Every summer we hear the same plan from customers in Derry and Manchester: one free day, a carload of people, and a White Mountains road trip that the family car really shouldn’t be doing. Maybe it’s a small commuter with 160,000 miles on it. Maybe the in-laws flew in and there are six of you. Either way, the mountains are about two hours up I-93, the days are long, and July is the month when everything up there is open, green and dry.
This guide is for that one big day. It covers a loop through all three notches, which stops need a parking pass, what is and isn’t running in Franconia Notch this summer, and how to set up the rental so the miles and tolls don’t surprise you afterwards.
The short version: Leave early, fill the tank in Lincoln, and carry cash or a card for the national forest pay stations on the Kancamagus. Book a timed arrival online if the Flume Gorge is on your list. The Cannon tram is closed this summer. Tell us the route when you book so the mileage allowance fits a long day. Questions? Call (603) 661-2672, 24/7.
Plan your White Mountains road trip around one loop
The classic summer day links the Kancamagus Highway with Crawford Notch and Franconia Notch in a single circuit, so you never drive the same road twice north of Plymouth. The White Mountain National Forest describes the 34-mile Kancamagus as one side of exactly this kind of loop. From southern New Hampshire it looks like this:
| Leg | Route | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North to Lincoln | I-93 North from Derry or Manchester | About two hours without traffic. You pass the Hooksett toll plaza just north of Manchester |
| 2. The Kancamagus | Route 112 east, Lincoln to Conway | No gas stations and patchy cell signal. Fill up and download maps in Lincoln |
| 3. Crawford Notch | Route 302 west from the Conway area | Waterfalls and short trails close to the road inside Crawford Notch State Park |
| 4. Franconia Notch | Route 3 to I-93 South through the Notch | An eight-mile parkway with the Flume, Echo Lake and the bike path just off the exits |
| 5. Home | I-93 South | Sunday afternoons are the slowest time to come south. A weekday is easier all round |
Doing the Kanc first gets you to the busiest pull-offs before the lots fill. With only half a day, Franconia Notch alone makes a good out-and-back.
The Kancamagus in summer: swimming holes and pay stations
In the fall the Kanc is about the view from the car. In July it’s about getting out of it. The river runs right beside the road, and the best stops are short walks:
- Lincoln Woods at the western end, with a flat trail along the river that suits anyone.
- Lower Falls, where families spend whole afternoons on the rocks and in the pools, and Rocky Gorge just east of it for the view from the footbridge.
- Sabbaday Falls, a short walk to a narrow gorge and a waterfall.
- The Russell-Colbath House, a historic farmhouse that gives the kids a break from waterfalls.
Each of those is a national forest fee site. According to the White Mountain National Forest passes page, you buy a day pass at the self-serve pay station, fill it in and display it on the dashboard. A forest annual pass or an America the Beautiful interagency pass also works. The fees apply to those developed sites, not to the road itself.
Two practical notes for a rental car. First, there is no fuel between Lincoln and Conway, so start the Kanc with at least half a tank. Second, cell coverage drops out for long stretches. If something goes wrong, note your location by the nearest named site and call us once you have a signal.
