A Family Vacation at Purity Spring Resort

Why should kids get all the fun of going to summer camp? Wouldn’t it be fun if parents could kick back and enjoy those carefree, fun-filled days of water sports, cookouts and activities on their family travels? And ones they didn’t need to plan or pack all the gear for. At Purity Spring Resort, in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, they can.

Purity Spring puts the fun back into summer for parents, as well as for the kids, giving a whole new twist to a family vacation. The resort even looks like a summer camp with its lakeside setting surrounded by miles of forest, and cottages tucked in among the pines.

The cottages are perfect for families and extended families, while couples can choose between the homey comforts of the main house or the newer lakeside rooms with balconies. All these accommodations are a few steps from the water, where kayaks, canoes, rowboats and paddle boards wait for guests to adventure out.

The sandy beach sits on an island, and a family-friendly swimming area features a floating dock, water games and a 25-foot inflatable “iceberg” climbing wall and slide combo. The Purity Spring property includes the long meandering lake and an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, with trails for hiking and mountain biking.

Along with the water sports, there are tennis and pickleball courts, horseshoes, shuffleboard, volleyball and basketball courts and an indoor sports center with a large pool, hot tub and fitness room. Summer camp wouldn’t be complete without hands-on craft activities, and a favorite at Purity Spring is making your own tie-dye t-shirts.

Like everything else here, the informal Traditions Restaurant is kid-friendly, but you can also order packaged dinners ready to reheat in the cottage or the in-room kitchenette. On Sunday mornings, everyone can join in the breakfast cookout on the island, and on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, there’s a lobster (or steak) cookout.

It’s no wonder Purity Spring is so good at catering to families — they’ve been doing it through four generations of family ownership, and some families of guests have returned each summer for more than 80 years!