New England Recreation

Being it skiing at Stowe, Vermont, or sunbathing on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, there is a tremendous diversity of recreational activities in New England. It is the vast number of recreational activities to be had in New England that is at the heart of the rebirth of economic activity in the region over the past couple of decades.

Bolstered by the fact that the area is within easy driving distance of major population centers in New York and Boston, getaways to New England have become increasingly more attractive in an era of high fuel prices and fears of possible terrorist attacks on airliners.

National Parks

One of the major draws to the region is New England's 18 national parks. The draw of these parks add millions each year to the coffers of resort communities and alone account for well more than 10 million visitors to the most visited parks. While one might expect that winter sports would top the list, the most visited of New England national parks is the Cape Cod National Seashore, which brings in more than 5 million visitors a year. Sunbathers and hikers account for this park drawing nearly twice as many visitors as the second most visited park in the region.

The Arcadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, is the second most visited in New England. This park offers the rugged outdoors lover some 115 miles of hiking trails (rated easy to strenuous), magnificent scenery, and activities from fishing to skiing. The oldest national park on the east coast, Arcadia runs from the ocean to the mountains.

Getting Away

Many need no other reason for going to New England than just to get away. Every state in the region offers tourists something to do outdoors. New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine all offer excellent camping and fishing destinations amid rolling hills and choices of oceanfront or lakefront views. During the winter months, ski resorts in Vermont and New Hampshire are crowded with tourists, and the summer temperatures that rarely reach the high 80s mean beaches along Cape Cod and Connecticut stay full.

Less physical forms of New England recreation would have to include the many scenic driving tours through rustic villages and over covered bridges. Professional sports, both major league and minor, are offered summer, fall, and winter in Boston and surrounding areas.

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