3 Scenic Drives in New Hampshire

Thanks to our Road Trip Local style of travel, we do a lot of driving. It’s one of our favorite ways to get to know a new area, so we’re always on the lookout for scenic road trips and drives to add to our trip itineraries.

After arriving in New Hampshire for the month of September, we were excited to see just how many opportunities we’d have to get to know the area by car. Especially with fall foliage (hopefully) arriving soon, we couldn’t wait to explore.

If you’re up for a road trip or two during your stay in New Hampshire, here are three of our favorite scenic New Hampshire road trips!

Above is a map with the general location of each drive (plus a bonus drive if you’re wanting to see as much of the state as possible). The first road trip on our list will take you north, right up to the Canadian Border Crossing outside Pittsburg, NH.

By hitting all of the road trips on this list, you’ll drive through much of the White Mountains (with an option to add drives through a few of New Hampshire’s Start Parks) and drive as far south as Henniker, NH (which is about 30 minutes outside of Manchester).

During our visit to New Hampshire, Jon, Lincoln, and I were staying towards the middle of the state in Campton. When planning your trip, we recommend staying in Lincoln, NH (just north of Campton) or Conway, NH, especially if you’re visiting during the fall. The Kancamangus Highway runs from Lincoln, NH, to Conway, NH, which makes both of these areas great basecamps.

But no matter where you’re staying, New Hampshire is an accessible driving state (especially compared to our off-season state of Texas), so you’ll have the opportunity to explore many of these 3 scenic New Hampshire road trips! Enjoy!

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1. Moose Alley

We’ll start with our northernmost road trip in New Hampshire: Moose Alley.

We began our road trip early, leaving our rental in Campton, New Hampshire around 5am. (This was early September.) We were driving to “Moose Alley”, a 12-mile stretch of road in Pittsburg, NH that’s well-known for its large population of moose.

Here are just some of the things we read about visiting Moose Alley:

“One of the best places for finding a moose in New Hampshire!”
“Visitors should drive carefully, as moose cross the road all times of the day.”
“It’s like magic… You always see a moose.”

Needless to say, we were STOKED. Our road trip to Moose Alley was our first Sunday in town and probably the thing we were most looking forward to. We couldn’t wait to snap a great picture of a moose with our new camera zoom lens!

We made it to Moose Alley around 7am and started driving up and down the 12-mile stretch of road, between Pittsburg, NH, and the Canadian Border, keeping our eyes peeled for any sign of movement. (Although, truthfully, we were hoping and expecting to simply stumble upon moose crossing the road.)

During our first few hours (yes, hours) driving along Moose Alley, we saw tons of turkeys, and even a baby coyote, but had zero moose sightings. So, after two hours of driving back and forth along those same 12 miles - plus our two-hour drive just to arrive at Moose Alley - our eyes and legs were ready for a break. We started stopping at pullovers and trails, hoping we’d have better luck on foot.

We did not… ha!

By midday, we were tired, hungry, and disappointed (where was that magical moose sighting mentioned?!?), so we stocked up on stakeout sustanence with subway, Dunkin Donuts, and gas station candy, and downloaded podcasts determined to stay until we saw a moose… or saw the sunset, whichever came first.

After lunch, we pulled into a pull-off along Moose Alley and waited… and waited… and waited… until the clock struck 7:30pm (12+ hours after our arrival to Moose Alley), and we had seen not one moose. We started our drive back to Campton, thoroughly humbled by wildlife.

Soooo, why am I sharing Moose Alley on this list of scenic road trips in New Hampshire when we didn’t actually see a moose during our trip?! Because it really was scenic, and if you do happen upon a moose at the right time, we have no doubt it would be magical. (We just will never, ever, ever say it’s “practically guaranteed” to happen… something we did read during our research LOL because the truth is: wildlife is wild and unpredictable, but maybe that makes a sighting all the more fun to try and experience? We’re still over here searching for silver linings… 😅)

Plus, as we look back at the photos, this area of New Hampshire is gorgeous! You just may want to time it better than we did, roadtripping to Moose Alley between the months of May and July, or later in the fall. If you do get to see a moose during your stay in Moose Alley, please come back and share a comment below (with a pic!!!) so we can live vicariously through you!

RTL Tip: Dawn and dusk are the best times for moose viewing, so we recommend staying closer to Pittsburg - and spending a few days in the area - if a moose sighting is high on your list. There were some awesome cabins and rentals nearby. If you don’t have luck at Moose Alley, you could also try the stretch of road on Route 16 between Gorham and Errol. This area also popped up during our research as a great place for moose sightings (information that was later confirmed by our Mount Rumney Rock Climbing Guide, who’s from the area).

Dog-Friendly? Yes, but… This is not the most active day for a dog. You’ll probably be spending a lot of time driving or sitting in the car. You can add a hike to your road trip, such as the Moose Alley Trail, but don’t expect it to be the best trail of your trip by any means. When we were there, it was a very muddy hike that was overgrown, but it was a fine spot to stretch our legs and let Lincoln out of the car (which she needed).

2. Mount Washington Auto Road

While we didn’t find the magic we were looking for at Moose Alley, we did stumble upon some magic at Mount Washington when we randomly ran into friends at the summit! (Want to read that story and more of the most fun, random, and unique things that have happened during our three years of traveling? Click here!)

Mount Washington is gorgeous, and if you love big views, then it’s a must during your trip to New Hampshire. You can hike, drive, or take a cog railway to the summit.

We intended to hike the Mount Washington Loop via Tuckerman Ravine but opted to grab drinks with our friends instead, after unexpectedly seeing them at the summit. (We had no idea the other was in town… and truly just happened to be taking a picture at the same off-path overlook at the same time. What are the chances?!)

The auto road was awesome and gave us some amazing views, and there are plenty of shorter hikes or trails you could follow to explore the summit for an hour or two. Admission is pricey (I think we paid $65 for the two of us), but the Mount Washington Auto Road is a great way to see Mount Washington, and the 360-degree views are spectacular (especially if you walk around the summit and follow the trails even just 10 minutes down the mountain).

RTL Tip: If you’re driving from Lincoln, or like us, Campton, NH, then you’ll drive through Franconia Notch State Park. There’s a view as you’re heading North that felt similar (in our opinion) to the views in Yosemite National Park. It’s stunning! This drive from Lincoln until where the road splits with Route 3 on your right is worth a drive in and of itself. You’ll pass the Artist’s Bluff Trail, Franconia Ridge, the Flume Gorge, and many other day hikes if you want to add a trail to your road trip!

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Especially if you add a hike at the summit or on the way.

3. Kancamagus Highway

No post about road trips in New Hampshire could be complete without mentioning the Kancamagus Highway, a 34-mile stretch of road between Conway, NH, and Lincoln, NH.

While the Kancamagus Highway is most well-known for its foliage, this drive is gorgeous all year round.

We didn’t time our foliage sightseeing perfectly and drove the Kancamagus Highway about three weeks before peak foliage. You can see how the trees were just barely starting to change colors in the pictures below. But it’s still a gorgeous drive!

The Kancamagus Highway does get busy during peak foliage season, so be prepared to head out early, especially if you want to stop at the overlooks or add any hikes to your road trip.

We’ve got a few RTL tips for you if you’re planning to drive the Kancamagus Highway:

- Fuel up before or after your drive at Cheese Louise.

- If you can, add the drive through Crawford Notch State Park to your road trip. (You can use the point ‘Crawford Notch Scenic Parking area’ on your map as a focal point.) This drive through the state park is absolutely gorgeous, especially in the fall. (This is also great if you’re not able to be in New Hampshire during peak foliage. Even when the trees along the Kancamagus Highway weren’t fully turning colors, the trees in the Crawford area were.)

- There are so many overlooks and trails along this scenic drive if you want to make a day or weekend out of exploring and experiencing the Kancamagus Highway. One that we enjoyed was the Franconia Falls. It’s a relatively flat but long trail that leads to a natural swimming hole complete with natural water slides (so bring a suit if you’re visiting in the summer!). But heads up: Parking fills up fast here on the weekend. This is just one of many hikes along the Kancamagus Highway. (And there are plenty more if you’re adding the drive through Crawford Notch State Park.)

- If you’re looking for another fall foliage road trip, try the Currier & Ives Scenic Byway between Henniker and Salisbury, NH. (This one is best as close to peak foliage as possible.)

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Especially if you add a hike or stops at overlooks to your trip.

Keep planning your perfect road trip to New Hampshire

Here are our picks for the 6 BEST things to do in New Hampshire.

Making your way to Vermont next? Check out this foodie road trip itinerary with 8 fun things to do near Stowe, Vermont, and the best things to do with one day in Burlington, Vermont.

Your turn! Please leave us a comment below!

We’re always looking for inspiration, and would love to hear about your adventures too! What’s an upcoming road trip you’re looking forward to, or which of these New Hampshire road trips sounds the best to you? Please share with us in the comments below!

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