The Kancamagus Scenic Byway passes through the heart of the White Mountains while traversing the flank of Mt. Kancamagus, filled with scenic areas and overlooks. Visit the Russell Colbath Historic Site, which offers colonial history, and explore the Forest Discovery Trail, which provides forest ecology experiences in a living classroom.
- Length
- 26.5 mi / 42.6 km
- Time to allow
- Allow one hour to drive this byway.
- Fees
- There are no fees for driving the byway; however, unattended cars in the National Forest need a recreation pass.
Who looks after this road
- White Mountains Visitor Center · 800-346-3687, 603-745-8720
We publish 11 places that sit on this road, listed in the order you meet them. This is not a route and not a drive time — it is the names, so you can put them into whatever navigation you already use.
“Off” is a straight line from the place to the road, rounded. It is not a driving distance, and the road itself is a simplified centre line, so treat a mile or two as noise.
Franconia Notch State ParkNH7 miles off
No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.
Cannon MountainNH8 miles offSki or bike
State-owned; steep terrain and aerial tramway
- Kind
- Ski Areas
Loon MountainNH2 miles offSki or bike
Popular White Mountains resort off I-93 Kancamagus
- Kind
- Ski Areas
- Bike park in summer
- Summer bike park
Waterville Valley ResortNH5 miles offSki or bike
Self-contained resort village off I-93
- Kind
- Ski Areas
- Bike park in summer
- Summer bike park
Living Shores AquariumNH8 miles offAnimals
Indoor walk-through aquarium of over 32,000 sq ft, next door to Story Land in Glen. Last entry 4:30 p.m. Winter weather policy: the aquarium closes whenever school district SAU 9 closes on a weekday, but it operates all Saturdays and Sundays plus school and holiday vacation weeks; extreme weather can still close it on a weekend or vacation day, and closures are announced on its social channels. Stingray and tortoise feeding is a $9.99 add-on in limited quantity. 'Nightmare At The Aquarium' is a separate 21+ after-hours event at $29.99. The stored URL livingshores.com is correct; it is the row's source_url livingshoresaquarium.com that is the secondary domain. The site refuses plain automated fetches with 403 but reads normally in a browser.
- Hours
- Daily 10-5, last entry 4:30
- Adult
- 27.99
- Child
- 27.99
- Season
- Open year-round; seven days a week from Father's Day through Labor Day; Friday-Monday for the rest of the year with special hours in holiday and school-vacation periods
Story LandNH8 miles offFun park
Site says 2026 season has ended; see you in 2027.
- Season
- Seasonal
Attitash Mountain ResortNH4 miles offSki or bike
Mount Washington Valley resort with two peaks
- Kind
- Ski Areas
North Conway (White Mountains)NH5 miles off
In our guide: 3 parks · 1 animal attraction
Cranmore Mountain ResortNH6 miles offSki or bike
Walkable from North Conway village
- Kind
- Ski Areas
- Bike park in summer
- Summer bike park
King PineNH8 miles offSki or bike
Beginner-friendly at Purity Spring Resort
- Kind
- Ski Areas
Fryeburg FairME9 miles offAnnual event
fair at Fryeburg Fairgrounds
- When
- October
- Since
- 1851
- Runs for
- more than one day