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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Orange
Orange, New Hampshire
Skip Orange as a destination: it's a 300-person town with one state park. Use it as a trailhead for Mount Cardigan if you're already in the Lakes Region, but plan zero nights.
Orange is a tiny town in New Hampshire's Lakes Region, best known for Mount Cardigan State Park. The park offers a 3,121 ft (951 m) treeless granite summit with panoramic views of west-central New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. There is no lodging, no restaurant and no shop in town. Most visitors drive in for a half-day hike and leave.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Orange, New Hampshire
- Best months
- May–October
- Avoid
- November–April (snow on trails, park may close)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $0 (day trip) · Mid $0 (day trip) · High $0 (day trip) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Mount Cardigan State Park entry (per vehicle) | $5 (check) |
| Gas (fill up before arriving) | $3.50–4.00/gal (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MHT · Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
- About 1 h 15 min drive
- LEB · Lebanon Municipal Airport
- About 45 min drive
Typical fares
- Manchester Airport to Orange
- about 1 h 15 min drive, no public transport
- Lebanon Airport to Orange
- about 45 min drive, no public transport
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car required. From US 4 take NH-188 then Cardigan Mountain Road. No public transport.
See and do
Known for
- Mount Cardigan State Park
- Hiking to a treeless granite summit
- Panoramic views of three states
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Laconia | Drive via US 4, about 25 min | 30 min |
| Meredith | Drive via NH-104, about 30 min | 35 min |
| Tilton | Drive via US 4, about 20 min | 25 min |
Sleep
- No lodging in Orange
- Stay in nearby towns: Laconia, Tilton, Meredith or Ashland.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hellohello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| How much is the entry fee? | How much is the entry fee? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No services in town: bring water, food and a full tank of gas.
- Cell reception is patchy on the mountain; download maps before you go.
- Mount Cardigan trails can be icy into May; check conditions with the park.
Very safe; the main risk is hiking unprepared. Bring layers, water and a map. No cell service on the summit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Orange yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mount Cardigan State Park
- Hiking to a treeless granite summit
- Panoramic views of three states
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Orange (New Hampshire), revision 3699004 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3699004
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
OrangeOrange, New Hampshire
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
The nearest US embassy is in Ottawa, Canada; for consular services, contact the US Department of State.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/orange-new-hampshire). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.