On The Road Again: Cruising the Kancamagus Highway
By: John Kumiski
New Hampshire Highway 112, more commonly called the Kancamagus Highway, offers motorists one of the most scenic roads in New England. In the fall, when the leaves are changing color, it's particularly breath-taking. Running 35 miles through the White Mountains from Conway to Lincoln (or vice versa), this trip could be done in less than an hour- if you're a heathen. But it's better to take your time, stop for the views, take some pictures, have a picnic, maybe take a hike, perhaps even camp at one of the highway's six campgrounds. If camping isn't your style, you'll find an abundance of other accommodations near either end of the Kancamagus Highway.
Fall leaves, still on the tree.
What you won't find along the highway are any businesses. Once you leave Conway, or Lincoln, heading toward the far end of the road, there are no restaurants, no motels, no convenience stores, no gas stations, no cell service. Bring what you'll need, or you'll have to turn around or drive to the far end to get it.
What you will find are picnic areas, hiking trails (lots of them!), waterfalls, swimming holes, fishing holes, scenic turnouts, a historic homestead, a covered bridge, and more. And a partial disconnect from the information overload of the modern world. Your boss won't be calling you!
One of the most popular hiking trails along the Kancamagus Highway is the Wilderness/Lincoln Woods Trail, about four miles west of Lincoln. This easy-to-walk trail runs along an old railroad bed along the east branch of the Pemigewasset River, and has many connecting trails, a veritable trail network. You could start here and walk all the way to Georgia along the Appalachian Trail if you were so inclined. More likely is that you'll walk in a way, then turn around and walk back. It's a beautiful walk, well worth the time.
Celebrating leaf season on the Wilderness Trail.
Photographers will find endless subjects here, especially if they like landscapes. One of my favorites is the Albany Covered Bridge, near the Conway end of the highway. This bridge over the Swift River is well-maintained, since it's still in use. If you want to access the Covered Bridge campground, you have to use the bridge.
If you like to photograph waterfalls, there are several here. Sabbaday Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in New Hampshire and certainly one of the more popular stops along the Kancamagus Highway. The easy hike makes it one of the most visited waterfalls in the state. The path to Sabbaday Falls is accessible for those with disabilities. The falls have a 45′ total drop.
The Albany Covered Bridge.
Lower Falls on the Kancamagus Highway is one of the most popular stops on the route, especially during hot summer weather as many people swim here once the current of the Swift River calms down and the water temperature rises in the early summer. Lower Falls offers a picnic area with a few outside grills and picnic tables.
Rocky Gorge and Champney Falls are a couple more options. Additionally, there are all of those diminutive drops along the Swift River.
The Swift River offers trout fishing. A popular fly-fishing stream, the Swift has native brook trout in the upper section, and is stocked by the state of New Hampshire in the lower section. Interested parties should do a web search of "fishing swift river NH" to get all the information you need. There are also hike-in areas with native brook trout, ponds and streams both.
A snippet of Lower Falls.
The Russell Colbath House was built in the early 1830’s. For over one hundred years, early settlers here used the land for farming and logging. They also took in boarders in the Summer months. The Russell Colbath House is now used by the US Forest Service, offered as an historic site for public viewing and an information center. The house is open daily from late Spring through the Fall foliage season.
English speakers find Kancamagus an unusual word. Kancamagus (meaning "The Fearless One") was the Indian grandson of Passaconaway, who dreamt of peace between the Indians and whites. In 1627 he organized the Penacook Confederacy, a union of more than seventeen central New England Native American tribes, which tried to maintain that peace. Kancamagus was the third and last chief of the Confederacy. Kancamagus tried to keep his grandfather’s dreams of peace, but around 1690, the white Englishmen brought war and violence to the region. Kancamagus led the Penacook Confederacy out of the area, heading north to what is now the Canadian border region of New Hampshire.
Susan and I recently traveled the highway, again. We had an agenda, going from Lovell to her brother's home near Boston, so we couldn't dawdle too much. In spite of that, the trip took us nearly three hours, even without any hikes. There is that much beauty to soak up along that road.
The author and his bride, a selfie taken along the east branch of the Pemigewasset.
The spectacular Kancamagus Highway. You could drive it in an hour, or you could spend a week or two. Either way, you'll spend some time in one of the most beautiful places the mountains of New England can offer.
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