Kancamagus is King

October 16th 2022: Somewhere between peak foliage and stick season, somewhere between Lincoln and Conway, The Kancamagus Highway dazzled me.

Before last year, my favorite thing about New Hampshire was its proximity to Maine. But after a stay in Portsmouth last winter and one wild ride on the Kancamagus last fall, The Granite State gave me quite a few reasons of its own to return.

In the heart of White Mountain National Forest, a state park called Franconia Notch waits to welcome you with natural wonders and outdoor activities abound. My favorite thing about this park is that I don’t have to hike too hard for gorgeous views. That said, if you love to work up a good sweat on a many-mile excursion, this park has you covered. I also loved that an interstate acts as a scenic drive and conveniently transports you to everything awesome.

I recommend starting your journey in lovely Littleton and making your way to St. Matthew’s Chapel in Sugar Hill for great photo ops. Next, keep heading south to Artist’s Bluff. This was the first Franconia stop on my list, but I bypassed it because even a moderately challenging 1.5-mile hike had “skip it” written all over it for me. From there, I took the easy route to Echo Lake Beach, which was absolutely gorgeous—the kind of place that can dazzle in any season.

Next up is The Basin, where you can watch water whirl, twirl, and dance for days. This stop is not to be missed—it was my favorite. From there, you can make your way to Flume Gorge and the Flume Covered Bridge, BUT don’t make the same mistake I did—book reservations in advance. Those without reservations (🙋🏻‍♀️) didn’t get to see the gorge in peak foliage season.

Other covered bridges in the area include Sentinel Pine and Clark’s, and then where I-93 intersects with NH-112, you’ve found the Kancamagus. And let me just say that this National Scenic Byway is worth every bit of the hype it gets. A few of the Kanc’s most notable natural attractions are Hancock Overlook, Sabbaday Falls, Rocky Gorge, Lower Falls, and Albany Covered Bridge. I recommend stopping at all of them. And from here, it makes sense to make your way back north to conquer the Mount Washington Auto Road—get yourself one of those epic bumper stickers that say, “This car climbed Mount Washington.”

If you’re not familiar with this drive, the fact that they award drivers with these bumper stickers when they make it to the top of the mountain is telling enough. I’ve also heard tales of a time back in the 90s when the road was less paved, and rescue crews were kept busy by visitors driving to the top then refusing to drive back down because the climb was so harrowing. I nixed this stop due to mechanical difficulties with my car—this is not the kind of drive you want to do if you’re having any doubts about your car’s capabilities. But it gives me a good reason to ride back up there someday.

P.s. You can also take the Cog Railway up the mountain for a leisurely locomotive ride to the top.