There is a wide shoulder pull-off area for parking and multiple easy paths down to the riverfront at this point. When you start your journey along Highway 112 from Conway, just after you pass the Kancamagus Swift River Inn, the highway will start to parallel the Swift River. For breakfast before you leave, I’d recommend Peach’s Restaurant and for lunch or dinner, we love Barley & Salt Tap House and Kitchen, Flatbread’s, or the Muddy Moose. North Conway makes an ideal starting spot for your scenic drive, with plentiful restaurants, outlet shopping, and outdoor attractions such as Diana’s Baths or Cathedral Ledge. If you are staying near Conway and traveling from east to west, you may want to stop at the Saco Ranger station when you first set out on the highway in order to purchase a recreational pass that covers parking at each stop along the way. Just keep in mind that you can just as easily reverse this itinerary if you are starting in Lincoln. We have driven this scenic byway in both directions and I can’t say that one is necessarily better than the other, but I found it slightly less crowded driving from east to west (starting in Conway), so that is how I have laid out the stops below. Since there is so much to do in the White Mountains and in the area nearby, it is best to plan a weekend trip (or better, visit in the mid-week when it isn’t as crowded!) Where to Stop on the Kancamagus Highway If you want to take some longer hikes or spend more time at some of the viewpoints, plan on taking a full day to drive the Kancamagus Highway. A typical drive with multiple stops will take at least half a day. Of course, a trip along this National Scenic Byway is not just about the drive, it is about the journey and the places you stop along the way. How Long Does it Take to Drive the Kancamagus Highway? In either case, start early to avoid the crowds that build later in the day. If you plan on visiting in the fall, you will encounter fewer crowds if you can visit mid-week. You can always check New Hampshire’s Fall Foliage Tracker to see how when the leaves will peak in the White Mountains this year. This makes Columbus Day / Indigenous People’s Day Weekend a popular time to visit New Hampshire’s White Mountains and drive the Kancamagus Highway. Prime fall foliage season varies depending on the year, but generally “peaks” between late September and mid-October. The drive is pretty at any time of year, but especially during the autumn when the leaves are changing colors and the mountains become a carpet of fiery oranges, reds, and yellows. When is the best time to drive the Kancamagus Highway? The Kancamagus Highway (pronounced “Kank-ah-mah-gus”) runs east-west, with the main section bookended in the west in the town of Lincoln, NH, and in the east by Conway, NH. Especially popular with “leaf peepers” during fall foliage season, the Kancamagus Highway is a 34-mile scenic stretch along New Hampshire’s Route 112 in the White Mountain National Forest. The Kancamagus Scenic Byway, also known as the “Kanc” is one of the most scenic road trips in New Hampshire and in all of New England.
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