I’ve been wanting to visit the White Mountains region of New Hampshire for a few years now, ever since I started following a local influencer who first introduced me to its beauty. Summer felt like the perfect time to go – when the mountains are lush and green and the weather is warm. As I was planning the trip, I came across the Kancamagus Scenic Byway and immediately knew it had to be part of the experience.

The Kancamagus Scenic Byway in the White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire is a 34.5 mile route that offers various stop offs for hikes, mountainous scenic views, swimming, and historic sites. I recently visited this scenic byway and wanted to share my one day itinerary. 

The Kancamagus Scenic Byway runs from Conway to Lincoln, New Hampshire. You can start or end in either town. I stayed in Conway so I started from that end and drove to my furthest stop, the Hancock Overlook, making my way back to my hostel in Conway.

My Itinerary:

The first five stops you’ll make are for mountainous scenic views and are all in relatively close proximity to each other. I enjoyed and recommend stopping at a variety of overlooks because each was positioned so that it gave a different perspective of the White Mountain scenery; it doesn’t feel like you are seeing the same view over and over. The overlooks I recommend are the:

• Hancock Overlook
• Panoramic Overlook – This was my favorite overlook; it is actually a pull over area on the side of the road that I drove past and turned around to come back to because I thought the view was so great!
• Pemigewasset Overlook
• CL Graham Wangan Overlook
• Sugar Hill Scenic Vista

Next up is the Sabbaday Falls Trail. This is a trail that brings you to various viewpoints to see the beautiful gorge and waterfalls that flow through it. As you continue walking, there are crystal clear pools below. I  absolutely loved the falls and spent some time here just taking in how stunning it was. I would consider this a must-do along the highway. The full hike takes about 20-30 minutes.

For a bit of history about the area, the Russell-Colbath House and Passaconaway Cemetery was well worth a stop. The Russell-Colbath family used to live in White Mountains and their former early 1800s home is still standing. You can tour the historic home, visit the community’s former cemetery, read history about the people who first settled in the area and learn about their lives. As someone who enjoys history, I found this stop really interesting to try to picture what life used to be like in the area.

Continuing on is the Rocky Gorge Scenic Area and Lovequist Loop. From the parking lot, you’ll walk a few moments to a bridge you can stand on to see the Swift River and its multiple cascading waterfalls underneath. The day I went there was some mist in the distance which made the scenery especially tranquil. Crossing the bridge the trail then continues to the Lovequist Loop which passes through pine forests as it goes around Falls Pond. The total hike is 1.1 miles.

The last stop – Lower Falls –  is one to cool down in, enjoy a scenic view of small waterfalls cascading, or both. If you’re traveling in summer like I was, it’s a refreshing swim spot to dip in after the hikes and stop offs. Even if not in summer, I would recommend stopping by this area just to enjoy the Swift River and the view. I didn’t bring my bathing suit on this trip and kicked myself for not being able to enjoy a swim here!

Overall this itinerary felt like I had covered a lot of the highlights of the byway as well as providing some variety in what I saw and did. I would definitely do this itinerary or similar again, particularly in fall with the foliage or even in winter with snow topped mountains.

Can I do this itinerary with less time?

If you don’t linger too long at the stops and do the hikes in a timely manner, you could do this itinerary in about 5 hours (including driving time from either Conway or Lincoln). 

Tips for visiting:

It is free to drive the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, however a $5 per vehicle per day fee is required to park at scenic stops and trailheads within White Mountain National Forest. You can purchase this pass at self-pay stations located at larger parking areas. If you have the “America the Beautiful” pass, that is also valid for parking.

I visited the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in mid-July and didn’t experience any issues with parking or sites being overcrowded. Fall would be another great time to visit and see the foliage, but the byway would likely be busier at that time. 

There are no gas stations or amenities for food along the byway. There are restrooms at some of the stops. There is also no cell phone signal. The stops are well marked though so not having a cell signal is not a huge issue. If you do prefer to have a map to make things easier, you can download an offline one from Google Maps. 

After your drive:

If you want to eat out in either Lincoln or Conway after driving the byway, I can recommend the following two restaurants:

In Lincoln, I recommend the Gypsy Cafe. I ordered the falafel which is served in a pita wrap with a Mediterranean salad. This is one of the best falafels I’ve had!
In Conway, I recommend family-friendly Tuckerman Brewing. Even if you aren’t looking to drink beer, their pizzas are really good. I ordered their Latta Buratta pizza which was delicious.