New Hampshire has something for everyone – with its bountiful scenic spots, waterfalls, covered bridges, quaint towns, wilderness and loads of trails. This Granite state is home to the Appalachian Trail, White Mountains and Mount Washington as also many deer, bear and moose.
New Hampshire is arguably ‘the gem’ of New England. We drove into this beautiful state from Maine and stopped at various interesting points from north to south. The distances are not too large by American standards. A straight drive from north to south would take about an hour and half. We spent four days and stayed in two different Airbnbs, one in the north (Woodstock) and another in south (Manchester).
Here are two maps showing the best stops we found in our road trip.
KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY ROUTE
It is a beautiful drive between Conway and Lincoln in the popular White Mountains of New Hampshire. The 35 miles of winding road on route number 112 through the Kancamagus highway starts at Lincoln at the west and ends at Conway. You can drive it the other way round from east to west too. The road climbs to nearly 3000 feet as it crosses the flank of Mt. Kancamagus in Lincoln offering mountain views, flora and fauna at various stops en route including falls, covered bridges, and scenic lookouts.
The best time to explore this place would be fall time when the leaves turn orange and red, but we were a wee bit early when the fall was just beginning.
Some of the best stops along this route include:
Albany Covered Bridge
Walk or drive across the bridge. Enjoy the views of the Swift River water shed that begins here and joins the Saco River in Conway and flows all the way through the state of Maine to the Atlantic Ocean. Benches are provided to sit and admire the views. There is also a short Boulder loop trail with views of Mt. Chocorua at the end.
Lower Falls
This is a riverside scenic site with a large viewing platform to enjoy more views of the Swift River.
Rocky Gorge and Falls Pond
Another photogenic flume and falls. Here the river flows through a narrow cleft in solid rock creating the gorge. A short walk over a footbridge brings you to the Falls Pond. A walk around the pond is truly magical.
Sabbaday Falls
Awesome! The falls can be viewed after a short walk along the Sabbaday Brook trail. Walking further and climbing a steep stone staircase and boardwalk gets you to an elevated level from where the falls can be viewed from the top. This breathtaking waterfall is a 45 ft series of cascades crashing through a narrow flume and there is also a lovely emerald pool.
Some tips on driving along Kancamagus Highway:
- There are no gas stations on this route. So, fill up the car before you begin the road trip.
- Cell service is non-existent.
- No cafes or restaurants on this route.
- Most important – Recreation passes (valid for a day) are required to park anywhere in this route. The best way is to get this pass at any ranger station. There is a convenient ranger station at the Conway end of the highway.
We drove further north to the Franconia Notch State Park. The popular Flume Gorge and the Basin are located here.
Flume Gorge
View the Sentinel Pine Bridge and the Flume Bridge along with the spectacular gorge in the amazing 2 mile loop hike along with Avalanche falls, a beautiful covered bridge and Glacial boulders.
This truly amazing adventure in Franconia Notch State Park can easily take half a day taking time to enjoy the views! Easily the best in New Hampshire.
The Basin and Basin Cascade
Located a bit north of Flume Gorge in the Franconia Notch state park is this unusual basin with a pleasant trail to the basin cascade. There is a short walk through the underpass to get a view of the basin. A large pothole (30 ft dia and 15 ft deep), formed by erosion over the years of a solid granite bedrock, is the unique ‘basin’ in the Pemigewasset River. It is quite a sight when the water cascades into the granite bowl and forms a whirlpool around its walls. The pictures do not capture this entirely.
Driving southwards, there are more covered bridges, lakes, parks, dams and beaches. The following stops are totally worth it. Some of them may not be always listed in the tourist attractions, but we found them interesting.
Squam River and Covered Bridge
South bound on route 3 is the Squam River and the covered bridge just next to it.
The one-lane bridge has a pedestrian foot lane. Also known as Ashland Covered Bridge, it was built in 1990 by Milton Graton and sons. It is said that the bridge was pulled into place by teams of oxen!!!! The bridge is located where Little Squam Lake connects with Squam River.
We stopped here and took some photographs. Lots of boats were docked in a small marina. We also found a popular town beach nearby. It was a great place for some peace and quiet with lovely scenery.
Wiers Beach and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad
Towards the south of New Hampshire is its largest lake – Winnipesaukee (meaning ‘smile of the spirits). You could drive around the lake (63 miles) stopping at interesting points like Alton and Wolfeboro.
We found the Wiers Beach area, towards the northwest of the lake, interesting. Great views of the lake, long boardwalk and a pier with loads of restaurants and shops, Endicott state park at the end.
There are old fashioned trains that take off from Weirs Beach station to Meredith station – one to two hour scenic rides along the lake shore.
A lovely place to hang out, stretch your legs, enjoy views.
Mine Falls Park and Dam
Driving further south, we came across this 325 acre Mine Falls Park in Nashua. The park has forest, river and wetlands. Full of serene wooded trails, this park is a gem for families, runners and walkers. The trails are good for bikers too. There is plenty of shade, huge trees, flora and fauna and a river flowing through it. There are at least 3 access points to the park and dam with good parking lots.
There is a boat launch, fishing access and Hydro dam gatehouse with falls on one end of the park. We enjoyed watching a boat launch and walked around the hydro-electric dam and admired the falls. The fall colors had just about set in and it was beautiful.
Four days was just right to enjoy the above scenic spots. At the end of our four-day stay in New Hampshire, we took off towards the next state, Vermont as part of our 3 weeks of exploring beautiful New England.
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Oh my gosh, the Flume Gorge looks SO COOL! I’m definitely adding a NH roadtrip to my bucket list!
Those covered bridges really add a picturesque element to the road trip. Thanks for sharing.
New Hampshire looks absolutely stunning! I am planning a long road trip through the US so will definitely be saving for then!
I LOVE New Hampshire! I’ve only traveled in and around Portsmouth, but I would love to explore more of what the state has to offer. Thank you for sharing these awesome stops!
I agree with you, NH does have something for everyone! I love how scenic it is, so many picture-perfect moments. The covered bridges, and the incredible waterfalls, and I adore visiting quaint little towns. I did a road trip through NH decades ago and agree, it is the gem of New England.
I have never spent any time in New Hampshire. So this road trip view was a great introduction. I certainly would stop for all the lovely covered bridges. And the outdoor stops looks stunning. Waterfalls are a big weakness of ours so I know we would have lots of planned and unplanned stops. So I am not sure if 4 days would be enough for us. But your itinerary is a great start for planning.
Wow! I did not realize there is so much to see and do in New Hampshire. I agree with you that Rocky George and Falls Pond is indeed photogenic. We’d love to explore the area soon including Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.
I love how scenic this road trip through New Hampshire was. I have never seen a covered bridge before, I would love to do this road trip just so I can see so many of them, in so different styles. I also like that there are plenty of hiking opportunities around with so many great views. The Flume Gorge looks particularly appealing to me. Good shout at having the Kancamagus Highway pass in order to drive and park alongside it.
I think I could be happy planning a road trip just to explore and photograph all of the covered bridges. Very nice.
Still loving the covered bridges plus the waterfalls and beginning of fall color.
So many beautiful waterfalls. Looks like it was a fun road trip 🙂
Love all the places you mentioned especially the gorge! To walk along the bridge must be chill with such a view. I must plan for this road trip next time! I haven’t really visited many places in New Hampshire when I was there last time.
You had such a beautiful trip! I love the idea of taking a road trip through New Hampshire, as I am a huge fan of covered bridges. I would like to see Albany Covered Bridge, especially during fall to see amazing colors. Also, I add to my list Ashland Covered Bridge and this charming small marina. Also, the Hydro dam gatehouse with falls on one end of Mine Falls Park seems a pretty exciting place.
It’s great to know that four days was enough to enjoy all these spots.
I’ve never been to New Hampshire before but this road trip looks perfect to see all the best spots in the state. Pinning this for when we start planning our NH road trip!
New Hampshire looks absolutely stunning and awesome to visit! I am planning a long road trip through the US and would love to explore New Hampshire. Thanks for the info
I must admit, I am a bit spoiled as a Bostonian being so close to New Hampshire. We’ve visiting this beautiful destination many, many times over my life, from camping along the Kancamagus to boating on Lake Winnipesaukee, to exploring the Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch, and more. That’s why I so appreciate this guide. You’ve covered so many of the NH attractions I’ve come to know and love – and I’m sure anyone planning a trip to The Granite State will find inspiration here. This post is a great resource for anyone who wants to enjoy this beautiful New England destination. Yay, New Hampshire!
I love all of the New England area so much! I’ve visited a few of the places you listed here…but hope to get back to New Hampshire again soon. Such a beautiful and friendly place.
Love those picturesque bridges! I wouldn’t mind doing a road trip through New Hampshire. Thanks for sharing this beautiful area.
What a scenic drive! I’ll put that on my list of places to see. Beautiful waterfall photography!
I’ve been thinking about a fall roadtrip, thankyou for the detail on the roads you used, very useful to help with my planning
Thee perfect fall trip! I would love to take a photo like you did in between the Glacial boulders! Looks beautiful and scenic, New Hampshire is now on my bucket list!