5 NH Road Trips: Fall Foliage, Waterfalls, Covered Bridges, Ghost Town

NEW HAMPSHIRE — One of the best times of the year for a New Hampshire road trip is just around the corner. In fact, the Granite State boasts one of the best fall foliage viewing areas in the world.

These five classic road trips show off the autumn splendor and New Hampshire’s natural beauty, take visitors to a classic small town and uncover Granite State history.

Prepare to be wowed by fall foliage: The Kancamagus Highway, a 34.5-mile scenic drive along New Hampshire Route 112 in the northern part of the state, is considered one of the best vistas in the world to see brilliant fall foliage. It is a designated American Scenic Byway for its rich history, aesthetic beauty in culture.

The path cuts through the White Mountain National Forest, offering jaw-dropping views of the mountain range, the Swift River, Sabbaday Falls, Lower Falls and Rocky Gorge. The scenic drive reaches an elevation of just under 3,000 feet at its highest point at Kancamagus Pass on the flank of Mt. Kancamagus near Lincoln.

The best times to see fall foliage in New Hampshire appear to be in late September or early October, according to predictive maps and forecasts.

• Related: When Will Fall Leaves Peak In New Hampshire?

Get off the beaten path in Sandwich: With only about 1,350 residents according to the last census, Sandwich is considered one of the state’s hidden treasures. Set against beautiful canvas at the foothills of the White Mountains and Squam Lake, Sandwich exudes small-town charm. It is rich in history as one of the state’s first cities. It was chartered in 1763, and the first European settlers arrived four years later.

There are plenty of shops and art galleries to visit, as well as places to eat and sample libations. It is another great place to take in fall foliage. An old-time agricultural country fair held annually over Columbus Day Weekend — that’s Oct. 7-9 this year — has everything you’d expect to keep the family entertained — games, rides, shows, a parade, foods, 4-H kids and their animals, and agricultural products.

There are plenty of other things to do, regardless of the season. The Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm in the village of Tamworth is a working farm that looks back more than 200 years at New Hampshire’s agricultural tradition, combined with the combined story of father-and-son country doctors, the Drs. Remick. It’s a great chance for kids to interact with farm animals while learning about agriculture, nature and science.

If you want to delay your trip, Christmas in the Village the first full weekend of December offers live entertainment, music and locally made gifts from more than 40 artisans, farmers, craftsmen, businesses and organizations. Go here for more reasons to visit Sandwich.

Get the stuffing scared out of you: This ghost walk is based on the bestselling book “Haunted Portsmouth” by Roxie J. Zwicker, who leads a tour of the most historic and haunted places in downtown Portsmouth. And if you’re planning to join the Oct. 30 Halloween Parade Tour, be sure to come in costume.

The 90-minute walk takes participants through 13 of the city’s most active downtown haunts. Most of the stories were obtained directly from people who experienced them, making this a one-of-a-kind ghost tour. The Haunted Portsmouth tour has been featured prominently in the media, including by the Travel Channel, History Channel and Yankee Magazine.

Fall for New Hampshire’s beauty: Flume Gorge, 852 Daniel Webster Highway (Route 3) in Franconia Notch State Park, is one of the prettiest spots in New Hampshire. The Flume is a natural granite gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty.

A 2- to 3-mile hike takes visitors past waterfalls, covered bridges and other natural attractions. Some of the highlights include the Flume Covered Bridge, built in 1886 and often called a “kissing bridge” because of the privacy it allows; Table Rock, a section of Conway granite that is 500 feet long and 75 feet wide; Avalanche Falls, a 45-foot waterfall; Liberty Gorge, a cascading mountain stream that flows through the narrow valley; Sentinel Pine Bridge and Pool; Wolf Den, a narrow, one-way path where hikers will have to crawl on their hands and knees and squeeze through rocks; and glacial boulders left behind 25,000 years ago.

Step back in time at a ghost town: Monson was only an active town for a few years. Founded in 1737 and abandoned in 1770 due to limited resources, the ghost town is now a park and the roads that once carried horse-drawn wagons are now walking trails that wind through the woods. Stone fences and cellar holes are marked by signs bearing the names of Gould, Wallingford, W. Nevins, T. Nevins, Bayley, and Brown family homesteads, who were among the 300 or so people who once lived in the town, which is now part of Milford.

The 280-acre historic site is considered by archeologists to be one of the most significant sites in New England. It is a step back in time when travel was by foot, save that by the town doctor, the only person in town to have a horse and buggy. Only one of the original houses remains standing. Restored, it serves as a small educational center.

This is a chance to see the untouched natural beauty of New Hampshire. Be sure to hike to the north end of Monson Road to a large beaver pond with several lodges. It’s also common to see blue herons and their nests in the area, and benches near the water in a few locations provide the hiker with spots to relax while viewing wildlife.

Milford itself is a hotspot for tourism, known for its antique shops and country craft stores. The New Hampshire Antique Co-op is a veritable museum of Americana, filled with eclectic collections and treasures. If you go on a weekend, check out the Milford Drive-In Theater, one of only a few hundred drive-ins left in America.

Also, take a walk across the Souhegan River on the 200-foot iron cable suspension bridge known as the “Swing Bridge.” It was built in 1889, the wooden structure was known to sway under the heavy foot traffic of mill workers going to and from their shifts. It was swept away in flooding in 1869 and was replaced with the current iron and cable bridge in 1889.