Leaf peeping is a favorite autumn activity in New England, and there is no better place to see the array than the colorful mountains surrounding the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. From Boston, you can cruise up route 93 all the way to the adorable little town of Lincoln, where route 112 begins in the White Mountains. Originally meant to connect Lincoln with the Eastern New Hampshire hub of Conway, the Kancamagus highway has become one of the USA’s most popular autumnal scenic byways. When asking for directions, make sure you ask for the Kank-ah-MAH-gus, or simply the “Kanc.”
Opened in 1959, the Kanc is named after a noted Native American of the southern New Hampshire region named Kancamagus, meaning “the fearless one.” Twenty-six miles of the highway have been designated a National Scenic Byway, and driving through the White Mountains during the peak of leaf peeping season, it is no wonder why.
My adventure in the White Mountains began in the adorable mountain town of Lincoln. With rustic taverns, and one of the two large visitor’s centers of the Kanc (the other being on the other side in Conway) Lincoln is the perfect pit stop before venturing into the completely rural areas of route 112. Signs even warn visitors to top up on gas as the only natural resources you will find on the Kancamagus is plenty of wood for campfires. Located in Lincoln is a high-flying adventure park called Alpine Adventures. I wanted to start my day in the great outdoors, and was intrigued by the signs for zip lining that the park offered. As it was Columbus Day weekend, the White Mountains were rather busy, and my boyfriend and I were able to snag the last two spots on the zip lining tour that was leaving in just five minutes—there was no turning back now.
As I was terrified to bring my phone while flying through the trees, I didn’t capture any photos of my gleeful, terrified face as I zoomed past the incredible foliage, but you can only imagine the views from 80 feet above the forest floor! We chose the easiest of the three zips, the Treetop Canopy tour which took us through 6 different lines of varying length. It was perfect for the two hours we wanted to spend there and reasonably priced at $65 a person. Three skilled and very funny guides led you through the course with a surprise ending that truly makes you feel as though you are flying—or free falling.
After the alpine adventure we began our way through the Kancamagus. As I mentioned, there were lots of people out to see the leaves, so the scenic parking lots were a bit crowded. Most of them have similar views of mountains and valleys and beautifully colorful trees, so after trying to make our way through the traffic of the first few scenic overlooks, we were satisfied and wanted to see more of nature’s beauty, more in water form.
I am a big fan of waterfalls. I think it is so cool how over millions of years they have been powerful enough to cut through rock and form a path to cascade down. Our first stop was at a beautiful little waterfall called Sabbaday Falls, named for the “Sabbath Day” when men were working on a road to connect through the mountains back in the 19th century before the winter months came upon them and they had to abandon the project. But, the falls were discovered and if you are careful you can stand on rocks which jut out into the river flowing beneath the falls, getting an incredible view and photos.
Kancamagus follows many brooks along the path, perfect for exploring and of course more photo taking of the incredible scenery. Toward the end of the scenic byway is another small series of waterfalls called the lower falls leading from the brook with giant flat rocks you can climb across and see fisherman casting lines from.
The final photo-worthy spot is the Albany Covered Bridge located right after the Lower Falls. Don’t miss the entrance on your right as the sign has four different attractions, including the Albany campground listed on it. Running above the Swift River, this one lane bridge has been maintained since its construction in 1858, becoming a beautiful and functional New England iconic covered bridge.Leaf peeping season runs from the middle of September to the end of October with the best foliage being the middle weeks of October. If I were to go again I would try to avoid Columbus Day weekend because of the crowds of tourists, but the breathtaking foliage was absolutely worth the honking horns and crying children if you just focused on the serenity of the White Mountains surrounding you. And if you’re lucky, you might even see a moose!
