Kancamagus Highway

What should you know before visiting Kancamagus Highway?

Tolls and vignettes for a car: about $2 (NH $1, ME $1).

• A local guide reports no gas stations or shops on the highway, and cell reception fades a few miles in. Fill the tank and bring food before you start.
• The road stays open all winter but can close briefly while crews clear heavy snow. Bear Notch Road, the link to Bartlett, is closed all winter.
• A local guide says camping and fires are not allowed within a quarter mile of the roadside. Use the six National Forest campgrounds and check current rules with the White Mountain National Forest.
• A local guide says parking areas and trailheads along the road require a recreation pass. Check the current rules and where to buy it with the White Mountain National Forest.

The drive

The Kancamagus Highway is the eastern part of New Hampshire Route 112. It starts just east of the town centre of Lincoln and ends on Main Street in Conway. The road is about 32 miles long, and 26.5 miles of it are a designated National Scenic Byway. The high point, Kancamagus Pass, lies at 2,855 feet. The road runs through the White Mountain National Forest. Fuel up and shop in Lincoln or Conway first, and drive carefully in snow.

Camping

Six National Forest campgrounds line the route: Covered Bridge, Blackberry Crossing, Jigger Johnson, Passaconaway, Big Rock and Hancock. A local guide says camping and fires are not allowed within a quarter mile of the roadside, and the Forest Service bans camping within a quarter mile of certain roads, so do not plan on camping next to the road. Opening times, booking rules and fees are set by the White Mountain National Forest and change, so check its official page before you go. The ranger station at the Conway end has restrooms and an information kiosk.

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