Franconia Notch is a gap in the White Mountains where a glacier once scoured a deep trough, leaving granite walls rising steeply on either side. The notch is about eight miles long, with Cannon Mountain on the west and the Kinsman and Franconia ranges on the east, and the road threads through the bottom at around 1,900 feet. The ridge above is bare rock and spruce, and the sound of wind in the trees carries down to the highway. For years the main attraction was the Old Man of the Mountain, a natural profile on a cliff face that appeared on the state's licence plates and quarter, until it collapsed in May 2003. A memorial of steel rods and plaques on the lake shore now shows where it once hung.
Today there are other draws. The Flume Gorge, a narrow ravine of moss-covered granite with a boardwalk, is a short walk from the visitor centre. Echo Lake lies at the northern end beneath Cannon's cliff, and the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, the first in North America when it opened in 1938, lifts passengers to the summit for a wide view over New Hampshire and across to the Green Mountains of Vermont on a clear day. The Appalachian Trail passes nearby, and the Pemigewasset River rises close to the road.
Riding here is an unusual experience, since the route is part of Interstate 93 but is built as a parkway, a two-lane road with a low speed limit and no passing in places. It is a scenic, slow ride, with granite on both sides and trees flaming in autumn. The surface is smooth, but frost can linger in shade in spring and autumn, and the notch is often cooler and damper than the valleys. Fog and rain are common, and the best light is in the morning.
Lincoln, to the south, has fuel and food, and Franconia and Littleton lie to the north, with more services. Parking at the main sites is paid, and lots fill up by mid-morning in the peak season, so come early. October brings leaf-watchers by the thousand, so a weekday visit is kinder.