Leaf Peeping in New Hampshire

Our New England leaf peeping tour has taken us from Stowe Vermont to Jefferson New Hampshire, 100 miles to the east in the White Mountains. As beautiful as Vermont was, it seemed that the landscape got even prettier as we ventured into New Hampshire. The mountains got more defined and the colors richer.

We hit the peak of fall colors on our ten day visit to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and there were so many ways to enjoy it: from driving the beautiful scenic roads, to hiking and even taking a historic cog railway. Let’s talk about some of the highlights.

The Kancamagus Highway, or Kanc as the locals call it, is the place to see the fall foliage. This 34.5 mile stretch of NH route 112 between Lincoln and Conway is a National Scenic Byway and an absolutely magnificent drive. There is no shortage of scenic overlooks along the way so allow yourself plenty of time to pull over and soak it all in. I find that the time of day with different lighting can make the landscape and colors look very different, so if you have the time drive it one direction and then backtrack the other way. A lot of it will seem new again going the other direction.

If you want to go to the summit of Mount Washington, and you should, there are three ways to experience the tallest mountain of the northeast. The Mount Washington Auto Road is a very hairy 7.6 mile road to the summit with an average 12% grade and requires a fee to drive on. I’ve heard this road is not for everyone so check into it before you make the commitment. There are several hiking trails to the summit that have elevation changes of up to 5,200 feet and can be challenging to complete in a day. It’s not just the terrain and elevation that make these hikes difficult, its the weather. Mount Washington lays claim to “home of the world’s worst weather”. The world record for the fastest overland wind speed was recorded at 231 mph on the summit and the average annual temperature is only 26 degrees. It’s safe to say, these hikes aren’t for everyone. Luckily the Mount Washington Cog Railway provides a means for everyone to enjoy Mount Washington in a very special way.

They said Sylvester Marsh was crazy when he decided to build a railway to the summit of Mount Washington over 150 years ago. Although improvements have been made over the years, the same railway, which proclaimed to be the first mountain climbing cog railway, still exists today. Whether you’re riding in one of the coal-fired steam engines or newer biodiesel models, the track takes you straight up the face of the mountain with grades as steep at 38%. Try standing on the way up at a 38% angle, it’s quit an experience! The total round trip is three hours which leaves you about an hour at the summit. This home of the worlds worst weather thankfully did not live up to it’s claim the day we were there, in fact it could not have been more perfect. Clear visibility and t-shirt temperatures welcomed us at the summit with stunning views. You could see all the way to Canada. It was an incredible experience and we were so glad we did it.

We took several great hikes, and saw many waterfalls along the way. This is always one of our favorite ways to see the countryside and often it doesn’t require a long hike to see the beauty. Here’s a brief snapshot of our favorite hike, boardwalks and overlooks in the White Mountains:

• Sabbaday Falls: Very short hike to an amazing waterfall through a narrow gorge. There is a very quaint pond at the bottom with turquoise water which is drop dead gorgeous. It’s hard to get more bang for the buck than this one.
• Diana’s Baths: This is postcard material. Another very short hike to a series of small waterfalls and ponds along a stream. The lighting was perfect for us and made for some great pictures.
• Crystal Cascades: Beautiful 3/4 mile hike with a series of smaller falls leading to the “cascading” larger falls. A little uphill push at the end past the bridge but overall a pretty easy hike.
• Glen Ellis Falls: This just might be our favorite spot in New Hampshire. Another short hike that first takes you to an amazing overlook. From there, down a long series of steps (and yes you must come back up) to view the 64′ high waterfall. Stunning!
• Cathedral Ledge: Not far from Diana’s Baths is Cathedral Ledge Road, which winds you up a hill to Cathedral Ledge Lookout. The overlook is just a short walk from the parking lot and provides amazing 180 degree views of the valley below. If you’re lucky, as we were, you might catch some climbers making there way up the ledge.

A miss for us but a must do is Flume Gorge. This 800 foot gorge within Franconia Notch State Park is a paid access area with boardwalks that takes you through the gorge to waterfalls and covered bridges. We’ll put it on our “come back” list.

Along the way we stumbled upon many charming towns, from a crossroad in the middle of nowhere, to bustling little towns with lots of activities. In fact on our first day we enjoyed the drive so much that we found ourselves in Bethel Maine and ended up doing some hiking in Grafton Notch State Park… and you guessed it, more waterfalls. All these towns have something to offer and I would encourage you to check out as many of them as you can for a bite to eat, some shopping or a beverage out on the porch. Speaking of eats, there are three restaurants in particular which we really loved.

• Nonna’s Kitchen is a small family-owned authentic Italian restaurant in Gorham. It’s like dinner at your grandmothers, uh nonna’s house. The food is as amazing as the atmosphere, but make reservations because table space is very limited.
• Taste of Thai in North Conway was a great find for us. You know it’s a good choice when you stop in for an early dinner and shortly after you arrive all the tables are full. And good it was.
• Waterwheel in Jefferson is an institution when it comes to breakfast. Their pancakes with pure maple syrup are to die for. They also have a great gift shop for goodies to take home. Fudge anyone!

I’d love to share more but there’s a lobster roll with my name on it waiting for me in Maine. Until then, check out our pictures of the White Mountains of New Hampshire and see you down the road a piece.