Hancock Overlook

Update: Oct ‘23 Went back during foliage season. Gets crowded with visitors and overflow parking is beside the road(hazard especially from a sharp curve) view for me is not as beautiful as those with the unofficial pullovers. Aug ‘23 Just at the end of the needle curve. Parking space for a trail hike but the view is good, could consider this as a scenic view.

I can’t tell how frustrated I am about this place. This place was on my bucketlist to visit since 2020. Finally, we hit road this season (Oct 2023) to see foliage on Kancamagus highway. But *spoiler alert* it was a major mistake to go there on a day before the Columbus day, because it was crazy crowded. I am not kidding. Let me explain how crazy it was. Our 1st destination was Lincoln NH. Normally it is 2 hour drive from our home (which is around Boston). It took well over 3 hours to get there. I-93N was mostly open, but the exit to Lincoln NH was crazy, jam packed with cars. We waited 45+mins to go final 0.8 miles on I-93N just to take the exit. But it is not over. From Lincoln, town center, to Hancock Overlook (one of the popular destinations on Kancamagus hwy), a 10-mile stretch, took whopping 1hour and 20mins. It was beyond crazy how bad was the traffic jam. And the worst of all, the view was mediocre at its best. It is maybe for 2023, but my local town near Boston has better colors on trees than this place. The view was obstructed and colors were gone, probably because of storms and rains beforehand. Anyways, we planned to have a little picnic and drive thru the whole Kancamagus hwy, but we were exhausted after 5 hours of driving to get Hancock overlook and we decided to return home. Since there is no cell service up there, we couldn’t decide which way is the best for returning to Boston area. In the end we decided to take I-93S again thru Lincoln NH, because Conway NH was 20-mile further away. Boy-o-boy, we were still not aware of the further suffering we about the face! It took another 2 hours to get Lincoln NH from Hancock Overlook. I repeat, this was a 10 mile drive. In the end, we spent a total of 9 hours just to see dull colors on a not-so-great overlook. I say that because the view is not breathtaking but any means. There is not much the see, because you cannot see much from the trees that obstruct the view. Here are some pictures I took. Definitely DO NOT visit here on a Columbus day weekend.

A must-see vista along the Kancamagus Scenic byway. Whether you're on a fall foliage excursion or summertime drive, the overlook offers a beautiful view of the White Mountain National forest. It's a great place to stop for lunch/snack though there's no picnjc tables. A nice gazeboo structure with sitting benches offers a place to stretch out your legs. Read about the history of the WMNF and take some time to soak in the views. Parking can be an issue anytime of the year but it's worth the effort.

Loved this scenic vista, hated how crowded it was and how bad traffic + parking was. I went mid October the day before Columbus Day & I’ll never do it again because of the traffic! I was so worried my car was going to get hit. Thankfully it didn’t though. Even though traffic wasn’t ideal, it was beautiful and I was amazed with the view. It’s something worth seeing.