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James and I are very fortunate to live in Massachusetts.  We can pick from several states to observe the fall foliage, including New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, or our home state of Massachusetts.  One of our favorites is the epic White Mountains National Forest.

If you have never been to New Hampshire for fall foliage viewing, you definitely will want to put New Hampshire on to your bucket list!!  James and I went up to the New Hampshire White Mountains National Forest yesterday and the fall foliage is at colorful peak.

We only had one day to do a foliage tour so we made sure we traveled through the Kancamagus Highway.  We drove on RTE 93 North until we came to Woodstock and Lincoln, NH.

Our first stop was a Loon Mountain visit.  They have a bridge that you cross to get to the mountain.   The brook under the bridge had beautiful colors along the wood lines on each side.

Loon Mountain  also offers gondola rides and lunch at the summit for leaf peeping.  The colors at Loon were very nice.  The small town of Lincoln was also great for some shopping for souvenirs.

We continued north until we came to the Kancamagus Highway and followed the highway East from Lincoln to Conway, which is approximately 35 miles.  The 35 miles have been carved through the 800,000 acres of the White Mountains.

There are also many, many stops along the way for spectacular viewing.  Some are just quick pull-offs and others are parking lots with signage and restrooms.  The views were breathtaking, so we stopped at as many as we could.

Lincoln Wood Trail Head has a parking lot with lots of amenities.  There is a cabin that is staffed most days providing visitor information, maps and recreation passes.  There are also restrooms, trash receptacles and  interpretive panels providing additional information.

Lincoln Wood Trail Head also have several hiking trails.  One of the trails is to a suspension bridge that crosses the Pemigewassett River and another is a loop trail.  A fantastic place to take photographs!

Kangamagus Pass Elevation reaches 2855.

Sabbaday Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in New Hampshire and the falls is also on the Kancamagus Highway.   We were lucky to get a spot right up front when we arrived.

The Sabbaday Falls is a short hike of .3 miles.  It has a gradual incline which is walkable for both the young and elderly.  There are benches along the trail to rest if needed.

After the short walk along the brook we came to the first of the three water fall viewing tiers.  This water fall is not a straight shot and the water fall has a few angles to it.  The water fall drops 45 feet from top to bottom and  it is handicapped accessible from bottom to top with restrooms and picnic areas.  A beautiful area to enjoy a picnic!

The Lower Falls Scenic Area is where the Swift River runs over smooth granite rocks to a large pool of water.  It is a great place for a picnic, catch some rays and swim.  The parking lot holds 80 cars and has restrooms. The Lower Falls Scenic Area also have charcoal grills and picnic tables.

During the summer they have a forest service worker to assist with recreation passes.  They are also helpful in case of an emergency.  Beware,  there is no cell service for several miles along the Kangamagus Highway!

Cathedral Ledge is in the town of North Conway on Route 16.  The 500 foot ledge was formed by the retreat of the last ice-age.  The shear granite rock face is a favorite destination for climbers.

The trail to the top of the ledge can be a hikers paradise or you can do like Jim and I and drive to the top.  Time was of the essence at that time in our travels, so driving was the right option for us.  We enjoyed a very short drive to the parking lot at the top.

There are two different spots to view.  There is Bryce Trail, a breathtaking view which bring you to a unfenced ledge overlooking the forest.  The main trail  brings you to a fenced in area that overlooks North Conway, Echo Lake, as well as a ski area and the rock face where there were two climbers.

Although we did not have time, some other viewing spots to check out the beautiful NH Fall Foliage would be Diana Bath, Bretton Woods, Monadnock Region and Lake Winnipesaukee.

The New Hampshire Fall Foliage and the White Mountain National Forest is absolutely gorgeous this year!  You may still have time to travel there or plan a future trip see the epic foliage.  Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!! Happy leaf peeping and we guarantee both ooh and ah will be a common comment throughout your trip!!!

Happy Travels!