Electrical and other machinery, as well as fabricated metals and plastics, are also manufactured. Lumbering has been important since the first sawmill was built on the Salmon Falls River in 1631. Most of the timber cut now is used in paper production. Mineral production, chiefly of sand, gravel, and stone, is today a minor factor in New Hampshire's economy. Year-round tourism is now the state's leading industry.
Many visitors come to enjoy the state's beaches, mountains, and lakes.
Of the rugged Isles of Shoals off the coast, three belong to New Hampshire. Originally fishing colonies, they are now used largely as summer residences. In the winter skiers flock northward, and the state has responded to the increasing popularity of winter sports by greatly expanding its facilities. When the snows melt, skiers are replaced by hikers, rafters, and climbers. Folk crafts such as wood carving, weaving, and pottery making have been revived to meet the tourist market.