Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

About this drive

The Kancamagus Highway — locally called "the Kanc" — runs 34.5 miles through the White Mountain National Forest between Conway and Lincoln, crossing the Swift River watershed and climbing over Kancamagus Pass at 2,855 feet. It is one of the most famous fall drives in New England: the road passes through pure northern hardwood forest — sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech — that turns in a sustained color wave from early October through early November. The highway was completed in 1959 and is a National Scenic Byway with no commercial development along its length — no gas stations, no shops, no lodging. What it does have is a series of developed campgrounds, multiple trailheads for walks ranging from easy riverside paths to full summit ascents, and several roadside pullouts at Swift River crossings where the swimming is cold and clear enough to make it worth it. The peak foliage window is usually mid-October for the higher elevations and the third week of October at the valley end near Conway. The Saco Ranger District station in Conway has current trail and campground conditions. Come on a Tuesday or Wednesday if possible; October weekends on the Kanc are a well-known gridlock.

Stops along the way

• 📸 Sabbaday Falls · Scenic Viewpoint

  A short, easy trail off the highway leads to a multi-tiered waterfall cut through granite.

Featured in

• Top 10 Scenic Drives in the USA
• Best Mountain Scenic Drives in the USA