July. If you plan to go during ski season, you'll feel the wintry chill from December to March, when average temperatures can drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Versatile layers are your friend in either season. For more outdoorsy adventures, look slightly further afield: Henniker is around 30 miles from the rural charm and idyllic trails of Epsom, and 50 miles from the underrated lakeside town of Hebron.

When it's time to rest up for the night, Henniker Motel is just a five-minute drive from the center of town and has rooms for around $149 per night. Or treat yourself to a quaint room in town at Colby Hill Inn. Rooms start at roughly $222 per night, and its beautiful gardens provide a tranquil spot for fall leaf-peeping. From its pirate lore to its quintessential covered bridges, Henniker manages to exude character while embracing its offbeat features, making visitors feel right at home.