The Kancamagus Highway | The Ultimate New Hampshire Fall Foliage Drive
Of all the New England fall foliage drives, none is more well known (or mispronounced) than the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.
By Jim Salge|Sep 27 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine Keenan
As soon as the calendar flips to September, New Englanders start thinking about their favorite fall activities, with “leaf-peeping” chief among them (assisted, as always, by our official annual fall foliage forecast). This term is kind of a catch-all for visiting fall fairs, farms, and festivals in small villages and rural areas while admiring the brilliant colors of the season.
While you don’t have to go far for a leaf-peeping fix, if you feel like taking a drive there are some legendary routes in every state. These roads are far less likely to be referred to by their state-assigned number than by a name befitting the experience you have traveling them. Smugglers’ Notch, Mohawk Trail, Acadia Loop, and Golden Road are classics. But perhaps none is more well known (or mispronounced) than the Kancamagus Highway, aka the Kanc, in New Hampshire.
The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) in New Hampshire is a favorite fall foliage drive. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
Driving the Kancamagus Highway (aka “The Kanc”) in Fall
The Kanc has just about everything you could want in a classic fall foliage drive. The route links two great New England ski towns through 30 winding miles of unbroken White Mountain forest. It follows boulder-strewn rivers and runs past mountain ponds, over a high pass, and alongside endless vistas. You can enjoy all of this without leaving your car, or stop and set off on any of the hundreds of miles of trails accessible from the road. And if one day isn’t enough, there are half a dozen campgrounds along the way.
Traveling from east to west, from Conway to Lincoln, you should first stop in the Saco Ranger Station just a few hundred yards from the turn off Route 16. There you can purchase a parking pass, which must be displayed at all forest service parking areas along the route. The rangers always have great information about foliage conditions and favorite sites and hikes, too.
The Kancamagus Highway parallels the boulder-strewn Swift River for the first part of the trip traveling west. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
Continuing west, you follow the Swift River for a few miles before reaching three popular parking areas at great sites along the river: the Albany Covered Bridge, Lower Falls, and Rocky Gorge and Falls Pond. The lots at these locations are often nearly full, especially on weekends, but that should not deter anyone from stopping. There is a certain camaraderie and courtesy among leaf peepers and there are plenty of opportunities to walk along the trails at each site to find your solitude — not to mention a unique shot of the fall colors!
Though located a short walk from a busy parking area, Falls Pond at Rocky Gorge can offer plenty of solitude. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
Traversing a few more miles of lowlands along the river will bring you past some perfect moose habitat and a few chances to hike to waterfalls before beginning to climb the pass. The highway climbs nearly 2,500 feet in elevation before topping out at a pair of breathtaking overlooks, one facing east and one facing west. Catching an autumn sunset from the Pemigewasset Overlook during peak foliage is one experience not to be missed.
The mountains surrounding the higher elevations of the Kancamagus Highway look stunning in peak foliage. Photo Credit : Jeff Sinon
One of the best things about the Kancamagus Highway in autumn is that because of its changes in elevation, the window to see color along the byway is pretty long. Peak reaches this upper pass in late September, and is often bare, or even dusted with snow by the time the lower river valleys are ablaze up to two weeks later.
Because of the varied terrain, peak fall foliage can be found along the Kanc for a couple of weeks. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
During the 2,000-foot descent between the pass and the town of Lincoln, you’ll need to be cognizant of cyclists “cranking the Kanc” and descending at speeds that rival your car’s. The road here is steep and winding, with a classic hairpin turn halfway down. And all the while, perfect panoramic views surround you.
Before reaching Lincoln, you should make one last stop, at Lincoln Woods, to photograph the views up into the wilderness from the suspension bridge, or walk along the 100-year-old railbeds of the old logging railroads. A lot of history has shaped the forests of New England, but we sure like how they are today!
The suspension bridge at Lincoln Woods provides a classic view into the wilderness. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
The Kancamagus Highway is one of many classic New England fall foliage routes, all of which offer unique experiences of autumn.
This post was first published in 2017 and has been updated.
Great memories of traveling each year with mom and dad to the Kancamagus Highway. Not sure my dad would like the title of “leaf peeper” Blazed into my memory bank which goes back some 75 years and before the road and trail became commercialized (you now have to pay to stop) Been around the USA and nothing can compare to the fall foliage of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The Red Maples, White Birches (yellow leaves) Green balsams all paint a picture which can’t be duplicated. Warm memoriues for this 84 year old, born in Marblehead, Massachusetts our yearly family trek to seethe “Cow Hampshire” autumn leaves stays with me forever!
I’m sorry but I didn’t find the Kanc very impressive. Maybe it’s because I’m from Pennsylvania and we have fall foliage here, but it wasn’t anything super impressive. Now, if you get off the highway and hike some of the trails, I’m sure it’s gorgeous, but just to drive it, not really worth it, in my opinion.
I first saw the Kanc in the summer of 1981. We were a year married and wanted to spend a second honeymoon somewhere less crowded. We started the day in Boston Harbor on the U.S. Constitution, where it was a sweltering 98 degrees. By the time I got to the mountains, my beautiful wife was sleeping and the clouds and rain brought down the temp to 47 degrees. I couldn’t believe such a stark change. We made it up to the old and former Inn at Loon Mountain, a special place with charm long since gone. We ate dinner overlooking the outdoor pool where some crazies were cannonballing in pouring rain and mid-40s mountain air. The next day, the Kanc awaited us in both directions. I could not believe how amazing this road is as it weaves gracefully through an undulating topography that offers views no matter what window you’re peering out no matter time of day no matter what time of year. I can say this because we’ve been back multiple times in all four seasons. My only regret was not taking enough photos of the “old” 1980s environment. It has been so wastefully ruined with overdevelopment that drips the ground with stains of greed. Look beyond what humankind has exploited and you will still find what the Divine offers. It is worth the trip.
Spent years going from Woodsville welfare Dept over the Kac to visit foster children in great homes along the trail to Littleton. So glad we got to see the Old Man in the Mountain before it fell.
This article made me want to drive the K while visiting NE. Glad that I did. It was the first week of October, but the foliage was already in full swing. My only complaint is that the pull-offs for scenic overlooks, trailheads, etc. need to be market 500 or 1,000 feet in advance. Currently they just pop up, and it’s difficult to safely slow and exit when there’s a line of vehicles on your bumper.
Great memories of traveling each year with mom and dad to the Kancamagus Highway. Not sure my dad would like the title of “leaf peeper” Blazed into my memory bank which goes back some 75 years and before the road and trail became commercialized (you now have to pay to stop) Been around the USA and nothing can compare to the fall foliage of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The Red Maples, White Birches (yellow leaves) Green balsams all paint a picture which can’t be duplicated. Warm memoriues for this 84 year old, born in Marblehead, Massachusetts our yearly family trek to seethe “Cow Hampshire” autumn leaves stays with me forever!
When will the Fal Foliage adventure be available for 2018?
I’m sorry but I didn’t find the Kanc very impressive. Maybe it’s because I’m from Pennsylvania and we have fall foliage here, but it wasn’t anything super impressive. Now, if you get off the highway and hike some of the trails, I’m sure it’s gorgeous, but just to drive it, not really worth it, in my opinion.
Wonderful.
I’m from eastern Pa and the foliage can’t compare at all to New England
I first saw the Kanc in the summer of 1981. We were a year married and wanted to spend a second honeymoon somewhere less crowded. We started the day in Boston Harbor on the U.S. Constitution, where it was a sweltering 98 degrees. By the time I got to the mountains, my beautiful wife was sleeping and the clouds and rain brought down the temp to 47 degrees. I couldn’t believe such a stark change. We made it up to the old and former Inn at Loon Mountain, a special place with charm long since gone. We ate dinner overlooking the outdoor pool where some crazies were cannonballing in pouring rain and mid-40s mountain air. The next day, the Kanc awaited us in both directions. I could not believe how amazing this road is as it weaves gracefully through an undulating topography that offers views no matter what window you’re peering out no matter time of day no matter what time of year. I can say this because we’ve been back multiple times in all four seasons. My only regret was not taking enough photos of the “old” 1980s environment. It has been so wastefully ruined with overdevelopment that drips the ground with stains of greed. Look beyond what humankind has exploited and you will still find what the Divine offers. It is worth the trip.
Spent years going from Woodsville welfare Dept over the Kac to visit foster children in great homes along the trail to Littleton. So glad we got to see the Old Man in the Mountain before it fell.
Camped at Jigger Johnson in 1969. Love the Kanc. Walked part of it once. Have been over it countless times.
You know what would be nice? An ADDRESS for how to get to this beautiful suspension bridge… nobody knows.
This article made me want to drive the K while visiting NE. Glad that I did. It was the first week of October, but the foliage was already in full swing. My only complaint is that the pull-offs for scenic overlooks, trailheads, etc. need to be market 500 or 1,000 feet in advance. Currently they just pop up, and it’s difficult to safely slow and exit when there’s a line of vehicles on your bumper.