New Hampshire is a beautiful New England state with plenty to offer. The most popular thing this area of the USA is known for is the fall foliage. While I absolutely recommend going to New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine for fall to get some leaf peeping. But don’t discount heading to these areas for winter or summer. New Hampshire has plenty of wonderful skiing as well as beautiful scenic road trips and drives.

Map of New Hampshire Road Trips

White Mountains Regions

Multi-Mountain Trip

This loop in New Hampshire has several variations to make your road trip as long or as short as you’d like. In total, it is a 142-mile loop through the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire. This will take you through the stunning mountain scenery of the White Mountain National Forest.

Beautiful fall foliage along the road

Start from Lincoln, then head north onto I-93 through the Franconia Notch State Park, then onto route 3 to Twin Mountain. From there, you can continue onto Route 302 or go west onto Route 112, which then gets you to Route 302. You’ll go through Bath, Lisbon, Littleton, Bethlehem, Twin Mountain, and Bretton Woods. These are all wonderful places for overnight stops if you’re interested in making your New Hampshire road trip longer.

Route 302 then continues east through Crawford Notch and past some amazing scenery. In Bartlett, you then turn south on Bear Notch Road. Here, there is a seasonal road that connects to Kancmagus Highway, or (off season) you’ll head to Route 16 in Glen. Heading north on Route 16 in Glen, you can head to Pinkham Notch past Mount Washington toward Gorham and the Great North Woods Ride. That will round out the 142-mile loop.

Kancamagus Highway Route

Between Conway and Lincoln in the White Mountains is this popular road trip in New Hampshire. It is a 35-mile-long winding road. This one isn’t a loop, so you’ll go out and then back the way you came. This road climbs to nearly 3,000 feet as it crosses Mt. Kancamagus in Lincoln. It offers incredible mountain views, including waterfalls and covered bridges.

Albany Covered Bridge in New Hampshire

The best time to explore this place would be fall, when the leaves turn orange and red, but spring is also a gorgeous time to visit and see all the flowers blooming. Head over Albany Covered Bridge to walk or drive across the bridge to enjoy views of the Swift River. There are benches to sit on and admire the views. Finally, there is a short Boulder loop trail with views of Mt. Chocorua.

Merrimack Region

Merrimack Valley Region has so many great outdoor activities. It is really a great place for year-round road trips in New Hampshire. You can head to the McIntyre Ski Area or explore US history in New Hampshire. My absolute favorite part of this trip was the covered bridge. There is always something magical about covered bridges.

A covered bridge covered in snow.

Starting in Manchester, you’ll head north on Route 3 to Concord. Manchester is where you’ll find many cute shops and the McIntyre Ski Area. In Concord, there is plenty to do, including many historical stops from the Historical Society.

From Concord, head west on Route 202 to Henniker. Here, you’ll find the Henniker Covered Bridge, which is a must-visit in winter. It has all the beautiful snow, which makes it look magical. For more skiing in Henniker, head to Pats Peak. Then, keep following Route 202 as it veers south through Hillsboro, Bennington, and Peterborough before heading east on Route 101 back to Manchester.

Seacoast Region

Starting at Portsmouth, take Route 1B over the causeway to New Castle. Portsmouth is a very great little port city in New Hampshire. This trip begins in the historic district, which gives you time to check out the cute little shops and restaurants. This narrow route winds over the causeway to New Castle, then around the island. It’ll take you past the Wentworth-by-the-Sea, Fort Stark, and Fort Constitution. This is a great place to stop during your New Hampshire road trip.

Then Route 1B connects with Route 1A and turns south through Rye and North Hampton to Hampton. Along the way, you’ll see Odiorne Point State Park among a series of beaches. Take Route 101 to Route 1 in Hampton Beach through Hampton Falls. Then you’ll take Route 84, which takes you through Kensington to Route 150 and Exeter.

Sunflower field in New Hampshire

Exeter is one of the four original towns in colonial New Hampshire. It was also the state capital during the Revolutionary War. It is a great place to stop and explore more of US history. From there, you’ll follow Route 27 along the original 18th century route back to Hampton. Then you can continue back to Portsmouth. It is a great day trip, or you can break it up into a couple of days.

Lakes Region

New Hampshire has a bunch of beautiful lakes, and this loop will take you through some of the popular ones. For a 134-mile loop, this New Hampshire road trip will take you through many places and lakes. I recommend stopping along the way to explore some towns. This road trip is particularly good in the summer as you’ll get to do many hikes and summer lake activities.

Start from the docks in Meredith along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, then head onto Route 25 to Center Harbor and Moultonborough. From here, you’ll head south on Route 109. It is a windy route that offers many views of the Big Lake as you go through Wolfeboro. Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort in America, a great stop on your road trip.

The lake at ferry point. A view while on a road trip in New Hampshire.

From Wolfeboro, take Route 109 east to Sanbornville, where you join Route 153. Then you head north to Conway. Here, you can veer off to see the mountains, or you can continue following the route south to Union and Farmington to Route 11. In Rochester, turn southwest onto Route 202A toward Northwood. Here, you’ll take Route 4 then over to Route 152 south. Continue driving to Nottingham and get on Route 156 toward Raymond, where you’ll head north on Route 107 through Deerfield, Epsom, Pittsfield, Barnstead, Gilmanton, and Laconia. Here, you’ll pick up Route 3, which will take you back to Meredith.

Laconia is a great place for a stop before finishing up your road trip. Check out our favorite Lake House for a relaxing stay along the water. Lake House at Ferry Point is a perfect B&B for a road trip since it has delicious food, is on the Lake, and has plenty of relaxing outdoor summer activities.

Tips & Tricks for New Hampshire Road Trips

  • There is very limited cell service in many of these loops and road trips. Be sure to download the map before heading out.
  • Since New Hampshire is pretty rural, you may not find an abundance of gas stations between towns. Be sure to fill up before heading out.
  • Some places, like the Kancamagus Highway, require a recreation pass to park along the way. You can pick them up at Ranger stations in different towns.
  • You will definitely want to bring snacks with you as you won’t find many rest stops between towns.

Final Thoughts About New Hampshire Road Trips

New Hampshire is such a lovely state in New England. It is very underrated, which means you’ll find so many wonderful things without a lot of other tourists. While it does get very cold in winter, there is truly so much to see year-round in New Hampshire. Remember, not all roads are open year-round in New Hampshire due to the weather. These road trips open up a whole new world when exploring the wild nature in New England.