Kancamagus Highway Is A Great Day That Can Cost You Nothing
Written: Jan 01 '01 (Updated Nov 05 '09)
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Pros: beautiful, inexpensive, fun for the family, a full day trip
Cons: if your hotel is at one end you drive it twice, very dark at night
The Bottom Line: One of the most scenic drives in the United States with enough stops to make a whole day out of it.
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: New Hampshire |
My family has been going up to New Hampshire in the summer for close to 50 years. A don't miss for us is the Kancamagus Highway. This road travels over mountains through the White Mountain National Forest. There are quite a few scenic overlooks and places to park along the way. If you are a camper, there are also campgrounds here, though I hear that space is difficult to get.
Early in the day we pack a picnic lunch and drive up to Conway. Just before you arrive in town is the turn-off to Route 112 - the Kancamagus Highway. Our first stop is at a very busy parking area known as The Lower Falls. Through the trees it doesn't look like much, but this is a great area for swimming (even if the water is positively freezing). There is a deep pool with very little current at the base of the falls. At the top of the falls is an area where you can sit down and slide in the water on the wet rocks, then get out as the water becomes shallow before the falls.
Note: I do not recommend allowing children to play by themselves here, no matter how safe it seems. Conditions due vary due to conditions such as current rainfall and snowfall the previous winter. I have been there when it was closed off and no swimming was allowed!!
This area attracts quite a few visitors, so if you want to stop and swim, you need to get here early!
Back on the highway, you travel higher and higher into the mountains. There are short hiking trails & scenic overlooks along your way. We've stopped at all of them at one time or another. They make a great spot to picnic or just spend some time enjoying the beauty around you. For the serious hikers, there are an abundance of great hiking trails through the mountains.
Just as you hit the middle part of your journey between Conway and Lincoln (the town on the western side of the Highway), there is the most beautiful view of the mountains. I have always wanted to see this spot in the fall. It is so beautiful in the summer that I can just imagine its beauty in the fall with all of the colors around you.
At the western end of the highway just before you enter Lincoln is Loon Mountain. This is the one part of your day that can end up costing money, so if you're not inclined, don't stop here! There is a tramway that goes up the mountain and caves you can wander in and around at the top. There is also horseback riding, a train ride, mountain biking (rentals & tours are available), and a skate park for those into in-line skating. During the winter, this is a major ski area.
Keep in mind that the only way back to Conway is back the way you came, so if you are staying there, you'll have to drive back. The road is very dark at night and wildlife abounds.
You can pick up a free guide map/brochure in just about any tourist attraction in the area, or you can order a complete tourist guide to New Hampshire by visiting the website: http://www.visitnh.gov/
Other sites to see in New Hampshire:
Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort ~ Bretton Woods Ski Resort ~ Canobie Lake Park ~ Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort ~ Franconia Notch State Park ~ King Pine Ski Resort ~ Loon Mountain Ski Resort ~ Madison Boulder Natural Area ~ Mount Washington Cog Railway ~ North Conway, NH ~ Polar Express Event ~ Shawnee Peak, Bridgeton ME ~ Six Gun City ~ Story Land ~ Whale's Tale Waterpark ~ White Lake State Park ~ White Mountain National Forest ~ Wildcat Mountain
Some places to stay in New Hampshire:
Attitash Mountain Village - Bartlett NH ~ Comfort Inn & Suites - North Conway NH ~ Hampton Inn - Concord/Bow NH ~ Yankee Clipper Motel
Places to eat in New Hampshire:
Bea's Cafe, Conway NH ~ Cafe Noche, Conway NH ~ Decades Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Delaney‘s Hole in the Wall, North Conway NH ~ Harts Turkey Farm, Meredith NH ~ May Kelly's Cottage, North Conway NH ~ Merlino's Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Moat Mountain Smokehouse, North Conway NH ~ Muddy Moose, North Conway NH ~ Peach's Restauran, North Conway NH ~ Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub, Glen NH ~ Yankee Smokehouse, West Ossipee NH
Books about the area:
Appalachian Mountain Club White Mountain Guide ~ 50 Hikes in the White Mountains
© 2001 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
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AliventiAsylum
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 2083
Trusted by: 689 members
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Now writing reviews to pay for the "out of network" costs of our health insurance...
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