From a Downpour to a Cold Plunge: Our Morning at White Mountain Sauna Haus

Every year, my family heads to North Conway, New Hampshire for our annual camping trip. It’s one of those traditions I look forward to all year. I love spending time outside, campfires, exploring the White Mountains, and making memories with the family.

But camping in New England also means accepting that Mother Nature is going to do whatever she wants.

And this year, she really went for it.

On our second night, we got absolutely downpoured on. Not just a little summer rain, this was easily one of the craziest storms of the summer. After spending the night listening to the rain pound against the tent, we woke up the next morning to find that it was… still raining. So much for our outdoor plans. I decided this was the perfect excuse to grab my nieces and try something completely different: White Mountain Sauna Haus.

I had been to a sauna haus once before, but my nieces had absolutely no idea what I was getting them into.

White Mountain Sauna Haus is located right on White Mountain Highway in North Conway, making it incredibly convenient if you’re staying or vacationing in the area. You're close to everything North Conway has to offer, including plenty of restaurants if you want to grab lunch or dinner afterward. They do have snack and drinks at the sauna haus too and a cute cozy place to sit inside.

But what surprised me was how quickly you forget you're right off the main road.

The second we walked inside, the entire mood changed.

After a night of crazy weather and a rainy morning, walking into this warm, peaceful space felt amazing. The interior has this cozy, calming hygge feel that immediately makes you want to slow down.

We checked in and met Tim, who gave us the rundown on how everything worked. He handed us our towels, we changed, tucked our belongings into the lockers, and headed outside.

And that’s when I really fell in love with the place.

When we opened the door to the outdoor area, the view was gorgeous.

Even though White Mountain Sauna Haus is right on White Mountain Highway, the outdoor space somehow feels quiet and secluded. You look out toward the mountainside and cliffs, and on this misty, rainy morning, it felt especially peaceful.

There are two saunas. A smaller quiet sauna and a larger community sauna.

Naturally, we started in the community sauna and immediately turned relaxing into a competition by joking about who could stay inside the longest.

But once we settled in, I could actually feel the tension from the night before starting to disappear.

There’s something about sitting in that heat, looking out at the mountains, and knowing you have nowhere else you need to be that forces you to slow down.

Then came the part I was slightly less excited about.

The cold plunge.

After the sauna, we headed to the outdoor showers to rinse off before making our way to the cold plunge.

I was scared.

I knew it was going to be cold. I knew I was voluntarily about to climb into freezing water. And there was definitely a moment where I questioned why I was doing this.

But I made myself get in.

And I am SO glad I did.

The initial shock is exactly what you’d expect, but once I got through those first few seconds, it actually felt incredible.

We went back into the sauna, warmed up again, rinsed off, and headed back to the plunge.

We ended up repeating the cycle about four times.

By then, the rainy camping morning that had originally felt like a disappointment had turned into one of my favorite parts of the trip.

One of the things I loved about White Mountain Sauna Haus was that you don't feel rushed to move from one thing to another.

There are chairs where you can sit and relax between rounds, a fire pit, and even a chairlift swing that couldn't fit the North Conway mountain vibe more perfectly.

It feels like a little mountain retreat tucked right into the middle of town.

And while it ended up being the perfect rainy-day activity for us, I can see this place being amazing in every season.

After hiking in the White Mountains? Sauna.

After a long day skiing? Absolutely sauna.

Cold winter weekend in North Conway? Sauna, cold plunge, fire pit... sign me up.

I already know I want to come back this winter. There’s something about sitting in a hot sauna surrounded by snow and then convincing myself to do that cold plunge again that sounds very New England.

We originally went to White Mountain Sauna Haus because the weather ruined our plans.

We left feeling like the weather had actually done us a favor.

All three of us walked out feeling relaxed, refreshed, and incredibly calm. A pretty dramatic difference from how we had felt waking up after a night of torrential rain in a tent.

If you're planning a trip to North Conway, White Mountain Sauna Haus is definitely worth adding to your itinerary. Whether you're looking for something to do on a rainy day, recovering after hiking or skiing, or just want to carve out a couple of hours to relax during a busy White Mountains vacation, it's such a cool experience.

Sometimes the best parts of a trip are the ones you never planned.

And apparently, sometimes getting completely poured on while camping is exactly what you need to discover them.

— Kate

White Mountain Sauna Haus

3358 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH 03860

https://www.whitemountainsaunahaus.com/