New Hampshire is one of the best places in the world for some Fall foliage leaf peeping. We had been on several fall hikes before and seen beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. But this fall, we were excited to experience what is known as one of the best drives in America, the Kancamagus Highway, also called the Kanc. The Kancamagus Highway is a 35 mile long scenic drive that cuts through the White Mountains connecting the towns of Lincoln and Conway. It normally takes about an hour to drive, but if you go during peak foliage time, like we did, be prepared to take upwards of 3 hours!

We chose to do the drive from Lincoln to Conway, but it really doesn’t matter which way you go, whatever it most convenient! As you drive along there are several viewpoints where we recommend you jump out of the car and check out. Parking can be tricky when it is busy, but with a bit of patience and luck, you should be able to find a spot! We found it worthwhile to stop at each major viewpoint because each one offered different views of the foliage and surrounding peaks. Here is the order of the major outlooks driving from Lincoln to Conway (reverse if driving from Conway to Lincoln).

You spend the first six miles getting into the forest. You can see beautiful trees hanging over into the road as you drive along. You will pass by Lincoln Woods, which offers lots of hiking and access to some waterfalls and swimming! The first major viewpoint comes after the famous “hairpin turn”, meaning its a turn where you basically just turn around, its very distinct and you can’t miss it! There is a small parking area with an overlook where you can see Mount Osceola and Osceola East Peak, two of the NH 4000 footers! Also visible is Scar Ridge. This is also the parking area to access Mount Hancock and South Hancock, two more of the NH 4000 footers. While this isn’t the best view of the drive, you have most likely been sitting for quite some time so definitely get out and check out the views. There is a gazebo that has some great information and maps that will identify everything that you are looking at!