Sometimes when you visit one of North America’s so-called “must see” motorcycle roads, you end up a bit disappointed. The Cabot Trail, for all its hype and fun, still has some badly potholed stretches, miles of straights, and many go-slow zones. The Tail of the Dragon can be shut down for hours due to crashes, and on a sunny weekend, it’s clogged with traffic. Ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and you’ll find artificially-lowered speed limits that have you constantly on the lookout for the police. You get the idea—and the White Mountains of New Hampshire are no different during peak tourist season.
But if you can go before the crowds arrive, or after they leave? This area is a real treat to visit, and is a good place to combine good roads, good scenery, good food, and some easy off-pavement riding. If you live within a day’s ride or so, it’s an excellent chance to stretch your motorcycle’s legs, and maybe even do a bit of light adventure riding.
The Bandit sits in a pull-out on a New Hampshire byroad, looking at the mountains in the distance. This is from a mid-May visit, before the tourist crowds arrive. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
Head for the hills!
It’s not hard to find the White Mountains. Ride to New Hampshire, and head for the northern half of the state. New Hampshire isn’t a very big place, and once you turn inland from the coast, you’re in the hills before very long. They run from the northern tip of the state down the western boundary, and on the eastern boundary they push into the edge of Maine. And, they’re a fantastic place to ride.
There are several reasons for this. Obviously, the geography helps. Mountains, and the rivers at the bottoms of those mountains, mean natural boundaries that roadbuilders must work around, and that means enjoyable corners. Because this corner of the Appalachian range has been settled by Europeans for hundreds of years, those roads were built before modern traffic design interfered. Compare the roads in the White Mountains to routes constructed in the past 50 years. The newer roads will be straightened out, because that’s efficient. This is especially evident when you travel the extreme northern end of the Appalachians in Canada. The mountains are the same, but the roads are different, because they’re mostly modern.
The problem with early May visits is that you might find roads closed, or maintenance left undone. A bit of loose gravel is no big deal if you’re on an adventure bike and riding watchfully. On these narrow roads, you should always be careful anyway. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
Along with geography and history, New Hampshire’s money is also a big factor here. Although this state famously has no income tax, it does have a wealthy tax base, and a lot of tourism traffic in the summer. That helps keep the more popular roads in good shape, although this is not true throughout the entire White Mountain range. Away from the tourist areas, there are many bumpy roads as well—all the more reason to visit here via adventure bike!
And finally, it’s very important to note that much of this range is public land, including the sprawling White Mountain National Forest. Much of New England is highly developed private land. Even the woodsy areas like northern Maine are controlled by large companies that take a dim eye to adventure motorcycling. Because the White Mountains are public, you have riding or camping options that you might not have elsewhere.
Where to go?
I’ve only been a visitor to the White Mountains, not a resident. For the real insider scoop, you should check out ADVrider’s Northeast regional sub-forum.
Here are some basic suggestions:
The Kancamagus Highway is probably the best-known road in this area. It gets absolutely polluted with mid-day traffic on the weekend, especially in peak tourist season, but if you’re riding early morning or late evening you can dodge some of this. I did an end-to-end run in May of 2023 where I only had to pass five cars, and I believe at least two of those cars purposefully pulled over to let my friends and me get past them. Photo: Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com
The Kancamagus Highway is well worth a visit, as long as it isn’t tourist season. This isn’t tight canyon-style riding, but you spend about 35 miles through mostly wilderness mountain scenery, and the sweepers are a lot of fun. Even better, the locals seem to be happy to pull over and let motorcycles pass them. I’ve had more than one rider say this road is a bit over-hyped, and maybe it is, but if you can do a strafing run without having too much traffic to pass, it can be a lot of fun.
Hurricane Mountain Road can be great fun if it’s opened, and you’re not stuck in traffic. It’s a short run over Hurricane Mountain, as the name indicates. Be warned, the pavement may not be in the best of shape, and this road is very narrow, with limited sightlines. Expect a tight squeeze if you meet a large vehicle. Check ahead to see if the gate is open—see here.
Route 118 aka the Sawyer Highway is a more off-the-beaten-track route that should mean quieter roads. This paved run has a surface that’s considerably more beat-up than the more tourist-friendly routes (although it did get some paving in 2023). This means less traffic to pass, and the potholes shouldn’t hold you back much if you’re on a dual sport or ADV.
Anything with “Notch” or “Run” in the name is well worth investigation. Many of these roads are unpaved, but are kept in relatively decent shape. The Bear Notch Road is a good example. The Sandwich Notch Road is another. If the road maintenance is kept up, you can ride this on a street bike as long as you keep a careful hand on the throttle. In early or late season, or after heavy rain, it might be tricky, but this road and many like it are doable on just about any machine if you’re willing to take your time. If you ride a scrambler, you’re on the perfect road for your machine!
Along with the ADVrider sub-forum mentioned above (definitely check there for up-to-date details on off-road opportunities), also check out New England Riders for the latest road conditions and other info on what’s going on and where to go in the White Mountains.
The secondary roads through the White Mountains are far less busy. But even the most popular parks are quiet in early morning and late evening, even in tourist season. Photo: Winston Tan/Shutterstock.com
When to go?
New England gets crowded with tourists over the Memorial Day weekend, and stays that way until the fall leaf peepers are gone. You’ve also got Laconia Bike Week to consider. Who wants to spend their moto holiday stuck behind endless packs of dawdling cruiseratti? Not I, and probably not you.
So, head to the White Mountains before Memorial Day and before Laconia. You’re looking at sometime in mid-May; otherwise, wait until summer is over. ADVrider contributor Kate Murphy, who rides the White Mountains at least once a year, says the best time to visit is on a weekday after schools are back in season in the fall. Tourist traffic has died off a lot by then.
See that tourist traffic? This is the town of Lincoln, a hub for several good moto-roads in the White Mountains. Come here on a weekend, and you’ll be stuck with bumper-to-bumper leaf peepers. Come on a weekday, and ride free. Photo: Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com
You could even aim for a late fall visit, after the majority of the pumpkin spice-chugging crowd has gone home. You may encounter snow in the mountains at that point, though, and some of the eateries and accommodations will be closed, but in the larger towns that cater to the ski crowd that shouldn’t be a problem.
