The spring months are a wonderful time of year to get out and explore. Burbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, quaint covered bridges, and trees bursting into bloom make this a delightful time of year to take a road trip around the region or plan a trip to a sugarhouse to learn how maple syrup is made. 

Spring is also the perfect season to hit the slopes or trails unencumbered by heavy jackets, hats, and mittens to enjoy a day or two — or more — of endless blue skies, soft snow, and sweetly scented air.

Spring Activities Around New Hampshire

A Song Like No Other

The spring peeper is a harbinger of the season with its unmistakable song on March and April evenings. These small frogs live near wetlands, and on early spring nights, they set up a high-pitched chorus of cheeping-peeping sounds. Only the male frogs participate, hoping to attract a mate, and their song signals spring like no other.

If you live near or have occasion to drive by a wetland, step outside on a spring evening for a front-row seat to hear the peepers' incredible love song!

Waterfall Watching Is A True Spring Pleasure

The best time to seek out waterfalls are the spring months as the snow melts at higher elevations and sends the water rushing and tumbling down mountainsides. A waterfall sparkling in the sun on a spring day is a sight to behold.

You don't need to go far to find a waterfall. These four in the White Mountains region are easily accessible. Then check out NewEnglandWaterfalls.com for a comprehensive listing of New Hampshire's waterfalls.

Silver Cascade & Flume Cascade

A few miles east of the Omni Mount Washington Hotel on Route 302 in Crawford Notch, these side-by-side falls are popular stopping points for motorists. Both have a drop of about 300 feet as they cascade down Mount Jackson and into the Saco River. Parking is available in the lot just across the highway, but use caution as you cross, as this is a busy road.

Glen Ellis Falls & Crystal Cascade

Both falls are located off Route 16 in Pinkham Notch, and because they are fairly close to one another, can be explored on the same day.

Glen Ellis Falls tumbles down 64 feet into the Ellis River and is accessed by an easy 0.4-mile walk, including a series of steps. Access is from a parking area on Route 16.

Another easy walk of 0.7 miles takes you to Crystal Cascade, which plunges 100 feet into the Cutler River. Parking is available at the Appalachian Mountain Club Visitor Center. 

Moose on the Loose

During your spring explorations, keep a watchful eye out for one of the region's most famous residents — the majestic moose. The large beasts weigh an average of 1,000 pounds, stand six-feet tall at the shoulder, and are attracted in spring by the salt along roadways following winter road salting.

It's fun to stop and take photos, but don't approach them. Moose are unpredictable wild animals. Stay in or close to your vehicle. For comfortable moose encounters, consider signing up in a couple of months for an evening ride on one of the region's moose tours, which generally run from late May to late September or early October. Board a comfortable van and let the knowledgeable driver take you to favorite moose-viewing spots.

• Gorham Moose Tours, Gorham, NH
• Pemi Valley Moose Tours, Lincoln, NH

Covered Bridges

New Hampshire is home to 54 covered bridges. The wooden structures, many built in the 1800s, allowed travelers to cross from one side of a river to another on foot, on horseback, or in a buggy or wagon.

A drive over a covered bridge is a unique experience as you can hear the rumble of the wooden floors under your vehicle's tires. Then get out of your car and stroll across the bridge to note its craftsmanship and intricate details while imagining early settlers making the same crossing as they listened to the water rushing just yards below their feet.

To get a taste of what you can expect if you were to visit all 54 covered bridges check these out.

The Bath-Haverhill Bridge over the Ammonoosuc River in Bath is the state's oldest covered bridge still in use.

The Blair Bridge in Campton spans the Pemigewasset River. At one time, offenders could incur a $5 fine for crossing the bridge at speeds exceeding 5 mph.

One of the state's newest bridges is the Riverwalk Bridge, a pedestrian bridge over the Ammonoosuc River in downtown Littleton. Built in 2004, it connects the town's River District with a nearby walking path that leads to a long and bouncy suspension bridge that's fun for kids to race across.

Learn more about the state's covered bridges.

Sample A Sweet Treat!

March is Maple Sugaring Month in New Hampshire, and maple producers around the state welcomed visitors to their sugar houses to learn how maple syrup is made, from tapping the sugarbush to boiling down the sap.

Freezing night temperatures accompanied by warm days are essential to the process, and these conditions occur from late February to early April. This year, Maple Weekend was March 14 and 15, but most sugarhouses were open on weekends throughout the month.

During Maple Sugaring Month, visitors were invited to sample the sweet syrup and other products like maple sugar and maple candy. Many sugarhouses held special events along with the tastings, like hay rides and opportunities to tap a tree yourself.

Spring Skiing

Ski season comes to a close in early spring in New Hampshire, but not before skiers enjoy some glorious days on the slopes, with blue skies overhead, warm breezes ruffling the budding trees, and snow just waiting for those last tracks of the season. Those final runs on mountain slopes or along a groomed cross-country track are to be savored and stored away until the snow flies again at the end of the year. Learn more about all of the state's ski areas.

Tramp Along A Trail

After winter months spent mainly indoors, there's nothing like lacing up your hiking boots and tackling a trail through woods where birds are singing and trees are showing their first flush of green or challenging yourself climbing a mountain peak.

The White Mountains region of New Hampshire is crisscrossed with trails that appeal to beginners and experienced peak baggers. The Appalachian Mountain Club, with lodges in both Crawford Notch in Bretton Woods and Pinkham Notch in Jackson, is the go-to resource for hiking in the Whites. The AMC has experienced staff who are familiar with trail conditions and can suggest trails that can be safely traversed in late spring. Some town websites include information on easily accessible trails in their town.

• AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch

• AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Eileen Alexander, a New Hampshire native, made a short detour through North Carolina before returning to the Granite State. She has a yen for old homes with character, colorful flower gardens, and expansive mountain views. 

See this article and more in the spring edition of Journey Home, Badger Peabody & Smith Realty's magazine focusing on New Hampshire real estate and local living.