White Mountains (North Conway)

Gateway town to New England's highest mountains, with fall foliage on the Kancamagus Highway, the Mount Washington Cog Railway and Franconia Notch.

The White Mountains in northern New Hampshire are the highest stretch of the Appalachians in New England, topped by 1,917 m Mount Washington, and most of the range lies within the White Mountain National Forest. North Conway is the gateway town on the east side, packed with lodging, restaurants, a scenic railroad and tax-free outlets. You can plan your trip around a few routes: around North Conway (Cathedral Ledge, Echo Lake, Diana's Baths, Jackson village and Story Land); north on Route 16 through Pinkham Notch to the Mount Washington Auto Road, or along Route 302 through Crawford Notch to Bretton Woods to ride the Cog Railway to the summit; and west on the Kancamagus Highway to Lincoln and into Franconia Notch (the Flume Gorge, Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway and Artist's Bluff). Together the three routes make a classic loop. Late September to mid-October is foliage season, with the best scenery and the biggest crowds; book lodging months ahead. December–March is ski season, and summer is ideal for hiking, swimming holes and family theme parks. It's about a 2.5–3 hour drive from Boston; public transportation in the area is scarce, so you'll need a car. Plan on 3–4 days. Mount Washington is notorious for severe, fast-changing weather, so bring warm, windproof layers even in summer. National forest parking areas require a day pass or an America the Beautiful annual pass.

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