Bear Notch Road Loop

A short loop that strings together the best of the Conway valley: it heads out on the Kancamagus past the Albany Covered Bridge and Rocky Gorge, turns north on Bear Notch Road, a narrow forest road with overlooks toward the mountains, and drops into Bartlett to return on US-302 through Glen and North Conway. It's 39 miles of easy bends and good stops. Bear Notch Road closes in winter and has no shoulder or services; fuel in Conway and expect outlet traffic in North Conway.

Bear Notch Road links the Kancamagus Highway with Bartlett across a low pass between the mountains, and its pull-offs on the climb open views over the surrounding mountains. It's a seasonal road: it closes every winter, usually from mid or late November until late April or May, depending on the snow, so check the White Mountain National Forest road status before you go late in the year. The loop starts on the Kanc itself, past the Albany Covered Bridge, built in 1858, and Rocky Gorge, where the Swift River squeezes through a narrow rock channel.

From Bartlett the loop returns east on US-302 through Glen and North Conway, where the services are. Bear Notch Road is narrow, with no shoulder and no services at all. North Conway's outlets and its stretch of NH-16 can back up on weekends, so time the end of the loop for a weekday or an early start if you can.