Hello, I have one more question I hope my fellow fodorites can help me with. My friend and I plan to drive from Barnard VT across to Chocorua NH getting from one accomodation to another in the first week of October. I have read all the glories of the Kanc in the fall and know it is now reopened, however I see if we drive up to Sugar Hill and get onto the Crawford Notch Highway and drive across this way. Is this highway just as beautiful in the fall as the Kanc? Is it an easy drive as in windiness etc? Thanks so much for your opinions from those who have driven across either highway or both.

Dreams64

hallo
I am new here
have a question about the acadia np !!! I will stay there 3 days what is worst to see???
next question which way is the best to visit new hampshire by bus ???
I don´t have a car
larafh

Hi lara,

You will get a better response if you post your message on a new thread.

Google maps shows a route the covers Enfield NH/Rt 4. I don't particularly care for Rt 4. From Bristol to Meredith is pretty nice. Meredith is a very pretty town on Lake Winnipesaukee but expect a lot of traffic. From there the road gets more scenic and route 113 from Sandwich to Tamworth is one of my most favorite drives in NH. Last fall we did a loop from the Lincoln area across the Kanc then south on 16 to return via 113. Center Sandwich is very pretty, very old homes. More interesting scenery than the Kanc but less distant, dramatic views.

It looks like more traveling on I91 to take the route to Sugar Hill. Also, there's going to be a lot of traffic around North Conway so any route in that area may mean some sitting in traffic time. North Conway is very beautiful but I think the best time to see it is before the shops open.

It's true that it would be faster to cut through the Lakes Region, but I'm assuming you really want to see the mountains.

Both the Kancamagus (Route 112) and Crawford Notch (Route 302) are stunning drives. The Kanc is a more winding, typical mountain road with numerous overlooks and vistas. 302 is a wider, straighter highway that passes by Mt. Washington and then descends into Crawford Notch, with steep mountainsides rising on either side.

The biggest factor in your decision might be the progress of the color when you make the drive; Crawford Notch tends to reach peak a little bit earlier than most parts of the Kanc, except for the lower elevations as you approach Bartlett on 302, which are usually in sync with the Kanc. Follow the foliage reports on Foliage Network or ask around on the web and you might get a better idea of which route to choose.

I have to admit I'm somewhat partial to 302 because it offers brief views of the Presidential Range, which are higher mountains than anything you'll see along the Kanc, but only if the summits aren't covered in clouds (which only occurs about 1 in 3 days!). If you do decide to take route 302, make sure that you turn south on Bear Notch Rd. in Bartlett instead of going through North Conway (too commercialized and a traffic nightmare). Bear Notch Rd. will link you to the eastern end of the Kancamagus and provides some of the most incredible colors and vistas (definitely holds a candle to the Kanc itself).