I don't know if your plan is all set. If not, I recommend driving south Rte 113 in NH from Gilead, NH through Evan's notch to Rte 302 near Fryeberg. Turn westwords to take Rte 112 / Kancamagus highway to Lincoln, NH and then decide how you want to drive to Meredith, NH.

There is a very good possibility that the GPS will tell you the road is unpaved but it is not. I drove that road not less than 10 days ago. Just be careful while driving. The road is narrow and windy. If you do decide to get out of the car at Evan's notch, safer to keep an eye on any wildlife around. We didn't encounter any wildlife but our hotel front desk mentioned that the White Mountains have loads of bears. For the moment, I thought I was silly to drive on that road but the foliage will be amazing. The road is pretty much covered and there is no cell signal on that road. I plan to drive the road in the first week of October as well.

DocHudson, I had to look up Evans Notch and I'm not sure we've ever been on that road. Some of the "notch" roads are seasonal but of course October travel won't be a problem. Yes, there are a lot of bears around but generally they want to stay away from people. I think the problem with NH bears is when they get used to feeding out of dumpsters and become a serious nuisance in some places. Bears went into their dens last fall without as much weight as they usually put on so starvation was an issue. We usually see a couple of cubs each spring but this year none. The riskiest situation that happened here was when a hunter with dogs chased a bear toward friends who were camping on private property. Despite the dogs, the bear still changed direction to avoid contact with our friends. When we drive in the Sandwich Notch area it's not unusual to see a bear, sometimes foraging in someone's garden. I don't think bears present a problem to hikers. We never worried about our son when he went into the woods. It is rare to read a NH story of a problem bear encounter for hikers but stories about bears getting into garbage cans, stealing bird feeders, and sometimes actually getting into someone's kitchen are becoming more frequent. Campers need to be very careful about food storage. We used the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer to find a small waterfall just off the Sandwich Notch road one summer. Getting out of the car for some short, easy hikes is a good idea.

I've lived in NH most of my life and have done lots of hiking all around NH. I have never seen a bear and have only seen one moose! It's not Yellowstone and there is not wildlife around every bend. We have no problem driving at night, just be cautious, watch your speed and stay alert. Have a great trip!