Conway is the front door to the Kancamagus, and the road starts quietly, with a few motels and a gas station, and then plunges into the White Mountain National Forest. The Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire Route 112, runs about thirty-four miles west to Lincoln, following the Swift River up a narrow valley and then climbing over a pass at nearly 2,900 feet, with forest on both sides and almost no buildings. The name comes from Kancamagus, a sachem of the Pennacook people in the late seventeenth century, who tried to keep the peace with English settlers before leaving the region.
The riding is relaxed and rhythmic, with long, flowing bends rather than anything tight, and views of mountain ridges, river pools and birch trees. Albany Covered Bridge crosses the Swift River near the start, and Sabbaday Falls, Lower Falls and Rocky Gorge are all short walks from roadside parking areas. Recreation passes are required for parking at many trailheads along the route.
Foliage is the big draw. From late September to mid October the maples, birches and beeches turn red, orange and yellow, and the Kanc, as locals call it, fills with cars and motorcycles. Weekends can be slow and crowded, so a weekday morning is a better time. In June the air smells of pine and wet leaves, and the road is quiet, with mountain laurel in bloom.
Conway is a small village with about eighteen hundred people, with North Conway, a short ride north, a larger resort town full of outlet shops, restaurants and a historic railroad station. If you want a good meal, there are plenty of choices, from diners to craft breweries. The larger town of Moultonborough, with fuel and more options, is further south. Winter closes nothing officially, but snow and ice make it a risky ride, so the sensible season runs from May to October.