Day 3: Explore White Mountains National Forest and Mount Washington in New Hampshire
White Mountains:
We had a designated route for the day in our plan. We started from our hotel in Gorham towards Mount Washington. Mount Washington is one of the highest peak in the Northeastern United States and is located in the presidential ranges of White Mountain National Forest. The route was full of tall colorful trees and looked scenic.
Mt Washington:
Continuing on the route, we reached to a point from where the Mount Washington Auto Road starts. The road has toll to go upto the summit. Due to short time in hand, we didn’t take the toll road but still got few lovely pictures.
There is also a railway named Mount Washington Cog Railway that offers train journey to the summit of the Mountain. It is a 3 hour ride which includes each way driving along with some time to explore the summit.
Honeymoon Bridge:
We stopped by couple of turnouts on our way to Jackson on route 16 followed by a stop at a covered bridge to capture the mesmerizing views. This covered bridge is known as Honeymoon Bridge and is made of wood. It crosses the Ellis River and attracts a lot of tourists. We saw people going down the bridge to the river to click photos.
Our next stop was at the entrance of the White Mountains National Forest. White Mountains are mountain ranges located mostly in New Hampshire extending to a small part of Maine. They are part of the northern Appalachian Mountains. Mt. Washington, Mt. Adams and others peaks are part of the White Mountain ranges.
Crawford Notch State Park:
Crawford Notch State Park that is located on the US route 302 was our next stop. It is part of the Crawford Notch which is a major pass through the White Mountains. The route 302 closely follows the Saco River which flows through the Notch. One can see a beautiful view of the mountain surrounded by fall colors. There are few turnouts in the state park where you can park your vehicle and take some amazing shots.
Willey House:
The State Park also includes historical site named Willey House. Exactly on the opposite side of the site there is a photo stop with parking lot available. There is a lake at this place surrounded by mountains and colorful trees providing a beautiful scenic background for fall foliage photography.
Silver Cascade:
Silver Cascade, located a few miles away from Willey House, is yet another beautiful attraction in the Crawford Notch or in the White Mountains. It is located along the road side of the route 302 with no lengthy hikes or trails and hence easily accessible to tourists. There is a waterfall that flows from high top of the mountain over a series of granite cascades and is surrounded by lush trees that look beautiful mostly during the fall season. One can park their vehicle in the parking lot at the turnout.
Irrespective of whichever route you are on while exploring the White Mountains during fall season, you will experience mesmerizing fall colors throughout the route. There is no doubt that this is one of the most famous attraction for tourists during fall season. We continued on route 302, took detour at route 3 followed by I-93 south to head towards Franconia Notch State Park.
Skookumchuck Brook:
Franconia Notch is another major pass through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It is located between Franconia and Lincoln towns. Mount Lafayette and Cannon Mountain are near to this place. We stopped by the Skookumchuck Brook, an attraction offering amazing fall foliage views along the Mountains. It is located in Franconia, New Hampshire.
We drove on I-93 south till Lincoln and then took detour on the very famous Kancamagus Highway or the New Hampshire Route 112. NH 112 actually is a connection between the towns Bath and Conway but the name Kancamagus Highway is only for the part of NH 112 route connecting Lincoln and Conway towns. This route is also designated as National Scenic Byway and attracts tourists during fall season as it offers a lot of scenic views along the way.
Our first stop on this route was Lincoln Woods Trailhead. There is a parking lot where one can park their vehicle, a visitor center and few other amenities. The actual Lincoln Woods Trail is very lengthy spanning few miles. If one is not interested to take the lengthy trail, they can atleast go by the short nature trail between the suspension and pedestrian bridge that cross the East Branch of Pemigewasset River.
Lily Pond:
Lily Pond is located few miles away from Lincoln Wood Trailhead alongside the Kancamagus Highway. There are turnouts on both side of the road where you can park your vehicle and take the small trail to the pond. The trail may be bit dirty depending on rainfall and hence be careful. The pond offers a beautiful reflection of the nature around especially the colorful trees during the fall season.
Our last stop before heading to the hotel, was by the Lower Falls recreation site on the route 112. As it was already late for the day, we didn’t take the trail to the lower falls. Instead we just went by the Swift River and took some photos around it.
We had booked our stay at Half Moon Motel and Cottages, Laconia, NH. Before going back to the hotel, we had our dinner at the only Indian restaurant, Shalimar of India, in North Conway. The hotel was near to Lake Winnipesaukee which was part of our day 4 itinerary. We stayed in a small old fashioned cottage with required amenities and also had a beautiful view of the lake.
Links to related posts :
Main Post : Fall Trip to Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont
Day#1 : Acadia National Park, Maine
Day#2 : Moosehead Lake, Drive along National Scenic Byway – Old Canada Road or Route 201
Day#4 : Lake Winnipesaukee & Mount Manodnock in New Hampshire, and Hogback Mountain in Vermont
