Locals call it the Kanc, and every autumn it carries a procession of cars, bikes and cameras through the White Mountains of New Hampshire to see the leaves. The highway, New Hampshire 112, runs thirty-four miles between Conway and Lincoln, and the high point, Kancamagus Pass at 2,855 feet, sits in the middle of the national forest, with spruce and birch forest around it and an overlook looking out over the ridges. It is not a dramatic height, but the effect, rolling green mountains stacked to the horizon, is one of the finest in the eastern United States.
The name remembers Kancamagus, a sachem of the Penacook people in the late seventeenth century, who tried to keep peace between his people and the English settlers before conflict forced him to lead them north. The road itself is modern, finished in the 1960s, and cuts through country that was heavily logged in the nineteenth century, when railroads carried timber out of the valleys. The forest has since recovered, protected as the White Mountain National Forest, and the road is now regarded as one of the best-known scenic drives in New England.
The riding is a real pleasure. The Kanc is smooth, well graded and full of gentle bends, with glimpses of rivers, rock slabs and waterfalls, and the climb to the pass is steady rather than steep. In summer it is cool and green; in autumn, around late September to mid-October, the maples blaze red and orange and traffic crawls, so weekdays and early mornings are far better. Moose wander near the road, especially at dawn and dusk, and a collision with one is serious, so watch the edges. Speed limits are enforced, and frost and ice can occur early in autumn and late in spring.
Facilities at the pass are limited to toilets and an overlook, and parking at trailheads and picnic areas along the route may require a fee or a pass.
At the overlook, take a moment to look at the sea of ridges. In autumn, it is one of the great views in the American east.