Things to do / Travel Guide
Virtually any road you find winding through New Hampshire and Vermont can be described as “scenic,” but there are some specific details about routes that are particularly magnificent and chock full of places to stop for an impressive picture-perfect moment.
Scenic Drive in New Hampshire's Great North Woods
Moose Path Trail - North of New Hampshire's White Mountains, the 98-mile Moose Path Trail offers ample opportunities to view moose and other local wildlife, such as ducks and other migratory birds like the osprey and the bald eagle. Beginning in Berlin on Route 16, the route goes north, towards Errol, to the Pontook Reservoir. At the junction of Routes 16 and 26, you can turn east to visit the Lake Umbagog Wildlife Refuge or continue on Route 26 (which is known as Moose Alley) until the junction of Routes 26 and 3, turning north to where the route ends further into the wilderness, near the town of Pittsburg.
Scenic Drive in New Hampshire's White Mountains Area
The White Mountains Trail in New Hampshire - This 100-mile route has many scenic lookouts and begins at the White Mountains Visitors Center in North Woodstock. Follow Route 3 north to I-93/Franconia Notch State Parkway, passing by the Flume Gorge along the way. The views are no less spectacular as you turn east on Route 302. In Bartlett you can either turn south over Bear Notch Road to the Kancamagus Highway or continue on Route 302 to where it joins Route 16 heading south to North Conway.
New Hampshire's National Scenic Byway - Also known as the Kancamagus Highway, this is considered by many to be New England's best scenic drive. More than 1 million visitors drive along what locals affectionately refer to as “the Kanc” every year. The 34-mile road runs east-west through the 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest. It is particularly spectacular in the fall, when the region's deciduous trees turn spectacular colors. Leaf peepers never cease to be awed by the contrast against the deep colored evergreens. The road is full of twists and turns, and climbs to nearly 3,000 feet at the peak of Mt. Kancamagus. The Kancamagus Highway descends into Lincoln, home of Clark's Trading Post and its beloved trained bears.
Scenic Drive in New Hampshire's Lakes Area
Lakes Area Tour - This 97 mile route circles Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and features many offshoot routes. Beginning at the lake's southern tip in Alton, take Route 11 up its western side. In Glendale, turn onto Route 118 which hugs the shoreline. Route 3 then takes you north to Meredith. From there you turn east on Route 25. At Moultonborough, turn onto Route 109, which takes you to Wolfeboro. You're now near Route 28, which takes you back to Alton.
Scenic Drive in New Hampshire's Merrimack Valley
Canterbury Shaker Village Byway - At 12 miles, the Canterbury Shaker Village Byway is one of the shortest scenic drives in New Hampshire, but it is also one of the most beautiful and rich in history, culture, and architecture. Along this route, located just southwest of Lake Winnipesaukee, drivers can see sugar maples, open marshes, houses built before and during the American Revolution, stone walls and Colonial- and Revolution-era cemeteries. The highlight of this route is driving through the village of Canterbury, which is decidedly simple in design but home to a beautiful church and gazebo.
Scenic Drive in New Hampshire's Seacoast Area
Coastal Byway - There are plenty of interesting places to see and stop at along this 18-mile route. Take Route 1A from Seabrook Beach to Portsmouth, where you can learn about native Indians in Hampton, visit prehistoric sites in Rye and see the site of the first documented European settlement at Odiorne State Park. You can also stop at Rye Harbor State Park and Marina where you can picnic, charter a fishing boat or join a whale watching tour, or just take in the beauty from afar as you drive by. In addition these spectacular locations, you can also take in the generally unspoiled beauty of the coast along the Atlantic Ocean as well as a nuclear power plant right outside of Portsmouth.
Scenic Drive in Northern Vermont
Lake Champlain Islands - This 60-mile route from Milton to the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge provides spectacular scenery all year round. Beginning in Milton, just south of Burlington on Highway 7, the route heads south until the junction with Highway 2 heading west. Highway 2 passes Sand Bar State Park and South Hero, then turns north to glide by Grand Isle and North Hero. Not long after you pass North Hero you can choose two different side trips: east to North Hero State Park or west to Isle La Motte and St. Anne Shrine. The drive can also continue north on Highway 2 until it meets Highway 78 east, arriving at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.
Scenic Drive in Central Vermont
The Middlebury Gap Road - Established as a State Scenic Road in 1987, the Middlebury Gap Road, otherwise known as State Road 125, takes travelers through the scenic northern part of the Green Mountains National Forest. This short, 15-mile drive from East Middlebury to Hancock can be enjoyed in every season, but is by far best in the fall months, when the area's trees turn golden, reddish, and auburn, making for superb natural scenery.
Scenic Drive in Southern Vermont
The Bennington Loop - This 92-mile scenic drive runs through the southern part of the Green Mountains National Forest. Also known as a great route on which to observe stunning, colorful foliage, driving the loop is best in the fall months. Take Route 9 east from Bennington until hitting Wilmington. Turn left onto Route 100 and head north until hitting the Route 30 junction at Jamaica. Turn left again and head west on Route 30 until Manchester Center, where Road 7A will take you south all the way back to Bennington.
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